This brief overview of the German wine laws and labelling will give you a greater insight into what  exactly is in the bottle.

There are essentially 4 levels of quality for Germans wines which have an increasing order of ‘must weight’ (sugar in the grapes).

Deutscher Wein | Landwein | Qualitätswein | Prädikatswein

Deutscher Wein - must be made from grapes grown in Germany with an alcohol level between 8.5% and 15%. Typically inexpensive and intended to be drunk on release.

Landwein - represents a basic level of regional wine with fewer regulations than the higher categories. The wine must come from a designated Landwein region. Typically the wines are dry and must be between 8.5% and 15% alcohol. Intended to be drunk on release.

Qualitätswein - The grapes must come from 1 of 13 designated wines regions in Germany and be labelled as such on the label. Alcohol ranges from 7% upwards, with the category containing some sweeter wines. The label may indicate the sweetness level - ‘trocken’ (dry) or ‘halftrocken’ (semi-dry). The quality of wine is usually superior to Deutscher and Landwein, due to the strict rules and regulations.

 

Prädikatswein - The grapes for wines under the Prädikat system must come from a ‘Bereich’ (1 of 40 recognised wine producing districts). Wines from this category are produced from grapes with the highest must weights, and enrichment (adding sugar) is not permitted. Pradkiat means ‘distinction’ and there are 6 categories.

 

As you move through the six Pradikat categories, imagine moving later into the season as the sugars develop more in the grapes. The flavours move from citrus and green apple, to stone fruits and then arrive at canned apricot and honey.

 

• Kabinett - light bodied and high acid, dry to medium sweet, produced from grapes with the lowest must weight.
• Spatlese - produced from fully ripe grapes typically picked 2 weeks later than grapes used for Kabinett. These wines show more fruit concentration, riper flavours and can also range from dry to medium sweet.
• Auslese - is made from specially selected, extra ripe bunches. The wines are even more ripe and concentrated fruit flavours often with notes of honey and stone fruits. These wines can be made in a dry style, but typically they hold some residual sugar.
• Beerenauslese (BA) - made from individually selected berries. Sugar concentration in the grape is high so these wines will always be sweet. Very ripe and with notes of dried apricots. Yields are very low and labour intensive so prices are high.
• Eiswein - Grapes must be picked by hand when frozen on the vine. Once picked the grapes must be pressed still frozen which releases a high concentrated, fully flavoured, high acid juice. Very rare and not made every year as the grapes have to hang on the vine into December and wait for a freeing evening.
• Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA) - made from shrivelled, raison like grapes that are extremely concentrated and sweet and have been affected by Botrytis. A rare category!