fahey@inuxd.UUCP (09/20/83)
German Wine Classifications:
Tafelwein
Ordinary, everyday table wine
Qualitatswein
Higher quality, somewhat sweeter
Qualitatswein mit Pradikat
Highest quality category, carefully controlled and
regulated by government standards.
Wines in this category are classified by the sugar
content of the grapes (White Reiseling) when picked.
) Kabinett -the driest in this category, although still
considered a sweet wine.
) Spatlese -sweeter than Kabinett, more amber in color
) Auslese -very sweet
) Beerenauslese -literally translated "shriveled berries".
Made from grapes infected with "Noble Rot"
(botrytis cinerea), a mold which infects the
skin of the grapes, causing them to dry out,
leaving an extremely high residual sugar
content. Sweet, heavy, golden in color.
) Trokenbeerenauslese -one step further: the shriveled grapes
are individually selected by hand before
they are crushed and fermented.
This wine is thick and syrupy; also
expensive: $70/bottle
) Eiswein -Made from grapes which are left on the vine until
the first frost; the grapes are picked frozen,
and gently crushed to obtain only the concentrated
juice (no water). BA, TBA, and Eiswein are only
made in exceptional years. Expensive!!!
(Previously, less than scrupulous growers would
leave less than acceptable grapes on the vine
until the frost, allowing them to make Eiswein
and get a high price for cheap wine, but the law
has been changed: only TBA quality grapes can
be used now.)
The further down the list (as presented), the sweeter the wine
(and the highr quality). Also, the longer the wine will
keep, and likewise the more it will improve with age.
The last GREAT year for German wines was 1976.
Hope this was of some help.
Randall Fahey
AT&T CP
Indianapolis