German Classifications

1. Tafelwein

Basic wine product, subject to few regulations.

2. (Deutscher) Landwein

Wine of a standard quality, usually blended. It may originate from any country, unless it is labeled 'Deutscher', which means it must come from Germany.

3. Qualitätswein

This is the equivalent of France's Appellation Contrôlée. These wines make up 95% of recent harvests, and are analysed by government-sanctioned laboratories for technical flaws and regional accuracy. They are then given control (AP) numbers that appear on the label; these indicate the year the wine was examined and the number of wines accepted in that year by this producer. The sub-categories of this level are:

A) Qualitätswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete (QbA)

These quality wines from one of the country's 13 wine regions. Unless the label indicates that the wine is a Riesling, then it is made from another variety such as Sylvaner, Muller-Thurgau and Gewurztraminer.

B) Qualitätswein mit Prädikat (QmP)

QmP is the designation of highest quality, with six different styles. The Pradikat, or level of distinction, indicate the sugar level at harvest. Chaptalization, the addition of sugars to increase the alcohol content via fermentation, is not allowed in QmP wines. These Pradikat, or distinctions, in ascending order of ripeness, sweetness and price are as follows:

i) Kabinett
Ripe grapes - 9.5% minimum potential alcohol

ii) Spätlese
Late-harvested grapes, which may produce slightly sweet wine.

iii) Auslese
Individually selected, very ripe bunches used to make sweet wine.

iv) Beerenauslese
Individually selected, very ripe grapes ('berries') used to make very sweet dessert wine.

v) Eiswein
Made from unbotrytized grapes left on the vines so late in the season that they freeze. The ice in the grapes is left behind when they are pressed, making for incredibly concentrated, long-lived sweet wines.

vi) Trockenbeerenauslese
Individually selected, Botrytis-afflicted grapes used to make the sweetest, most expensive German dessert wines.

Although the wine must on the QmP scale is increasingly sweet, the finished wines may be much less so. The Spätlese and Auslese categories often have a high level of acid which may balance the residual sugar, resulting in a dry or semi-dry effect.