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How to read German wine labels

Have you ever picked up a bottle of wine, only to realize you don’t understand half the words on the label? It can get very confusing! And it’s not just about language barriers. Different countries (and even different regions within the same country) can all have their own regulations on what can and can’t go on a label.

Since there are no universal rules, it can take a bit of time to familiarize yourself with what to look for. To help simplify things, we are going to break down the terminology you need to know in order to find what you are looking for.

This week, let’s talk German wine.

The connection between Quality, Ripeness, and Sweetness

As with many other “old world” wine-producing countries, the location in which grapes are grown has a huge influence over the quality level of the wine. The more specific and desirable the location, the better the quality. There are three possible levels of quality that you can find on the label to give you some insight: Landwein, Qualitätswein, and Prädikatswein.

Because Germany has a fairly cool climate, some grapes can struggle to reach full ripeness. The grapes that are able to ripen fully often produce more complex flavours and are more balanced on the palate. It makes sense then that the quality labeling terms are also tied to the level of ripeness of the grapes.

Within Prädikatswein (the highest level), there are also six individual categories that correlate to how much sugar was present in the grapes at the time of harvest. These are the terms you will want to pay attention to if you are seeking out (or avoiding) any sweetness.

Quality

Landwein is the base level of quality in German wines. They are considered a “PGI” level wine: Protected Geographic Indication.

The EU defines PGI products (both food and wine) as a product that is closely linked to the geographical area in which it is produced, processed, or prepared, and which has specific qualities attributable to that geographic area. In laymen terms, that basically means that the grapes can come from anywhere within that broader region.

Landweins are generally fairly light in body and dry to off-dry with simple flavours.

Qualitätswein is the next level up, and is considered the “PDO” level: Protected Designation of Origin. To attain this designation, a product must be produced, processed and prepared in that region, using recognized methods specific to that area. For wine, this means that all of the grapes came from that specific area, and the winemaker followed specific methods that are associated to that area.

There are 13 different regions in Germany that can be labelled as Qualitätswein:  Ahr, Baden, Franconia, Hessische Bergstraße, Mittelrhein, Mosel, Nahe, Palatinate, Rheingau, Rheinhessen, Saale-Unstrut, Saxony, and Württemberg. The grapes grown in these regions must reach a higher level of ripeness than Landweins, and as a result, they are fuller in body and more complex on the palate.

Prädikatswein is the highest level of quality in German wine. These grapes must come from a single region, and must have reached even higher levels of ripeness than Qualitätswein. They are then broken down again into six categories, which indicate the sugar levels. These are referred to as Prädikat categories.

Prädikat Categories

The first three categories of Prädikatswein may have some sweetness to them, or be fermented fully dry. The next three, however, are sweeter styles where the sugars have been concentrated and are too high to be completely fermented. We will explore each one, starting with the lightest.

Kabinett is the lightest category. These wines are delicate, light in body. Using Riesling as an example, this style would exhibit citrus and green fruit aromas. These grapes are harvested just as they reach ripeness.

Spätlese means that the grapes were harvested later. This results in more concentrated flavours and fuller body. Riesling flavours also turn from citrus and green fruit to citrus and stone fruit.

Auslese refers to grapes that were not only harvested later, but also hand-selected so that only extra-ripe bunches are used. Our Riesling example would show much riper flavours of stone fruits and tropical fruits. Because of the higher sugar levels in the grapes, many of these wines will have some sweetness to them, but a few dry ones can be found.

Eiswein is one of Germany’s specialties (similar to Canada’s ice wine). The grapes have been left to hang on the vine for so long that they freeze. Because most of the water content is solidified in crystal form, the remaining acids and sugars (and flavours!) are highly concentrated. Here you will find powerful flavours of stone fruit and tropical fruit. This style, as well as the following two, are always sweet.

Beerenauslese (BA) refers to selected grapes bunches that have been affected by botrytis (the “noble rot”). This special fungus pokes tiny holes in the grape skins, encouraging the liquid inside to evaporate, thus concentrating what remains. In addition to the stone and tropical fruit flavours, a Beerenauslese Riesling would also show flavours of dried fruit and honey.

Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA) is the final level, where winemakers are even more selective. These grapes have also been affected by botrytis, but instead of selecting affected bunches, only the best individual berries are included. These are by far the most labour intensive, and the most intense in flavour. This makes them much harder to find (small production) and much more expensive.

Other German Wine Terms and Tips

Finally, here are a few other German wine terms that it may be handy to know if the above terms don’t tell you quite enough:

• Weißwein means white wine
• Rotwein means red wine
• Roséwein means rosé wine
• Trocken means the wine is dry
  • exception: the use of “trocken” in Trockenbeerenauslese refers to the dried berries, not dry wine
• Halbtrocken means the wine has some sweetness to it
• Sekt means the wine is sparkling

And two final tips:

If a producer has elected to put a gold foil or capsule on the bottle, it means they believe this wine to be of superior quality. Similarly, if you see the use of one, two, or three stars, indicates that the grapes were harvested at higher levels of ripeness than required for that Prädikat level. Both of these symbols can indicate that the wine is sweeter or more intense in flavour.

What are your favourite German wines? Share them in the comments below!