German Labelling Terms

Question 1

What are the four quality levels of German wine according to must weight?

Answer 1

Deutscher Wein (formerly Tafelwein)
Landwein
Qualitätswein
Prädikatswein

Question 2

Describe the Deutscher Wein category.

Answer 2

Wine without a geographical indication made exclusively from German grapes. They can be made in any style, though ABV must be 8.5%-15%.

Question 3

Describe the Deutscher Wein category.

Answer 3

Wine without a geographical indication made exclusively from German grapes. They can be made in any style, though ABV must be 8.5%-15%. They are generally fruity styles meant to be drunk young.

Question 4

Describe the Landwein category as it relates to German wine production.

Answer 4

A labelling system for PGI wines established in 1982. 85% of the grapes used in the wine must originate in the region on the label. There is generally a restriction on these wines being trocken or halbtrocken, though some regions may produce sweet styles. ABV must be between 8.5%-15%.

Question 5

What percentage of production does Deutscher Wein and Landwein comprise?

Answer 5

A small amount, generally around 2%.

Question 6

Describe the Qualitätswein category as it relates to German wine production.

Answer 6

A PDO category in which the grapes used in the wine must come entirely from one of 13 Anbaugebiete that must appear on the label. The wine can be made in any style with a minimum ABV of 7%. This category is primarily everyday drinking and high volume wines, though some high quality examples are also available.

Question 7

How is the Qualitätswein category being used in relation to the Prädikatswein category by some quality producers in Germany?

Answer 7

Some producers release high quality dry wines as Qualitätswein and using the Prädikat system for their sweet wines. This follows the VDP effort.

Question 8

True or False

Qualitätswein may be enriched and must also pass a blind tasting prior to release.

Answer 8

True. These wines must also undergo a laboratory analysis.

Question 9

What happens when a Qualitätswein passes its quality test?

Answer 9

It is given an Amtliche Prüfungsnummer (AP) that must be placed on the label. It is a 10-12 digit number that indicates when the wine was tested, where it was tested, the location of the vineyard, and the bottler’s lot number (specific for each bottling).

Question 10

Describe the Prädikatswein category as it relates to German wine production.

Answer 10

A PDO category with more stringent regulations than Qualitätswein. The grapes must come exclusively from one of 40 Bereich (specific wine producing districts smaller than Anbaugebiete), the name of which is not required to be on the label (and typically isn’t). The grapes in this category have the highest must weight requirements and enrichment is not permitted.

Question 11

What grape variety(s) may be used in the production of Prädikatswein?

Answer 11

Any, though the category is strongly associated with Riesling.

Question 12

How does Prädikatswein production volume compare to Qualitätswein production?

Answer 12

Prädikatswein typically reaches production volumes of 50% that of Qualitätswein production, though there is considerable vintage variation and sometimes the volumes are equal.

Question 13

What does Prädikat translate to in English?

Answer 13

Distinction

Question 14

What are the quality levels of Prädikatswein in German wine law?

Answer 14

Kabinett
Spätlese
Auslese
Beerenauslese
Eiswein
Trockenbeerenauslese

Question 15

How do German wine producers in the Kabinett, Spätlese, and Auslese categories indicate the sweetness of their wines on the wine label?

Answer 15

With EU labelling terms for sweetness. The sweetness terms are:

Trocken (dry)
Halbtrocken (off-dry)
Lieblich (medium to medium-sweet)
Süss (sweet)

Question 16

What is the requirement for a wine to be labeled Trocken in Germany?

Answer 16

Maximum 4 g/l RS or up to 9 g/l where RS does not exceed total acidity by more than 2 g/l

Question 17

What is the requirement for a wine to be labeled Halbtrocken in Germany?

Answer 17

Between 4 and 12 g/l RS or up to 18 g/l where RS does not exceed total acidity by more than 10 g/l

Question 18

What is the requirement for a wine to be labeled Lieblich in Germany?

Answer 18

Between 12 and 45 g/l of RS

Question 19

What is the requirement for a wine to be labelled Süss in Germany?

Answer 19

Minimum 45 g/l RS

Question 20

What percentage of German wine production is comprised of Trocken wines?

Answer 20

In 2017 the figure was 50%, though it is not uniformly distributed among the regions. Warmer regions produce more dry wines than cooler regions. 65% of Baden wines were Trocken while 25% of Mosel wines were Trocken.

Question 21

What is happening in Germany to the Halbtrocken category?

Answer 21

Consumers are turning away from it towards drier styles of wine. Winemakers who still produce this style of wine are relabeling their wines “Feinherb,” a term without any legal definition that can sometimes exceed the maximum limit for Hlabtrocken wines.

Question 22

What is Feinherb in Germany?

Answer 22

An invented category of sweetness with no legal definition that indicates an off-dry style. It literally means “Fine Dry.”

Question 23

How does Mosel indicate levels of sweetness or concentration that are more nuanced than the EU labeling system?

Answer 23

Introduction of the “Goldkapsel” (Gold capsule) that indicates botrytization

The use of various capsule sizes. Shorter-than-standard capsules show higher levels of concentration while longer capsules indicate a level of concentration above that.

Question 24

What are the areas within the German winegrowing hierarchy? When was this system established?

Answer 24

The 1971 German wine law registered and codified the country’s vineyards. The system comprises of

Bereich: wine producing districts
Einzellagen: individual vineyard sites
Grosslagen: collective vineyard sites

Question 25

How many Einzellagen are there in Germany? What is their typical size?

Answer 25

There are 2,715 registered Einzellagen. They range in size from 1 ha to over 200 ha, but average about 38 ha.

Question 26

True or False

One person or entity is generally the owner of an Einzellagen

Answer 26

False. Many are divided among multiple owners

Question 27

How many Grosslagen are there in Germany? What is there typical size?

Answer 27

There are 163 registered Grosslagen. They range in size from 600-1,800 ha and may comprise several Einzellagen.

Question 28

On what types of wines may Einzellage and Grosslage be labelled in Germany?

Answer 28

Qualitätswein and Prädikatswein

Question 29

How are Einzellage or Grosslage indicated on German wine labels?

Answer 29

They are preceded by the name of the village in which the vineyard is located.

Question 30

What confusion might exist regarding the labelling of Einzellage or Grosslage on German wine labels?

Answer 30

The indication of a specific growing site is not an indication of quality. Some named sites produce lower quality, inexpensive wines while others produce high quality wines.

Question 31

What is Liebfraumilch in Germany?

Answer 31

A white wine in the Qualitätswein category with at least 18 g/L RS. It must contain at least 70% of Riesling, Silvaner, Muller-Thurgau, and Kerner (it’s mostly Muller-Thurgau) and must come from Rheingau, Rheinhessen, Pfalz, or Nahe.

Its production and consumption is in sharp decline from the 1980s.

Question 32

What effect has the VDP had on German wine labeling?

Answer 32

The membership must place the VDP logo on their wine capsules.

The term ‘GG’ may appear on wine labels as a hyphenation of ‘Grosses Gewächs.’