The German Pinot Noir miracle

In 1963, journalist André Simon and wine merchant Fritz Hallgarten wrote a book to (re)introduce German wine to the English-speaking public of the post-war period. On 192 pages, the authors of "The Great Wines of Germany" describe the best Rieslings from the Rhine, Main, Nahe and Moselle. They devoted four and a half pages of the book to red wine, with quite detailed information on where to find the best Pinot Noirs. The final note that concludes this small section, however, is sobering: