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How to Read a German
Wine Label - Definitions
- Kabinett
- The lightest and usually driest fo the QmP wines.
They make great apertifs, and pair well with ham, chicken, fish, and seafood. May be
labeled Trocken or Holbtrockenk but again are never considered sweet.
- Spätlese
- Means late picked, and the grapes are harvested
about a week later than the less ripe grapes. They have more body and are richer than
Kabinett wines due to a higher sugar content, but are sometimes made in a Trocken style
that pairs well with spicy cuisine and heartier chicken, pork, or seafood dishes. They are
also delicious on their own, showing great balance of spicy fruit and crisp acidity.
- Auslese
- Made from selected bunches of ripe grapes, these
wines tend to be on the sweet side, yet still exhibit some crisp acidity on the finish.
The grapes are often "botrytized," lending rich honeyed flavors. These are among
Germany's finest and most characteristic wines, and should be enjoyed on their own. Some
growers distinguish their finer "reserve" bottlings by using a Goldkapsel or
Lange Goldkapsel over the cork, indicating richer, rarer, and more expensive Auslese. They
can cellar for decades.
- Beerenauslese
- A rare and very ripe Prädikat wine made from
individually selected overripe grapes usually affected by botrytis. It is not made in many
vintages because conditions need to be ideal for the grapes to ripen to this extent, so
these wines are very hard to find and very expensive. They are packaged in 375ml bottles,
and are incredibly rich with creamy honey and raisin flavors. An unforgettable experience
to drink.
- Trockenbeerenauslese
- Also known as TBA for short, this is the ripest and
rarest of the Prädikat wines. The grapes have been shriveled to raisins by botrytis. This
wine is not produced in many vintages because conditions need to be near perfect to allow
the grapes to stay on the vines long enough. Ultra-rich and deep golden orange in color,
this is liquid gold in a bottle!
- Eiswein
- A special Prädikat in the QmP category, made from
grapes literally frozen on the vine. The grapes are harvested usually in the early morning
while they are still frozen, and pressed immediately so that the ice remains in the press
and only the sweet juice is fermented. Since the grapes are not botrytized, the juice is
very high in sugar and acid, which makes a sweet yet refreshing wine. They are rare and
expensive, but worth seeking out.
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How to Read a German Wine Label
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