HOW TO READ GERMAN WINE LABELS?

Many people are confused or put off by the amount of more or less opaque information on German labels. So, here is a rough guide to help you decode them, which also is a good starting point for learning about the wines. You may consult an example label to go with this guide. The following items of informations should be found:

Producer: the name of the estate should be prominent on the label, as the producer is the most crucial factor for the quality of the product. Look for the term "Erzeugerabfüllung", or the new, more strictly defined "Gutsabfüllung", which indicates a wine bottled by the producer/estate.
Grape variety: this should be indicated, but not always is so in the lower qualities. If it is not the variety will be inferior, possibly a blend of them (Müller Thurgau and worse). The classic variety is Riesling, but some others can be good too.
Quality/Ripeness level: there is an ascending hierarchy of quality levels, which are determined mainly (though not exclusively) by the sugar content of the grapes before fermentation, their "must weight". The lowest qualities, Tafelwein and Landwein are normally best avoided. The next level is "Qualitätswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete" (QbA), which can be of descent quality. Occaisonally, top quality wines are sold as QbA's, or even Tafelwein, if they violate additional legal restrictions, for example by using new oak barrels. Chaptalisation is allowed for QbA's. No such addition of sugar is allowed for "Qualitätswein mit Prädikat" (QmP), which comes in 6 levels (the "Prädikate"). They are in ascending order of must weights:
Kabinett < Spätlese < Auslese < Beerenauslese (BA) and Eiswein (ice wine) < Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA)
The extreme must weights of BA's and TBA's are achieved by using botrytised grapes (see picture). Eiswein is made from naturally frozen grapes.
Dryness: if this is not indicated the wine will be slightly sweet to extremely sweet, in rough correspondence with the ripeness level. Mainly on the domestic market you find wines labelled "trocken" (dry) or "halbtrocken" (semi-dry), indicating a low content of residual sugar. Wines up to Auslese level can come in dry style. Keep in mind though that not only residual sugar but also acidity, and age, have an important influence on how dry a wine really tastes.
Alcohol: Alcohol levels tend to be low in Germany, and can be an indicator of residual sugar levels, when the ripeness level is taken in account. Dry Auslesen have the highest alcohol levels, up to 15% vol. in some cases, while Kabinetts, and even TBAs, can come at under 8%.
Vintage: The year when the grapes were grown - not necessarily when they were harvested - is indicated. Eiswein is sometimes harvested as late as in January of the following year.
Origin: several levels of specificity (and deception!) are possible. Besides the wider the region of origin, such as Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Rheingau, Pfalz, Rheinhessen, Nahe, Franken, Baden, etc. one may find more specific references to either of the following:
- the district: "Bereich soandso", where "soandso" is usually a famous village, far away from where the grapes actually were grown.
- a larger vineyard zone: "blabla-er soandso"; "blabla" is a village and "soandso" a collection of vineyards ("Grosslage"). Notorious Grosslagen such as "Niersteiner Gutes Domtal" and "Bernkasteler Kurfürstlay" contain none of the vineyards that these villages are justly famous for.
- a single vineyard: "blabla-er soandso", where "soandso" this time is a not a large zone but a single site. How can you tell? You cann't from the label. You have to know what is a Grosslage and what is a single site ("Einzellage").

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