Making Sense of German Wine Labels
Deciphering Terms Helps Determine the Style of Wine in the Bottle
Sep 7, 2009
Let's face it, German wine labels can be very bewildering to many wine lovers. The unpronounceable names and terms do little to explain the style of wine that's in the bottle. It can be very frustrating to get a bottle of German wine home only to discover that it is not the style you were looking for. Understanding the language on the label is important to understanding the wine in the bottle.
German Wine Terms
Germany is divided into 13 wine regions called 'Anbaugebiete'. Some of the more famous ones are Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Rheingau, Rheinhessen, and Pfalz. These 13 regions are then divided into 40 districts called 'bereiche'. The bereiche are divided further into 163 collections of vineyards, each called a 'grosslage'. An individual vineyard site is called an 'einzellage'.
When you look at a German wine label you will see a line that has two, usually long and unpronouncable words. On the label in the photograph accompanying this article the words are "Kaseler Neis'chen".
- The first word, Kaseler, ending with the suffix "er", is the name of the village, Kasel, the wine comes from.
- The second word, Neis'chen, is the name of the vineyard.
How Sweet is it?
Whether a wine is dry or has some perceptible sweetness can be indicated on the label, but not always.
- The term 'trocken' indicates that the wine is very dry without perceptible sugar.
- 'Halbtrocken' wines are semi-dry, but with no more than 18g of sugar per litre. This level of sweetness is barely perceptible and many wine drinkers will consider it to be dry.
Starting with the 2000 vintage, two other classifications were added to the list of terms in an attempt to make wine selection easier for consumers. 'Classic' wines are full-bodied and dry and must come from a specific area. The wine must not have more than 15g/l of residual sugar. If the wine is designated as 'Selection' then the label must also name the village and vineyard. Selection wines are also dry, with no more than 12g/l of residual sugar.
If none of these terms is found on the label then the wine is probably of a sweeter style.
Quality German Wines
Quality wines are divided into two categories:
- Qualitatswein bestimmter Anbaugebeite (QbA)
- Qualitiatswein mit Pradikat (QmP).
Qualitatswein bestimmter Anbaugebeite is the most basic level and must come from one of the 13 official wine regions. It is usually inexpensive wine for everyday drinking. The grapes used to produce QbA wines are harvested at the lowest level of ripeness and may be Chaptalized, that is, sugar may be added to boost the final alcohol level. Chaptalization does not affect the final sweetness level.
Qualitatswein mit Pradikat is the highest class of quality German wine. There are six levels of 'Pradikat', or special attributes, that are based on the ripeness level of the grapes at harvest. A grape's ripeness is determined by the sugar content of the grape when harvested and does not reflect the sweetness of the final wine. No extra sugar may be added to increase the final alcohol level of the wine.
There are Six Levels of Ripeness
Kabinett
- Wine labelled as 'Kabinett' is made with grapes of the least level of ripeness. They are generally picked during the normal harvest and are light-bodied, refreshing wines that are low in alcohol and are usually dry. Kabinett wines are typically more complex than QbA wines.
Spatlese
- The next level of ripeness is 'Spatlese' which literally means "late harvest". The grapes are picked fully ripe and produce a fuller-bodied wine than a Kabinett with more intensity. The wine may range from dry to fairly sweet. Any sweetness is balanced by mouth-watering crisp acidity.
Auslese
- The term 'Auslese' is the next level up the ripeness scale and it literally means "selected harvest' as these grapes are harvested in selected bunches. The wines produced are more rich and intense and, generally, are only made in years that have had sufficiently warm growing conditions. Auslese wines tend to be more expensive and most have a good degree of sweetness.
Beerenauslese
- 'Beerenauslese' is wine that is made from grapes that have been individually selected by hand making them even more costly. These wines are rich and very intense and the grapes have usually been infected with some degree of Noble Rot, or botrytis cinerea. They are also very rare.
Trockenbeerenauslese
- The richest and sweetest of the German wines is 'Trockenbeerenauslese', or TBA for short. They are also the rarest and most expensive as they are made from individually picked grapes that have been left on the vine to shrivel. The wines are usually an amber colour and are luscious and sweet and very complex.
The Germans also make 'Eiswein' from grapes that have been left on the vine to freeze naturally from the frigid temperatures. The grapes are pressed while they are still frozen releasing an extremely concentrated and sweet juice. The grapes are usually at the sweetness level of a beerenauslese. The resulting wine is richly sweet and complex, with a streak of acidity that prevents the wine from being cloying.
Don't Be Afraid to be Adventurous
With a little understanding of some of the terms on labels of German wine, you may have a better indication of the style of wine that's in the bottle and you will feel more confident with your purchase. Germany produces some beautiful wine so don't be afraid to be adventurous and try some different ones with the terms you just learned on the labels. You may be surprised at what you discover!
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