PYRAMID OF RIPENESS CATEGORIES

German Wines are categorized by the degree of ripeness
measured in natural grape sugar upon harvest.

These ripenss categories are determined by the sugar content in the grapes, which is measured in degree Oechsle. The Oechsle requirements for the respective categories vary by growing region.

Riper grapes have more sugar but more importantly more extract and flavor in the grape, hence a more expressive wine.
The higher the ripeness of the grapes used for the wine, the higher up in the pyramid the wine will be categorized.

The categories DO NOT reflect sweetness levels in the finished wine.

In fact, they are independent of residual sugar (sweetness) in the wine, which is determined by the winemaker guiding the fermentation, which is the process of transforming the natural sugar of the grapes into alcohol in the wine and carbon dixoide.

Hence the dryness of a wine is independent of the ripeness level of the grapes upon harvest. If the fementation is interrupted before all sugar is transformed, it will result in a sweeter style wine. If the fermentation continues until little or no sugar is left, it results in a dry wine. Grapes for dessert wines have so much natural sugar that they will not ferment completely and residual sugar (sweetness) will remain. Grapes classified as Qualitätswein up to Auslese, can become a dry (=trocken), dry to medium dry (=halbtrocken) or fruity wine.

In contrast to common belief that German wines are sweet, close to 2/3 of the entire production in Germany is dry. Dry is the prefered vinification style consumed by the German wine drinker.

Ripeness Categories:

1. QUALITÄTSWEIN MIT PRÄDIKAT [QmP]
   (Quatlity wines with attribute)

   The German wine law refers to the following category as "Qualitätsweine mit Prädikat" (quality wines with attributes); these attributes represent graduating ripeness levels, which are in ascending order: Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese (BA), and Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA). These wines are all naturally produced, no chaptalization.
   
   

   • Kabinett
     usually light wines made of fully ripe grapes. Intended to be a light quaffing wine or to go with light food. Generally light in alcohol and calories. Can be dry, medium-dry or sweet. These light wines are about 2 to 5% less in alcohol than Californian wines but not less tasty.

   • Spätlese (= Late Harvest)
     It 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 than quality wines and Kabinetts. Good with richer food or by themselves. The later harvest lets the grapes dry and ripen on sunny autumn days which increases the intensity of the fruit and the flavors. Can be dry, medium dry or sweeter style. Good values.

   • Auslese (= Select Picking)
     harvest of selected, very ripe bunches. Noble wines, intense in bouquet and taste. Often dessert wine like and sweet, but they can be dry, medium dry or sweet.
     Dry Auslese wines are higher in alcohol and can work with many main courses.
     
     

   • Beerenauslese or BA (= Berries Select Picking)
     harvest of individually selected, overripe berries. Remarkably rich, sweet dessert wines to be enjoyed as dessert by themselves or with dessert.

   • Trockenbeerenauslese or TBA (= Dry Berries Select Picking)
     harvest of individually selected berries which are overripe and shrivelled on the vine almost to raisins. Rich, sweet, luscious, honey-like wines.
     
     

   • Eiswein (= Ice-Wine)
     wines of at least BA intensity, made from grapes harvested and pressed while frozen. Truly unique wines with a remarkable concentration of fruity acidity and sweetness.

2. QUALITÄTSWEIN bestimmten Anbaugebietes [QbA]
   (= Quality Wine of a specified appellation)

   German wine law ensures that the wine is from one specific wine-growing region, is made of approved grape varieties and reached sufficient ripeness for a quality wine. Nevertheless, these wines may be chaptalized (Chaptalization: sugar is added to the juice before fermentation to increase the alcohol level after fermentation, commonly used in all wine producing regions of the world). The chaptalization adds body to these otherwise lighter wines and makes them great simple food wines, enjoyable on a day-to-day basis also by themselves or as spritzers (mixed with Club Soda).
   
   

3. TAFELWEIN (= table wine)

   Made from normally ripe and slightly underripe grapes.
   Primarily consumed in Germany, very little export to the US.

NOTE ON SWEETNESS:

All wines up to Auslese (Tafelwein, Qualitätswein, Kabinett, Spätlese and Auslese) can be DRY (=trocken), MEDIUM-DRY (=halbtrocken) or SWEETER STYLE. By guiding the fermentation, the winemaker decides on whether the wine will be a dry or a sweet wine. As of 2001 new descripters for dry German wines are "Classic" and "Selection".