German Labelling Terms Flashcards
What are the four (large) quality levels of German wine according to must weight?
Deutscher Wein (formerly Tafelwein)
Landwein
Qualitätswein
Prädikatswein
Describe the Deutscher Wein category.
Wine without a geographical indication made exclusively from German grapes. They can be made in any style, though ABV must be 8.5%-15%.
Describe the Deutscher Wein category.
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.
Describe the Landwein category as it relates to German wine production.
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%.
What percentage of production does Deutscher Wein and Landwein comprise?
A small amount, generally around 4%.
Describe the Qualitätswein category as it relates to German wine production.
A PDO category in which the grapes used in the wine must come entirely from one of 13 Anbaugebiete (growing areas)
The Anbaugebiete must appear on the label
The wine can be made in any style with a minimum ABV of 7%.
Everyday drinking and high volume wines, though some high quality examples are also available.
How is the Qualitätswein category being used in relation to the Prädikatswein category by some quality producers in Germany?
Some producers release high quality dry wines as Qualitätswein and using the Prädikat system for their sweet wines. This follows the VDP effort.
True or False
Qualitätswein may be enriched and must also pass a blind tasting prior to release.
True. These wines must also undergo a laboratory analysis.
What happens when a Qualitätswein passes its quality test?
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).
Describe the Prädikatswein category as it relates to German wine production.
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 the Bereich is not required to be on the label (and typically isn’t).
Enrichment is not permitted
The grapes in this category have the highest must weight requirements
What grape variety(s) may be used in the production of Prädikatswein?
Any, though the category is strongly associated with Riesling.
How does Prädikatswein production volume compare to Qualitätswein production?
Prädikatswein typically reaches production volumes of 50% that of Qualitätswein production, though there is considerable vintage variation and sometimes the volumes are equal.
What does Prädikat translate to in English?
Distinction
What are the labels for the levels of Prädikatswein must weight in German wine law?
Kabinett Spätlese Auslese Beerenauslese Eiswein Trockenbeerenauslese
How do German wine producers in the Kabinett, Spätlese, and Auslese categories indicate the sweetness of their wines on the wine label?
With EU labelling terms for sweetness. The sweetness terms are:
Trocken (dry)
Halbtrocken (off-dry)
Lieblich (medium to medium-sweet)
Süss (sweet)
