Wines from Germany

Germany produces a variety of mostly white wines from 13 wine-growing regions - Ahr, Baden, Franken, Hessische Bergstrasse, Mittelrhein, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Nahe, Pfalz, Rheingau, Rheinhessen, Saale-Unstrut, Sachsen, Wurttemberg.

German wines are categorized according to ripeness at picking. The minimum levels of ripeness for each category vary by region, but the basic categories are; Tafelwein (table wine), Qualitatswein (quality wine or QBA) and Qualitatswein mit Pradikat (quality wine with added distinction or QmP). Within the latter category the distinctions are - in ascending order of ripeness - kabinett, spatlese, auslese, beerenauslese, trockenbeeerenauslese (TBA) and eiswein.

Although they may contain residual sugar, German wines tend to be richer as one tastes through the categories of distinction and not until beerenauslese, is sweetness enough of a dominant factor for a wine to be considered a dessert wine. At all levels German wines are balanced by high acidity, so they do not necessarily taste sweet.