Reading the German Wine Label

[cinghiale]

After reading the Riesling thread with interest, and having returned from a recent trip to a wine grower in the Pfalz (Weingut Ratzenberger in Bacharach), I thought I might offer a translation of the "How to Read a Wine Label" primer from the WeinGuide Deutschland 2003, which I studied prior to my trip. The Guide offers other useful infos, like grape varietals, which I'd be happy to reproduce here if anyone wants.

The Wine Label

German wine labels are so detailed and precise that hardly anyone understands them. We will attempt to help with an explanation using a sample label.

Required Information:

1. Producer or Bottler. The terms Schloss, Burg, Kloster and Domäne are reserved exclusively for bottlings by a producer. Estates may also use the term Gutsabfüllung (i.e., "estate bottled"), but cooperatives must list Erzeugerabfüllung (i.e., "producer bottled") on their labels.

2. The Official Testing Number must be included for all Qualität and Prädikat wines. This number is comprised of several identification numbers. In the example, the number 7 stands for the testing agency of the growing region; 763, for the town; 19, for the grower; and 20 means the 20th annual testing of the grower measured in the current test year, here 1993 (= 93). Table wines must list a lot number, from which the bottler of the wine may be determined. [i can give more details about this very Germanic coding system if anyone wants.]

3. The producer’s or bottler’s location must be indicated, including the country. For Germany, the letter "D" is sufficient.

8. The volume of the bottle must be indicated, e.g., 0.75L or 750 ml.

9. The growing region must be listed for Qualität and Prädikat wines.

10. The alcohol content must be provided.

Voluntary Information:

4. The name of the village and the vineyard designation where the wine originated may be included.

5. The type of grape from which the wine was pressed may be listed; two types may be given.

6. The year in which the grapes were grown may be indicated. Note that Eiswein harvested on, e.g., January 2, 2002 will be considered a 2001 vintage. [Ratzenberger remembered harvesting one Eiswein growth on Christmas Eve].

7. The quality level is determined by the sugar content of the grapes, the so-called Mostgewicht [determined by using a refractometer; don't know the translation] . Each growing region has its own specific requirements. For example, wines designated Prädikat (Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese) may not be "enhanced" prior to fermentation. [i found this to be a little dodgy; there's more detailed info elsewhere if anyone wants.]

11. Style. Depending on acidity, a dry (trocken) wine may have at most 9 grams of sugar, and a semi-dry (halbtrocken), at most 18 grams.

Hope this helps.

[Jean Fisch]

If I may add, some top producers (notably J.J. Prüm, Egon Müller, Theo Haart, St-Urbanshof, Fritz Haag, Daniel Vollenweider) have a habit of bottling different qualities of the same wine (say a Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese 2001) which are then priced differently. The only way to tell is by the last four numbers of the AP.

Giving a tasting note of a J.J. Prüm's Wehlener Sonnenuhr Spätlese 2001 is the same as giving a tasting note on "some Clos de Vougeot from Château de la Tour, but I can't remember if it was the normal or the Vieille Vigne". There are three different bottlings of Prüm's above mentioned wine, coming from different plots within the vineyard, harvested at different moments, and meant to be different!