German Wine - How to Recognize Quality

There are two broad quality categories of wine in the European Union: table wine and quality wine. On average, less than five percent of an annual German wine harvest goes into table wine production.


The quality wines from the 13 German wine-growing regions are made from riper grapes and subject to higher standards. Basic quality wines, Qualitatswein b.A. (QbA), and higher quality dry varietals labeled CLASSIC, are great for every day enjoyment and are best consumed while young and fresh. SELECTION is the term reserved for superior dry varietal wines. They are ideal for find dining or festive occasions and benefit from aging.


Germany's premium quality wines, Qualitatswein mitrial Pradikat (QmP) are made from fully ripe and/or botrytis-affected grapes. They are elegant, noble and long-lived. The following Pradikats denote six ascending levels of ripeness (quality):


Kabinett - Elegant wines made from fully ripened grapes. Generally, the lightest of the Pradikat wines.


Spatlese - Literally, late harvest. Made from very ripe grapes, these wines are deeper in aroma and flavor, and fuller-bodied, than Kabinett.


Auslese - Noble wines, intense in bouquet and taste, made from even riper grapes, selected in bunches.


Beerenauslese (BA) - Rare and exquisite wines with the unmistakable honey-like aroma of Botrytis ("noble rot"). Made from overripe berries, individually selected by hand.


Eiswein - Made from grapes of BA quality, harvested and pressed while frozen. Truly unique wines with remarkable concentration of fruity acidity and sweetness.


Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA) - The crowning achievement of German viticulture. A lusciously sweet wine made from individual berries shriveled almost to raisins.


The descriptions above for QbA and QmP wines refer to varying degrees of ripeness at harvest - primarily determined in the vineyard, by Mother Nature. The riper the grapes, the more intense or concentrated the wine. With the exception of Classic and Selection, which are always drier-style varietals, and the last three Pradikats (BA, Eiswein, TBA), which are lusciously sweet dessert wines, the ripeness (quality) designations do not provide information about the style of wine.


Whether a wine is dry, off-dry or sweet to the taste is primarily determined in the cellar, by the winemaker. The descriptive terms for style - trocken (dry) or halbtrocken (off-dry) - are qualifiers, used in conjunction with the ripeness designations. Both trocken and halbtrocken wines can be made in ripeness categories from QbA through Auslese. In other words, increasing levels of ripeness from QbA through Auslese do not mean increasing levels of sweetness. A QbA trocken or Kabinett Trocken is a dry wine vinified from fully ripened grapes (good aroma and flavor), while a Spatlese trocken is a dry wine vinified from very ripe grapes (more aroma and flavor). If neither trocken nor halbtrocken (or Classic or Selection) is indicated on a label or wine list, expect a wine with perceptible sweetness.

Jennifer de Jong is a long time wine drinker, enjoyer of wine, and non-wine-snob. She is the founder of Vino Vixenz. A snob-free zone to learn wine tasting.