German wine is primarily produced in the west of the country, along the river Rhine and its tributaries, with the oldest plantations going back to the Roman era. Approximately 60% of the wine production is situated in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, where 6 of the 13 regions for quality wine are situated. Germany is the eighth largest wine-producing country in the world, and white wine accounts for almost two thirds of the total production. Perhaps the most distinctive characteristic of German wines is the high level of acidity in them, caused both by the lesser ripeness in a northerly climate and by the selection of grapes which retain acidity.
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