Understanding German Wine Labels
A.P. Number - Appellation of Origin - Wine Growing Region Degree of Dryness - Grape Variety - Levels of Ripeness at Quality Categories - Producer vs. Bottler - Quality Classification - Village and Vineyard - Vintage
 
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German wine labels are very informative once all the information given can be identified and interpreted. While many other wines will list only the producer, vintage, region, and country; German labels will state the quality level of the wine, the grape, the vineyard, and a style or taste indication.
Please refer to the label on the left from Weingut Selbach-Oster for reference.
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Name of producer or estate in this case is "Selbach-Oster".
There are about 100,000 grape growers in Germany, yet only about one fourth as many wine producers. If the label indicates "Erzeugerabfüllung" (estate bottled), it assures you that the grapes were grown and the wine was produced by one and the same grower or cooperative of growers (Winzergenossenschaft). As an alternative to "Erzeugerabfüllung", estates and growers that grow, produce, and bottle their own wine can use the term "Gutsabfüllung" on the label. The grower or collective group of growers is responsible for and guarantees the quality of the wine. Sometimes the bottlers or shipper will assume responsibility and will be identified on the label as "Abfüller."
The vintage is the year in which the grapes were harvested. Wine is an agricultural product and consequently very dependent on the weather, which in Germany, unlike in more southern climates, can be extremely variable.
The often difficult to pronounce names on the label indicate the village where the vineyard is located (identified by the -er suffix) followed by another name (often ending in -berg [=mountain, slope] indicating the vineyard site. Therefore, the name of the vineyard on the label to the left is the "Zeltinger Schlossberg". This means that the wine comes from the Schlossberg vineyard located in the village of Zeltingen. Proprietary names like "Liebfraumilch" and "Bishop of Riesling" have no vineyard designation; they are a blend of wines from several vineyards.
The grape variety used to make a wine is the single most influential factor determining its taste. Different grapes have different flavors, just like different fruits have different flavors. For example: Riesling is a very fruit-driven variety, while Gewürztraminer has very floral, perfumed flavors reminiscent of rose petals. In comparison, Chardonnay is a spicy grape with elements of ripe apple, tropical fruit and occasionally butter.
German wine is classified into four quality categories: Deutscher Tafelwein, Landwein, Qualitätswein and Qualitätswein mit Prädikat. The latter is further divided into levels of ripeness: Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese, Beerenauselese, Eiswein and Trockenbeerenauslese. See below for more information.
Each of the quality categories is determined by the level of ripeness that the grapes have achieved by the time they are harvested. Riper grapes provide more aroma and more flavor. The riper the grapes, the higher the position on the pyramid the wines made from those grapes will be.
See the "German Wine Quality Pyramid" chart to the left.
DEUTSCHER TAFELWEIN
- German Table Wine-
Made from normally ripe and slightly under ripe grapes. Primarily consumed in Germany; very little is exported to the US. These wines only have to comply with few restrictions and the wines are not officially tested. They do not have an AP-Number.
LANDWEIN
- Country Wine-
A superior deutscher Tafelwein with a minimum of .5% more alcohol. The wine must come from one of 19 specified wine districts. A Landwein must not contain more than 18 grams of sugar per liter.
QUALITÄTSWEIN BESTIMMTER ANBAUGEBIETE [QbA]
- Quality Wine of a Specified Appellation-
These wines have to obey the regional appellation laws and are tested for compliance by an official committee just like quality wine with attribute and subsequently receive an AP-Number, which table wine does not need to be sold. These laws ensure 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 are chaptalized (chaptalization: sugar is added to the juice before fermentation to increase the alcohol level after fermentation. Chaptalization is 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).
QUALITÄTSWEIN MIT PRÄDIKAT [QmP]
- Quality Wine with Attributes -
The German wine law refers to the following category as "Qualitätswein mit Prädikat" (quality wine with attributes); representing graduating ripeness levels, which are in ascending order: Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese, BA, and TBA. These wines are all naturally produced, no chaptalization.
NOTE: All wines up to Auslese (Tafelwein, Qualitätswein (QbA), Kabinett, Spätlese and Auslese) can be DRY, MEDIUM-DRY or SWEETER STYLE. The winemaker decides whether he or she wants these grapes to make a dry or a sweet wine. Riesling is the grape that CAN do both.
The taste and style in terms of sweetness of a wine depend on the cellar master and are determined in the cellar; totally independent of the grape. This is not to be confused with quality category, or ripeness, which depends on the weather and is determined in the vineyard. Whether a wine is dry or sweet can be indicated on the label.
Two new classifications of dry wines, Classic and Selection, were established in 2000, which simplify matters for the consumer. Winemakers in all 13 German wine-growing regions can produce these wines, provided they are above average in quality, harmoniously dry in taste, and made from a traditional grape variety, such as Riesling, Silvaner, Rivaner or a Burgunder (Pinot) variety. The concept is designed to impart a clear profile regarding a wine's quality and taste.
If none of the above dryness levels can be found on the label the wine is most likely a sweeter style wine, but it can range from off-dry to fully sweet. Generally, the sweetness in the wine does correlate with the ripeness levels.
The A.P. Number or "Amtliche Prüfungsnummer", meaning "official approval number" identifies the wine and is required for all QbA and QmP wines. It consists of several blocks of numbers identifying the wine like:
L - A.P. NR. 2 606 319 011 07
This coding enables the official testing centers to identify a wine. If there is any complaint or doubt of authenticity of the wine, sealed bottles which the winery has to keep for a number of years can be cross checked and tasted to investigate.
To identify the region, compare with the following list of the 13 German wine-growing regions:
Ahr, Mittelrhein, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Rheingau, Nahe, Pfalz, Rheinhessen, Franken, Hessische Bergstrasse, Württemberg, Baden, Saale/Unstrut, Sachsen.
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