Mosel Wine Seminar and Tasting

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Ripeness Categories
The German practice of harvesting grapes at various stages of ripeness (selective harvest) determines the official quality category of a wine and is also an important guideline when purchasing wine. Germany's northerly location provides a moderate climate without intense heat, so that it takes grapes longer to ripen than in more southerly areas. This is why the German wine harvest takes place in October and November, long after the harvest has been completed elsewhere. The longer the grapes stay on the vine, the riper they become, which means more aroma and more flavor. This long, slow ripening period enables the grapes to maintain their fruity acidity, which gives German wines their stimulating, refreshing liveliness. Ripeness at harvest is indicated on the label by the quality category.

Under the German wine law there are two categories of quality: Tafelwein and Qualitätswein.

Tafelwein
(made from normally ripe grapes)

Deutscher Tafelwein (simple table wine) is pleasant for everyday enjoyment, consumed primarily where it is grown in Germany. It comes from one of five broad Tafelwein regions.

Deutscher Landwein (special table wine) is hearty, fresh regional wine with more body and character than simple Tafelwein because the grapes must be riper at harvest. Dry or semi-dry, Landwein comes from and is named after one of 19 Landwein regions.

(If the word "Deutsch" is missing on the label, then it is not a German wine, but rather foreign wines which may or may not have been blended with German wine. It is likely to have been bottled (abgefüllt) - but not grown - in Germany.)

Very little of this wine every finds its way to the United States.

Qualitätswein (KAL ee tates vine)
(made from ripe, very ripe or overripe grapes)

The Qualitätswein category is further divided into a pyramid of very specific ripeness categories.

QbA
Qualitätswein bestimmter Anbaugebeit is the category which includes the largest quantity of German wines. It comes from one of the 13 specified wine-growing regions and is made from approved grape varieties which have ripened sufficiently to assure that the wine will have the style and traditional taste of its region. Light, refreshing, and fruity, these wines are meant to be consumed while young, for everyday enjoyment or with meals. Winemakers often adjust the acid, sweetness and alcohol content by adding sugar to the grape juice as it ferments.

QmP
Qualitätswein mit Pädikat (quality wine with special distinction or attributes) is the category which includes all the finest wines of Germany. Each carries one of six special attributes (Prädikat) on its label. They are, in ascending order of ripeness at harvest:

  • Kabinett
  • Spätlese
  • Auslese
  • Beerenauslese (BA)
  • Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA)

Kabinett (KAB ee net) fine, usually light wines made of fully ripened grapes, the lightest of the Prädikat wines. Excellent with or without meals.

Späptlese (Shpate lay zuh) literally means late harvest. Wines of superior quality made from grapes harvested after the normal harvest. These wines are more intense in flavor and concentration, but not necessarily sweet. Good with richer, more flavorful foods, or by themselves.

Auslese (OUSE lay zuh) means "selective harvest", and these wines are made from selected bunches, hand-picked late in the harvest. The natural sugar content of the grapes must reach a certain minimum (approximately 20 to 25 percent sugar by weight). The grapes picked at this point in the harvest often are affected by a beneficial fungus known as noble rot, which concentrates their sweetness. The superior wine made from these grapes is intense in bouquet and taste, usually but not always sweet. It is often categorized as a dessert wine.

Beerenauslese (BA)  (BEER en OUSE lay zuh) means "selected grapes", and refers to wines produced from overripe berries individually selected to make a rich, sweet dessert wine.

Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA)  (TROH ken BEER en OUSE lay zuh) means "dry berry selection", and refers to the individual overripe grapes which have dried up and shriveled almost to raisins. This makes some of the richest, sweetest, most luscious, honey-like wines.

Eiswein  Made from grapes which have been left on the vine well into winter, frozen prior to picking and pressed while frozen to produce a remarkable concentration of fruity acidity and sweetness. These grapes are usually not dry raisins but of the Auslese ripeness.

Producing Eisweins, BA wines, and TBA wines is risky because leaving perfectly ripened grapes on the vine to ripen further may also cause them to rot—spoiling a harvest. Only when all the variables of ripeness, climate and craftsmanship will produce these rare wines only one every 4-8 years.