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.
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