| This article will launch our new series, I Love | | | | may be as small as a vineyard. It is harder to |
| German Wine and Food. You may be aware that | | | | obtain the QGU designation than the QBA |
| we have written more than two dozen articles in | | | | designation. At present, the QGU designation is |
| our first series, I Love Italian Wine and Food. This | | | | not widely used and we probably will not refer to |
| series will continue this labor of love, but for | | | | it again. |
| German wine and food. | | | | Qualitätswein mit Prädikat (QMP) means |
| Let's start with a few statistics about German | | | | assured quality wine. About two thirds of German |
| wine. In spite of the fact that Germany has a | | | | wine is QMP wine, a percentage that is rapidly |
| small wine acreage, only half that of the Bordeaux | | | | increasing. This important classification is subdivided |
| region of France, Germany is the world's seventh | | | | into six classifications described below. Unlike QBA |
| largest wine exporter. Germans drink about five | | | | wines, the presumably higher quality QMP wines |
| times as much beer as wine, and perhaps | | | | may not be chaptalized. Their grapes must come |
| surprisingly drink more red wine than white wine. | | | | from a well defined area. In order to understand |
| Germany produces about two thirds of the | | | | the following classifications within the umbrella |
| world's Riesling wine, including much of the finest. | | | | QMP classification, we have to discuss the Oechsle |
| We are going to look at thirteen wine German | | | | scale. The Oechsle value effectively measures a |
| regions,in alphabetical order they are: Ahr, Baden, | | | | wine's sugar content which depends on its specific |
| Franken, Hessische Bergstrasse, Mittelrhein, Mosel, | | | | gravity (weight relative to pure water). Pure |
| Nahe, Pfalz, Rheingau, Rheinhessen, Saale-Unstrut, | | | | water is given the value 1000. A fermenting grape |
| Sachsen, and Württemberg. Most articles will | | | | mixture, also known as must which weighs 7% |
| discuss a given region and its distinctiveness. We'll | | | | more than pure water is given the value 70°. |
| talk about the wines and the foods that | | | | Such a value indicates a Kabinett wine, described |
| characterize the region. We will try to write at | | | | next. |
| least one article per region, but we know that | | | | Kabinett QMP wines were first defined in the early |
| several regions produce very little wine, and | | | | 1700s. Their minimum Oechsle value varies from |
| export even less to North America. We are | | | | 67° to 85° depending on the grape |
| keeping our eyes open for wines from all regions | | | | variety and where the grapes were grown. |
| of Germany. In general, the articles in this series | | | | Kabinett wines are made from grapes that |
| (except for the present one) will include our | | | | haven't fully ripened. They have a potential alcohol |
| unbiased tasting report on a wine. We will taste | | | | content between 8.6% and 11.4%. Kabinett wines |
| the wine with food, including several main courses | | | | are usually not very sweet. |
| and at least one imported cheese, German if | | | | Spätlese QMP literally means a wine made |
| possible. In our Italian series the wines that we | | | | from late-harvested grapes. In real terms |
| tasted varied in cost from $6 to $38, but were | | | | Spätlese wines are made from ripe grapes. |
| mostly in the range of $10 to $20. We intend to | | | | Their minimum Oechsle value varies from |
| apply approximately the same price range for the | | | | 76° to 95° with a potential alcohol |
| German wines, but don't be surprised if the price | | | | content of 10% to 13%. While 10% alcohol is a |
| range drifts somewhat upwards. | | | | low value compared to most non-German wines, |
| Our wine tasting will be flexible with respect to | | | | 13% alcohol is a common value. Spätlese |
| regions, prices, and wine styles. But there are two | | | | wines tend to be sweet with harmonious acidity. |
| rules that we follow. First rule, all wines that we | | | | Auslese QMP wine is truly a late harvest wine. It |
| taste and review have been purchased at the full | | | | is made from grape bunches left on the vine |
| retail price. Second rule, if we are unhappy with a | | | | after the Spätlese wine grapes have been |
| wine, we will let you know. If you followed our | | | | harvested. Auslese grapes must be free of |
| previous series, you know that we weren't | | | | damage and disease, and yet the wine laws |
| always happy with the Italian wines that we | | | | permit machine harvesting. Their minimum Oechsle |
| tasted and I've got the funny feeling that the | | | | value varies from 83° to 105°, giving |
| same thing will happen with some German wines. | | | | them a potential alcohol content of 11.1% to |
| Now back to the subject of German wines. | | | | 14.5%. Many producers make Auslese wines only |
| Wine Classification. | | | | in special vintages. These wines tend to be |
| German wine classifications are complicated. To a | | | | complex. They are usually but not always sweet. |
| large extent they are based on the wine's sugar | | | | They may be affected by botryris, noble rot, the |
| content. We'll start from the lowest level. | | | | parasite responsible for some of the world's top |
| Wein simply means wine, a wine made from a | | | | sweet wines including French Sauterne and |
| blend of grapes grown outside the European | | | | Hungarian Tokaji. |
| Union. We won't be mentioning this bottom of the | | | | Beerenauslese QMP is a sweet, botryised wine |
| line classification again. | | | | made from shriveled, individually selected grapes. |
| Tafelwein means table wine; it may be blended | | | | Their minimum Oechsle value varies from |
| from grapes grown in different European Union | | | | 110° to 128°, giving them a potential |
| countries or a wine made in one EU country from | | | | alcohol content of 15.3% to 18.1%. The minimum |
| grapes harvested in another EU country. We | | | | required alcohol content is 5.5%. The lower the |
| won't be mentioning this very low classification | | | | alcohol level, the higher the sugar level. These |
| again. | | | | wines are very sweet and quite complex. |
| Deutscher Tafelwein means German table wine. | | | | Eiswein QMP happens when a botryised grapes |
| This category and the following one, Landwein, | | | | that freeze on the vine usually in December or |
| now represent less than 2% of the total German | | | | January. The frozen grapes must be pressed |
| wine production. We did not originally intend to | | | | before they defrost. If everything goes right the |
| review a Deutscher Tafelwein, but we saw such | | | | final product is spectacular, among Germany's |
| a bottle at a wine store and thought that we | | | | finest sweet wines. Their minimum Oechsle value |
| should give it a chance. | | | | varies from 110° to 128°, giving them a |
| Landwein is a Deutscher Tafelwein from a specific | | | | potential alcohol content of 15.3% to 18.1%. In |
| area. This is not a transitional category, in other | | | | fact many Eisweins are similar in Oechsle value to |
| words, Landweins are not wines that hope to | | | | Trockenbeerenauslese wines described next, but |
| work their way up to the next category. Since | | | | have a very different flavor profile. |
| we are tasting a Deutscher Tafelwein, we | | | | Trockenbeerenauslese QMP, abbreviated as TBA, |
| probably won't bother to taste a Landwein unless | | | | wines are produced from botrysized, shriveled |
| the Deutscher Tafelwein pleasantly surprises us. | | | | grapes, individually picked from the vine. Their |
| That's one of the things we love about tasting | | | | minimum Oechsle value varies from 150° to |
| wine, while we do have preconceived notions, we | | | | 154°, giving them a potential alcohol content |
| can't be sure until we actually try the wine. And | | | | of 21.5% to 22.1%. The minimum required alcohol |
| now for the higher level classifications. | | | | content is 5.5%. These wines are very dark and |
| Qualitätswein Bestimmter Anbaugebiet | | | | so thick and syrupy that they must be sipped. |
| (QBA) means a quality wine from one of the | | | | We will try to taste at least one wine from as |
| thirteen specified wine regions. About one third of | | | | many of the thirteen wine regions as possible. We |
| German wine is QBA wine, a percentage that is | | | | will also taste at least one wine from as many of |
| rapidly declining. Its grapes usually have not fully | | | | the ten classifications as possible, starting with |
| ripened and so these wines allow the addition of | | | | Deutscher Tafelwein and going up to |
| sugar during fermentation, a process known as | | | | Trockenbeerenauslese QMP. |
| chaptalization. Chaptalization is outlawed in many | | | | Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books |
| countries. By law, QBA wines have a minimum | | | | on computers and the Internet, but to be honest, |
| alcohol content of 5.9%, less than half the alcohol | | | | he would rather just drink fine Italian or other |
| in most of the Italian wines we reviewed. Such a | | | | wine, accompanied by the right foods. He teaches |
| low alcohol content leads to poor shelf life. | | | | classes in computers at an Ontario |
| Qualitätswein Garantierten Ursprungs (QGU) | | | | French-language community college. Presently his |
| means a QBA wine with a well-defined taste. | | | | wine websites are and . |
| These wines come from a specified area that | | | | |