The Label of German Wine contains mandatory information, namely the Specified Region, Quality Category, Liquid Content, Alcohol Level in Volume, Producer or Bottler and the Quality Control Test Number (A.P.Nr.). Most Wine Producers declares optional information like the Vintage, Vineyard Site, Grape Variety, Style and the amount of Residual Sugar on their Wine Label.
Based on the mentioned Laws above, there are four different Quality Levels to measure the Grade of a German Wine:
1. Deutscher Tafelwein (German Table Wine)
2.Deutscher Landwein (German Country Wine)
3.Qualitaetswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete – QbA (Quality Wine from a Specific Region)
4.Praedikatswein: (Quality Wine with Special Attributes)
All quality wines (QbA and higher) have to undergo a critical, blind, sensory Assessment and a chemical Analysis to prove their Bouquet, Taste and the Visual Appearance. This Test is based on a five-point scale and executed by the DLG (German Agricultural Society). The Test examines if the Wine is typical of the Origin, Grape Variety and Quality Grade which were stated on the Application of the Wine Producer. On the off chance that the Wine passes the Judgment, it gets the quality control test number (A.P.Nr.), which is a valuable Indicator for Wine Consumers.
Each German Wine is required to have one of the Grades on their Wine Label. As of now, it came into fashion that probably the most renowned Wine Producer doesn’t recognize the distinctive Praedikatswein (Quality Wines with Special Attributes) anymore yet simply declare them as Qualitaetswein. That fits in with legal aspects and is doubtlessly fine for Wine Producers with a high Reputation, who claim that lone the Quality of the Grapes and the Soil of their Vineyards counts, however, the Classification itself isn’t necessary for them.
Deutscher Tafelwein (German Table Wine)
Deutscher Tafelwein is the least grade feasible for a German Wine and is, for the most part, consumed in Germany and not exported. This degree of classification is designated “Vin de table” in France, “vino de mesa” in Spain or “vino de Tavola” in Italy.
Deutscher Landwein (German Country Wine)
Deutscher Landwein has a marginally higher grade than Tafelwein yet doesn’t assume an enormous job in the fare advertises, as well. The style of Landwein is either dry (trocken) or semi-dry (halbtrocken) and the comparability for the German Landwein in France is the “vin de pays”.
Qualitaetswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete – QbA (Quality Wine from a Specific Region)
Qualitaetswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete (QbA) is the Wines which meet the first level of quality (Tafelwein and Landwein are not considered as quality Wines) and create the biggest volume of German Wines. QbA states that a German Wine marked with the acronym originates from one of the 13 official Wine Growing Regions and is created from permitted Grape Varieties.
Praedikatswein (Quality Wine with Special Attributes)
The top-level of Wine Grades in Germany was formerly known as Qualitaetswein mit Praedikat (QmP) and renamed to Praedikatswein in 2007. This characterization discloses to you that the wine originates from one of the 13 perceived German Wine Regions and that it has an exceptional predicate or attribute, which can be one of the six following (sorted in ascending order of Ripeness):
1. Kabinett
2. Spaetlese
3. Auslese
4. Beerenauslese
5. Trockenbeerenauslese
6. Eiswein
