Germany

White Wine Guru

With some of the steepest and northernmost vineyards in the world, as well as the coolest climate, Germany does not stand out as the ideal growing region for grapes. And yet, the country is famous for producing some of the best white wines in the world, mainly Riesling. Delicate, age-worthy, intense and elegant are the typical descriptions for wines from Germany. Note that “sweet” is not a common descriptor because the idea that most German wines are sweet is just not so. More recently, the country is exporting value wines that are easy to drink, extremely food friendly and, luckily for some, containing labels that are easier to read!

The classification system of Germany is somewhat confusing. Then again, which countries are not? Wines are put into quality categories based on their ripeness level at harvest. Like the rest of the old world, there's some hierarchy to it all. The categories (that do not base on ripeness level) are: Tafelwien (table wine), Landwein (land wine, similar to France's Vin de Pays) and the first “Q” level. The next level up from Landwien, QbA wines are easy-drinking and inexpensive – the only requirement being that the wine must come from one of Germany's thirteen official wine growing regions. The final level is QmP, which is the strictest level of German wines. The qualification consists of 6 levels, based on ripeness, which may help you in picking out the wines and understanding how they might taste.

Here are a few definitions to help in picking out a German QmP wine:

Kabinett

The driest level, Kabinett is usually light-bodied, low to medium in alcohol, and fairly dry. Great everyday wine and able to go with most foods.

Spatlese

Grapes here are picked a bit later than Kabinett (Spatlese means late harvest) and have a fuller, more intense body. Most wines of this level are dry although some have a bit of sugar left over. Even still, the sugar is well-balanced by the corresponding acidity.

Auslese

Wines of this level are made from select grapes harvested even later than Spatlese. The grapes are selected in bunches to make sure they are of the perfect ripeness level. One step up in both body and sweetness, Auslese wines are balanced but with a bit more sweetness – they are perfect with spicy Indian food.

Beerenauslese

The longer the words get, the higher up in sweetness level you rise. Like Auslese, the grapes are selected individually, but while Auslese is selected bunches, Beerenauslese are selected berries, and usually berries affected by botrytis, or noble rot, so you have an even more specific wine, which, in turn, increases both its sweetness level and its price.

Trockenbeerenauslese

Okay, so Trocken means dry in German and yet this wine is the sweet