Germany is one of the coolest climates for winegrowing in Europe. Its so cool, in fact, that all of the wine regions are centered around the countrys river system. The rivers provide steep southern facing banks that give the grapes adequate sun exposure, and the water itself moderates the cool continental climate. Riesling dominates most regions, and transparently reflects where its grown and how its made. These are the wines that rivaled Burgundy and Bordeaux in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, and were found in the most exclusive places in the world, even the Titanic.