German Wine Laws

Question 1

What are the German structured wine laws based on quality levels

Answer 1

Date back to 1971
* Deutscher Wein
* Landwein
* Qualitatswein (bestimmter Anbaugebiete (QbA))
* Pradikatswein

Latest changes date Jan-2021 and fully ratified 2026

Question 2

What is a fundamental rule on application of wine laws

Answer 2

How much must weight at harvest

Question 3

Deutscher Wein

Answer 3

• Wine without geographical indication
• Formally known as Tafelwein
• Inexpensive
• Designed to be drank young
  Label may state the vintage + variety but not common
• Small production
• Most basic German category

Question 4

Landwein

Answer 4

• German equivalent of PGI (protected geographic indication)
• Min 85% of grapes must come from Landwein region on label
• Typically ‘trocken’ or ‘halbtrocken’
• May not state village or vineyard name
• Small production
• Step up from Deutscher Wein

Question 5

Qualitatswein

Answer 5

• PDO Category (protected designation of origin)
• Less stringent than Pred but more than Deutsche wein and Landwein
• Must be made within 1 of 13 regions ‘Anbaugebiete’
• Min must weight 50-72 degrees ‘oechsle’
• Wine may be enriched
• By far largest and your everyday drinking wine

Question 6

What does ‘trocken’ mean on a label

Answer 6

Dry german wine

Question 7

What wine levels go through a laboratory analysis

Answer 7

• Qualitatswein and above (Landwein and Deutcher Wein)

Question 8

What is the UOM for must weight?

Answer 8

Oechsle

• indicates how much sugar is dissolved in the juice
• measures grape density relative to water
• greater the must greather potential for (i) fuller bodied wine (ii) super sweet

Question 9

What is an A.P.Nr.

Answer 9

• Amtliche Prüfnummer (means officially approved number)
• Required for Qualitatswein and Pradikatswein
• Includes lab analysis and blind tasting panel

Question 10

What is the AP Number Schema?

Answer 10

• 10-12 Digit Number
• 2 596 738 008 14
• 2 for testing station
• 596 village of producer
• 738 unique code for each registered estate
• 008 lot number
• 14 year of submission (typically a vintage + 1)

Question 11

What does higher must weight mean?

Answer 11

• Higher sugar
• 70 - 154 degree Oechsle

Question 12

Is sugar enrichment allowed for Pradikatswein?

Answer 12

NO!

Question 13

Which wine law designation have the highest must weight

Answer 13

Pradikatswein

Question 14

What is considered ‘must’?

Answer 14

• Pressed grape juice pre fermentation
• Includes any seeds, stems, etc

Question 15

Can Pradikatswein be produced from any variety?

Answer 15

Yes! But, it’s quite synonymous with Riesling

Question 16

What are non-German terms for ‘Oechsle’

Answer 16

• Brix (international)
• Baume (french)

Question 17

What is the tool called to read Oechsle

Answer 17

Hydrometer aka Mostwaage

Question 19

How many levels (grade) are in the Pradikatswein?

Answer 19

6 levels/grades
1. Kabinett
2. Spatlese
3. Auslese
4. Beerenauslese (BA)
5. Eiswein
6. Trockenbereenauslese (TBA)

Question 20

Describe Kabinett

Answer 20

• Lowest in must weight
• Lightest in body
• Highest in acidity
• Dry to medium-sweet
• Min 7% abv; can reach up to 12%
• These wines have the potential to be 11.5% alcohol if made fully and dry
• So lower alcohol, sweeter wine is the gist

Will see green or citrus fruits. fresh characters

Question 21

What does it mean when you see Kabinett Trocken?

Answer 21

Remember, Trocken means ‘dry’
* Kabinett grade, fully dried
* So it’s a dry Kabinett, so less residual sugar and higher in alcohol

Question 22

Describe Spatlese

Answer 22

• Fully ripened grapes picked two weeks later than Kabinett
• Greater concentration of riper fruit (stone fruit, even tropical)
• Dry to medium-sweet
• Min 7% abv
• 13-13.5% alcohol potential

Question 23

Is there a Spatlese Trocken

Answer 23

Yes - Spatlese can be labelled with ‘Trocken’ which means this grade can come in a dry version
* Fuller bodied than the Kabinett Trocken since Spatlese are riper grapes
* Spat - means late
* lese - means harvest

Question 24

Describe Auslese

Answer 24

• Specially-selected, extra-ripe bunches of grapes
• Greater concentration again
• Dry to sweet
• Min 7% abv
• More riper in comparison to Spatlese and Kabinett
• High levels of sugar. Around 14-15% potential alcohol
• Can be dry but sweet expression is most common

Often effected w/botrytis

Question 25

What grades within the Pradikatswein can you get dry wine?

Answer 25

Trocken wines are only found in **3** of the **6** 1. Kabinett 2. Spatlese 3. Auslese (less common)

Question 26

Describe Beerenauslese

Answer 26

* Specially selected, hand-harvested, extra-ripe grapes that may be botrytised * Must be hand harvested. Grapes selected at the individual grape level * ALWAYS be sweet * 18% potential alcohol; bottled around 7% or lower * Min 5.5% abv * Low yields, rare and expensive (labor intensive) * Cannot be trocken | Ripe, dried, stone fruit, honeyed, caramelized

Question 27

Describe Eiswein

Answer 27

* Given own pradikatswein in **1982** * Must weight is similar to that of Beerenauslese * Production method differs. * Made from frozen berries and picked below (-7) degrees Celcius * Harvest anytime in Dec-Feb, Nov is rare * You can have two vintages within same year * High acidity * Grapes often lost to disease or predators * Small production and rare

Question 28

Break down Trockenbereenauslese

Answer 28

Split the word Trocken - Dried Bereen- Berries Aus - Selected Lese - Harvest

Question 29

Describe Trockenbereenauslese

Answer 29

* Specially selected hand-harvested, extra-ripe grapes that **are** botrytised * Long and slow ferments * Sweet only * Low yields, rare and expense * High must weights mean fermentation is long, slow, rarely continues past 8% abv * Potential alcohol is 20-21%

Question 30

What is the chemistry rule of thumb for alcohol potential?

Answer 30

**1%** of potential alcohol requires about **17 g/L** of sugar