The German wine classification system puts a strong emphasis on standardization and factual completeness, and was first implemented by the German Wine Law of 1971. Nearly all of Germany's vineyards are delineated and registered as one of approximately 2,600 Einzellagen ('individual sites'), and the produce from any vineyard can be used to make

German wine German wine is primarily produced in the west of Germany, along the river Rhine and its tributaries, with the oldest plantations going back to the Ancient Rome, Roman era. Approximately 60 percent of German wine is produced in the state of Rhine ...

at any quality level, as long as the

must weight Must weight is a measure of the amount of sugar in grape juice (must) and, hence, indicates the amount of alcohol that could be produced if it is all fermented to alcohol, rather than left as residual sugar. As the current German system does not classify vineyards by quality, the measure of wine ’quality’ is the ripeness of the grapes alone. Approximately 200 wine makers have been organised since 1910 in the

Verband Deutscher Prädikats- und Qualitätsweingüter An umbrella organization is an association of (often related, industry-specific) institutions who work together formally to coordinate activities and/or pool resources. In business, political, and other environments, it provides resources and ofte ...

(VDP). To counter the shortcomings of the 1971 law, the VDP nowadays classifies the best vineyards by its own rules into 'VDP.Grosse Lage' (

Grand cru Cru is a wine term used to indicate a high-quality vineyard or group of vineyards. It is a French word which is traditionally translated as "growth", as is the past participle of the verb "croître" (to grow); it literally means 'grown'. The ...

) and 'VDP.Erste Lage' (

Premier cru Cru is a wine term used to indicate a high-quality vineyard or group of vineyards. It is a French word which is traditionally translated as "growth", as is the past participle of the verb "croître" (to grow); it literally means 'grown'. The t ...

) based on 19th century Prussian tax maps. Most of these wine makers are based in the regions of Mosel,

Pfalz Pfalz, Pfälzer, or Pfälzisch are German words referring to Palatinate. They may refer to: Places *Pfalz, the Palatinate (region) of Germany **Nordpfalz, the North Palatinate **Vorderpfalz, the Anterior Palatinate **Südpfalz, the South P ...

, and Franken. The classification of wines has been reorganized since 1 August 2009 by the EU wine market organization. The traditional German wine classification remained mostly unchanged, as the European system follows the origin-related system like in Germany and most areas of France (

AOC Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (; ; born October 13, 1989), also known by her initials AOC, is an American politician and activist. She has served as the U.S. representative for New York's 14th congressional district since 2019, as a member of ...

). The already existing protection of

geographical indication A geographical indication (GI) is a name or sign used on products which corresponds to a specific geographical location or origin (e.g., a town, region, or country). The use of a geographical indication, as an indication of the product's source, ...

was transmitted through this step as well to the wine classification.

Quality designations

There are two major categories of

: table and "quality" wine. Table wine includes the designations ''Deutscher Wein'' (previously Tafelwein) and ''Landwein''. Unlike the supposed equivalents of "

Vin de Table Table wine (rarely abbreviated TW) is a wine term with two different meanings: a style of wine and a quality level within wine classification. In the United States, the term primarily designates a wine style: an ordinary wine which is not forti ...

" / "

Vino da Tavola Table wine (rarely abbreviated TW) is a wine term with two different meanings: a style of wine and a quality level within wine classification. In the United States, the term primarily designates a wine style: an ordinary wine which is not fortifi ...

" and "

Indicazione Geografica Tipica ''Indicazione geografica tipica'' () is the third of four classifications of wine recognized by the government of Italy. Created to recognize the unusually high quality of the class of wines known as Super Tuscans, IGT wines are labeled with th ...

" / "

Vin de Pays ''Vin de pays'' (, "country wine") was a French wine classification that was above the '' vin de table'' classification, but below the ''appellation d'origine contrôlée'' (AOC) classification and below the former ''vin délimité de qualité s ...

", production levels are not high, and these wines are typically exported to the United States. In 2005, Tafelwein and Landwein only accounted for 3.6% of total production. In Baden, there is a growing trend to release high-end wines as Landwein . Quality wine is divided into two types: ;''Qualitätswein'', or quality wine from a specific region. :This is wine from one of the 13 wine-growing regions (''

Anbaugebiete German wine regions are classified according to the quality category of the wine grown therein: ''Tafelwein, Landwein, Qualitätswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete'' (QbA) and '' Prädikatswein''. The wine regions allowed to produce QbA and Prädikat ...

''), and the region must be shown on the label. It is a basic level of everyday, mostly inexpensive quaffing wines. The grapes are at a fairly low level of ripeness, with must weights of 51°Oe to 72°Oe. The alcohol content of the wine must be at least 7% by volume, and

chaptalization Chaptalization is the process of adding sugar to unfermented grape must in order to increase the alcohol content after fermentation. The technique is named after its developer, the French chemist Jean-Antoine-Claude Chaptal. This process is not in ...

(adding sugar to the unfermented grape juice to boost the final alcohol level, which in no way alters the sweetness) is often used. Qualitätswein range from dry to semi-sweet, and the style is often indicated on the label, along with the designation ''Qualitätswein'' and the region. Some top-level dry wines are officially Qualitätswein although they would qualify as Prädikatswein. All dry wines produced by members of the VDP association are always declared as Qualitätswein. ;''Prädikatswein'', or superior quality wine. : Known as ''Qualitätswein mit Prädikat'' (QmP) (quality wine with specific attributes) until August 2007, this is the top level of German wines. These prominently display a Prädikat (ripeness level designation) on the label and may not be chaptalized. Prädikatswein range from dry to intensely sweet, but unless it is specifically indicated that the wine is dry or off-dry, these wines always contain a noticeable amount of residual sugar. Prädikatswein must be produced from allowed varieties in one of the 39 subregions (''Bereich'') of one of the 13 wine-growing regions, although it is the region rather than the subregion which is mandatory information on the label. (Some of the smaller regions, such as Rheingau, consist of only one subregion.) The different Prädikat (superior quality wine) designations used are as follows, in order of increasing sugar levels in the must: ;

Kabinett Kabinett (literal meaning: cabinet), or sometimes Kabinettwein (literal meaning: a wine set aside in a cabinet), is a German language wine term for a wine which is made from fully ripened grapes of the main harvest, typically picked in September, ...

– literally "cabinet" : fully ripened light wines from the main harvest, typically semi-sweet with crisp acidity, but can be dry if designated so. This term may have originated as indicating the winemaker felt it was good enough to put in his own cabinet rather than offer it for sale. ;

Spätlese Spätlese (literal meaning: "late harvest"; plural form is ''Spätlesen'') is a German wine term for a wine from fully ripe grapes, the lightest of the late harvest wines. Spätlese is a riper category than Kabinett in the '' Prädikatswein'' ca ...

– meaning "late harvest" : typically half-dry, often (but not always) sweeter and fruitier than Kabinett. The grapes are picked at least 7 days after normal harvest, so they are riper. While waiting to pick the grapes carries a risk of the crop being ruined by rain, in warm years and from good sites much of the harvest can reach Spätlese level. Spätlese can be a relatively full-bodied dry wine if designated so. While Spätlese means

late harvest Late harvest wine is wine made from grapes left on the vine longer than usual. ''Late harvest'' is usually an indication of a sweet dessert wine, such as late harvest Riesling. Late harvest grapes are often more similar to raisins, but have been ...

the wine is not as sweet as a

dessert wine Dessert wines, sometimes called pudding wines in the United Kingdom, are sweet wines typically served with dessert. There is no simple definition of a dessert wine. In the UK, a dessert wine is considered to be any sweet wine drunk with a meal ...

, as the "late harvest" term is often used in US wines. ;

Auslese ''Auslese'' (literal meaning: "selected harvest"; plural form is ''Auslesen'') is a German language wine term for a late harvest wine and is a riper category than Spätlese in the '' Prädikatswein'' category of the Austrian and German wine cl ...

– meaning "select harvest" : made from very ripe, hand selected bunches, typically semi-sweet or sweet, sometimes with some

noble rot Noble rot (french: pourriture noble; german: Edelfäule; it, Muffa nobile; hu, Aszúsodás) is the beneficial form of a grey fungus, ''Botrytis cinerea'', affecting wine grapes. Infestation by ''Botrytis'' requires moist conditions. If the we ...

character. Sometimes Auslese is also made into a powerful dry wine, but the designation Auslese trocken has been discouraged after the introduction of Grosses Gewächs. Auslese is the Prädikat which covers the widest range of wine styles, and can be a dessert wine. ;

Beerenauslese ''Beerenauslese'' (literally: "selection of berries") is a German language wine term for a late harvest wine with noble rot. Beerenauslese is a category in the '' Prädikatswein'' category of the Austrian and German wine classifications, and is ...

– meaning "select berry harvest" : made from overripe grapes individually selected from bunches and often affected by

, making rich sweet

. ;

Trockenbeerenauslese ''Trockenbeerenauslese'' (literal meaning: 'dried berry selection') is a German language wine term for a medium to full body dessert wine. ''Trockenbeerenauslese'' is the highest in sugar content in the ''Prädikatswein'' category of the Austrian ...

– meaning "select dry berry harvest" or "dry berry selection" : made from selected overripe shrivelled grapes often affected by

making extremely rich sweet wines. "Trocken" in this phrase refers to the grapes being dried on the vine rather than the resulting wine being a dry style. ;

Eiswein Ice wine (or icewine; german: Eiswein) is a type of dessert wine produced from grapes that have been frozen while still on the vine. The sugars and other dissolved solids do not freeze, but the water does, allowing for a more concentrated grape ...

(

ice wine Ice wine (or icewine; german: Eiswein) is a type of dessert wine produced from grapes that have been frozen while still on the vine. The sugars and other dissolved solids do not freeze, but the water does, allowing for a more concentrated grape ...

) : made from grapes that have been naturally frozen on the vine, making a very concentrated wine. Must reach at least the same level of sugar content in the must as a Beerenauslese. The most classic Eiswein style is to use only grapes that are not affected by

. Until the 1980s, the Eiswein designation was used in conjunction with another Prädikat (which indicated the ripeness level of the grapes before they had frozen), but is now considered a Prädikat of its own. The minimum must weight requirements for the different Prädikat designations are as follows. Many producers, especially top-level producers, exceed the minimum requirements by a wide margin. : This does not necessarily determine the sweetness of the final wine, because the winemaker may choose to ferment the wine fully or let some residual sugar remain.

Special designations

In certain regions, additional rules are applied to how a wine is classified. These special names represent special characters.

Sweetness of the wine

The sugar content in the finished wine can be indicated by the following designations for Qualitätswein and Prädikatswein. For sparkling wines (Sekt), many of the same designations are used, but have a different meaning. :

Color

There are also color designations that can be used on the label: ; Weißwein – white wine :May be produced only from white varieties. This designation is seldom used. ; Rotwein – red wine :May be produced only from red varieties with sufficient maceration to make the wine red. Sometimes used for clarification if the producer also makes rosés from the same grape variety. ;Roséwein – rosé wine :Produced from red varieties with a shorter maceration, the wine must have pale red or clear red color. ;Weißherbst – rosé wine or ''

blanc de noirs Champagne (, ) is a sparkling wine originated and produced in the Champagne wine region of France under the rules of the appellation, that demand specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from designated places within it, spe ...

'' :A rosé wine which must conform to special rules: must be Qualitätswein or Prädikatswein, single variety and be labelled with the varietal name. There are no restrictions as to the color of the wine, so they range from pale gold to deep pink. Weißherbst wines also range from dry to sweet, such as rosé Eiswein from Spätburgunder.

Extra ripeness or higher quality

Some producers also use additional propriate designations to denote quality or ripeness level within a Prädikat. These are outside the scope of the German wine law. Especially for Auslese, which can cover a wide range of sweetness levels, the presence of any of these designations tends to indicate a sweet

rather than a semi-sweet wine. These designations are all unregulated. ; Goldkapsel – gold capsule :A golden capsule or foil on the bottle. Denotes a wine considered better by the producer. Usually means a Prädikatswein that is sweeter or more intense, or indicates an auction wine made in a very small lot. ; Stars *, ** or *** :Usually means that a Prädikatswein has been harvested at a higher level of ripeness than the minimum required, and can mean that the wine is sweeter or more intense. ; Fuder (vat) numbers :Usually indicated for better wines and often the numbers are arranged in some logical order, although the same numbers need not return in each vintage. This practice seems to be most common for semi-sweet and sweet wines in the Mosel region.

Special and regional wine types

There are also a number of specialty and regional wines, considered as special version of some quality category. Here are some of them: ;

Liebfraumilch ''Liebfraumilch'' or ''Liebfrauenmilch'' (, in reference to the Virgin Mary) is a style of semi-sweet white German wine which may be produced, mostly for export, in the regions Rheinhessen, Palatinate, Rheingau, and Nahe. The original German s ...

or Liebfrauenmilch : A semi-sweet Qualitätswein from the Rheingau, Nahe, Rheinhessen or Pfalz, consisting at least 70% of the varieties Riesling, Müller-Thurgau, Silvaner or Kerner. In practice there is very little Riesling in Liebfraumilch since varietally labelled Riesling wines tend to fetch a higher price. Liebfraumilch may not carry a varietal designation on the label. Liebfraumilch is probably Germany's most notorious wine type, and is in principle a medium-quality wine designation although more commonly perceived to be a low-quality wine both at home and on the export market. ;Moseltaler : An off-dry/semi-sweet Qualitätswein cuvée from the Mosel wine region (''Moseltal'' is Moselle Valley in German) made from the following white grape varieties: Riesling, Müller-Thurgau, Elbling and Kerner. May not carry a varietal designation on the label, and sold under a uniform logotype. Must have a residual sugar of 15–30 grams per liter and a minimum acidity of 7 grams per liter. Basically a Liebfraumilch-lookalike from Mosel. ;Rotling : A wine produced from a mixture of red and white varieties. A Rotling must have pale red or clear red color ;Schillerwein : A Rotling from the Württemberg wine-growing region, which must be Qualitätswein or Prädikatswein. ;Badisch Rotgold : A Rotling from the Baden wine-growing region, which must be Qualitätswein or Prädikatswein. It must be made from Grauburgunder and

Spätburgunder Pinot Noir () is a red-wine grape variety of the species ''Vitis vinifera''. The name may also refer to wines created predominantly from pinot noir grapes. The name is derived from the French words for ''pine'' and ''black.'' The word ''pine ...

and the varieties must be specified on the label.

New classes for wines

There are two classes for wines with official status in all 13 Anbaugebiete and one regional class in Rheinhessen and the Rheingau, respectively. ;Classic : Introduced with the 2000 vintage, Classic is in principle a dry or slightly off-dry Qualitätswein that conforms to slightly higher standards intended to make it food-friendly. It must be made from varieties considered classical in its region, have a potential alcohol of 1% (or 8°Oe) above the minimum requirements for its variety and region, and have an alcohol level of minimum 12.0% by volume, except in Mosel, where the minimum level is 11.5%. Maximum sugar level is twice the acid level, but no more than 15 grams per liter. : ;Riesling Hochgewächs : Literally meaning ”high growth”. A riesling with a natural alcohol level at least 1.5 percentage points above the minimum Qualitätswein requirement for the Anbaugebiet. Additionally, the wine has to score an average of at least 3 points in the official wine examination (''Amtliche Weinprüfung).'' ;Selection Rheinhessen : A wine made from hand-picked, fully ripe grapes (min. 90° Oechsle) originating in a single vineyard in Rheinhessen. The grapes have to be typical to the region (Silvaner, Riesling, Weißburgunder, Grauburgunder, Gewürztraminer, Portugieser, Frühburgunder or Spätburgunder) and the wine must pass a sensory test. ;Rheingau Großes Gewächs : Literally meaning ”Rheingau great growth”. Limited to the Rheingau region through the state wine decree of Hessia, a legally dry riesling (min. 12% alc.) or spätburgunder (min. 13% alc.) from classified vineyard sites. The wine must pass a tasting test by the review board. Replaces the ''Erstes Gewächs'' designation starting from the 2018 vintage and is stylized as RGG on the wine label. ;Charta Riesling : a 100% Rheingau Riesling of Qualitätswein or Prädikatswein quality with a residual sugar ranging from 9–18 grams/liter (off-dry) and a minimum acidity of 7.5 grams/liter. The wines must achieve higher starting must weights than required by law and undergo sensory testing by a special panel (in addition to the A.P.Nr. procedure). Uniform packaging.

Geographic classification

The geographic classification is different for Landwein, Deutscher Wein, Qualitätswein and Prädikatswein.

Geographic classification for Deutscher Wein (formerly Tafelwein) and Landwein

There are seven Deutscher Wein regions: Rhein-Mosel, Bayern, Neckar, Oberrhein, Albrechtsburg, Stargarder Land and Niederlausitz. These are divided into a number of subregions, which in turn are divided into 19 Landwein regions (and must be trocken or halbtrocken in style). (There is no Landwein region for Franken.) Names of individual vineyards are not used for Deutscher Wein or Landwein. Deutscher Wein must be 100% German in origin, or specifically state on the label where grapes were sourced from within the European Union. Sparkling wine produced at the Deutscher Wein level is often labeled as Deutscher Sekt and is made from 100% German grapes/wine.

Geographic classification for Qualitätswein and Prädikatswein

There are four levels of geographic classification, and any level of classification can be used on the label of Qualitätswein and Prädikatswein: * ''Anbaugebiet'', wine growing regions, of which there are 13. Anbaugebiet is always indicated on the label of Qualitätswein and Prädikatswein. * ''Bereich'', district, of which there are 39. Each Anbaugebiet is divided into one or more Bereiche. * ''Großlage'', collective site, which is a collective name for a number of single vineyards, and which number about 170. * ''Einzellage'', single vineyard, of which there are about 2,600. The names of Großlagen and Einzellagen are always used together with the name of a wine village, because some Einzellage names, such as ''Schlossberg'' (castle hill) are used in several villages. Unfortunately, it is not possible to tell a Großlage from an Einzellage just by looking at the wine label. A few examples of how the names appear on labels: * The vineyard Sonnenuhr (meaning "

sun dial A sundial is a horological device that tells the time of day (referred to as civil time in modern usage) when direct sunlight shines by the apparent position of the Sun in the sky. In the narrowest sense of the word, it consists of a flat ...

") in the village Wehlen along the Mosel is designated as Wehlener Sonnenuhr. * The neighbouring village Zeltingen also has a vineyard called Sonnenuhr, and will appear on the label as Zeltinger Sonnenuhr. * Both these vineyards belong to Großlage Münzlay, which is assigned to the village Wehlen. A wine from any of these vineyards, or a blend from both of them, can be sold under the name Wehlener Münzlay. * These vineyards lie within Bereich Bernkastel, which provides an additional choice for labelling. * It is also possible to simply label the wine as a wine from Anbaugebiet Mosel. There are a few exceptions to the rule that a village must be indicated together with the vineyard name, those are a handful of historical vineyards known as ''Ortsteil im sinne des Weingesetzes'' (village name in sense of the wine law). Examples are Schloss Johannisberg in Rheingau and Scharzhofberg along the Saar. They are of the same size as a typical Einzellage and could be thought of as Einzellagen which were so famous that they were excused from displaying the village name.

Labels

Unlike French wine labels, where key information about the grape variety is not included in the labeling and thus must be known by the consumer to make an informed choice, German wine labels must display much more important information about the wine. It must always include: # Geographic information with either the country, the city or the exact site of the wine (depending on the quality). # The variety of grape(s) used and whether the wine is mix of grapes (see:

cuvée ''Cuvée''Or Cuvee on some English-language labels. () is a French wine term that derives from ''cuve'', meaning vat or tank.J. Robinson (ed), ''"The Oxford Companion to Wine"'', Third Edition, p. 218, Oxford University Press 2006, winepros.com.a ...

). # The EU law quality level of the wine. # The year of grape harvest. # Whether it is dry, semi-dry or sweet. # The wine maker. # If the wine is sparkling (

sekt Sparkling wine is a wine with significant levels of carbon dioxide in it, making it fizzy. While the phrase commonly refers to champagne, European Union countries legally reserve that term for products exclusively produced in the Champagne regi ...

) # Any other special information about the quality level. Due to the amount of information the label some non-professionals and many consumers find German wine labels to be harder to understand than French or US labels
Jon Bonné

MSNBC MSNBC (originally the Microsoft National Broadcasting Company) is an American news-based pay television cable channel. It is owned by NBCUniversala subsidiary of Comcast. Headquartered in New York City, it provides news coverage and politi ...

Life Style editor describes German

wine Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from fermented grapes. Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are m ...

labels as a ''"thicket of exotic words and abbreviations"'' that require ''"the vinous equivalent of Cliff notes to parse."''.

Required Information

law regulates that at least six items of information be present on the label. *Name of the producer or bottler (''e.g.: Staatsweingüter

Kloster Eberbach Eberbach Abbey (German: Kloster Eberbach) is a former Cistercian monastery in Eltville in the Rheingau, Germany. On account of its Romanesque and early Gothic buildings it is considered one of the most significant architectural heritage sites in ...

'') German wine domaines/"

château A château (; plural: châteaux) is a manor house or residence of the lord of the manor, or a fine country house of nobility or gentry, with or without fortifications, originally, and still most frequently, in French-speaking regions. Now ...

x" are often called "Kloster", "Schloss", "Burg", "Domaine" or "Weingut" followed by some other name. *A.P.Nr ''Amtliche Prüfnummer'' Quality control number (''e.g.: 33050 031 04'') The first number (1–9) relates to the German wine region where the wine was produced and tested ''(e.g. 3-Rheingau)''. The second 2 or 3 digit number indicates the village of the vineyard ''(e.g. 30-Rauenthal))''. The next two digits represents the particular wine estate ''(e.g. 50-Kloster Eberbach)''. The following 2 to 3 digit number is the sequential order that the wine was submitted by that producer for testing ''(e.g. 031 – this was the 31st wine submitted by Kloster Eberbach for testing)''. The final two digits is the year of the testing, which is normally the year following the

vintage Vintage, in winemaking, is the process of picking grapes and creating the finished product—wine (see Harvest (wine)). A vintage wine is one made from grapes that were all, or primarily, grown and harvested in a single specified year. In certa ...

''(e.g. 04 – the wine was tested in 2004)''. *''Anbaugebiet'', i.e. region of origin (''e.g.: Rheingau'') *Volume of the wine ''(e.g.: 750ml'') *Location of the producer/bottler (''e.g.: Eltville'') * Alcohol level (''e.g.: 9.0% vol'')

Additional information

German wine labels may also include *

Grape A grape is a fruit, botanically a berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus '' Vitis''. Grapes are a non- climacteric type of fruit, generally occurring in clusters. The cultivation of grapes began perhaps 8,000 years a ...

variety (e.g.,

Riesling Riesling (, ; ) is a white grape variety that originated in the Rhine region. Riesling is an aromatic grape variety displaying flowery, almost perfumed, aromas as well as high acidity. It is used to make dry, semi-sweet, sweet, and sparkling wh ...

) *

Prädikat The German wine classification system puts a strong emphasis on standardization and factual completeness, and was first implemented by the German Wine Law of 1971. Nearly all of Germany's vineyards are delineated and registered as one of approxi ...

level of ripeness (e.g., ''

'') *Vintage year (e.g., 2003) *Taste, such as dry (''trocken'') or off-dry (''halbtrocken'') *Vineyard name (''e.g.: Rauenthaler Baiken'', a single vineyard)''. The village name (''e.g.: Rauenthal") is normally identified by the possessive form "-er" suffix and is sometimes followed by the vineyard name ("Baiken"). *If the wine is estate-bottled (''Erzeugerabfüllung'' or ''Gutsabfüllung''), bottled by a co-op (''Winzergenossenschaft''), or by a third party bottler (''Abfüller''). *Address of the winery *The logo of the Association of German Prädikat Wine Estates (''

'', or more commonly ''VDP'') which is awarded to the top 200 producers, as voted among themselves. The logo is a black eagle with a cluster of grapes in the center. The winery in the image example has the VDP logo. While not a guarantee, the presence of the VDP logo is a helpful insight into the quality of the wine.

Criticism

In recent years, the official classification has been criticised by many of the top producers, and additional classifications have been set down by wine growers' organisations such as VDP, without enjoying legal protection. The two main reasons for criticism are that the official classification does not differentiate between better and lesser vineyards and that the quality levels are less appropriate to high-quality dry wines.O. Bird, ''Rheingold – the German Wine Renaissance'', Arima publishing, 2005, .

References

{{Geographical indications German wine Wine classification