Wine

Regions

Old World

Germany

GERMAN WINE CATEGORIES

Tafelwein (table wine)

not allowed to use a particular place or grape name

Qualitätswein (quality wine-QbA)

must come from a particular region
minimum must weight = 60 - 7 1/2 % natural alcohol

Qualitätswein mit Prädikat (quality wine with added distinction-QmP)

no added sugar allowed
must come from a particular region
minimum must weight = 73- 9 1/2 % natural alcohol

6 distinctions of Qualitätswein mit Prädikat ;

in ascending order of ripeness:

DRIEST

kabinett: minimum must weight = 73 (70 in Mosel)
spätlese: minimum must weight = 85 (76 in Mosel)
auslese: minimum must weight = about 90
beerenauslese: minimum must weight = about 120
trockenbeerenauslese (TBA): min weight = about 150
eiswein:

SWEETEST

* minimum must weights vary slightly from region to region (less in cooler regions such as Mosel) and by the type of grape used.

*somewhere at the beerenauslese level, the wines are considered to be dessertwines.

Deamer 10/02