The acreage along the Rhine River, running through the Southwest quadrant of the country, is the primary growing grounds for German wine grapes. Two thirds of the total German wine produced is white wine, and even white wine fanatics have been inconsistent when reviewing Germany’s wine. International reviews of German wine range from spectacular to outright mockery of the attempt to produce sweet wines on a mass marketing level.

Germany produces all types of wine, with the exception of fortified wine which is a dessert wine which has an added content such as a wine cooler. Despite its ability to produce a wide range of wine German wines are often considered to be sweet by the general consumer. This can be entirely inaccurate as there are plenty of semi—sweet and dry German wines on the international market.

German wine is classified by ten varied levels of quality as well as the intended purpose of the wine. For instance, Deutscher Tafelwein and Deutscher Landwein are classifications given to lower quality wines that are not considered to be acceptable for export purposes. QbA wines may be exported but are considered to be the minimum quality considered for export. Thus, not many German wines with a QbA rating can be found internationally.

The remaining classifications are labeled in accordance to when the grapes were harvested for the production of the wine. The later the harvest the sweeter the wine is bound to be. Additionally, the riper fruit escalates the price of the wine due to constraints of production. These classifications, will still imply quality, are known as the Pradikatswein assessment. The first level is the Kabinett level. If the harvest comes in from 12 to 14 days past the first harvest, the quantification is the Spatlese level. Auslese wines are made from grapes that are hand picked from the earlier classification of grapes and are known for their intense sweetness.

A Beerenauslese wine is crafted from grapes which have been left to harvest long enough to develop the fungus Botrytis which saps the water from the grape and offers a remarkably sweet taste. Ice wine, or the German wine version known as Eiswein is made from naturally frozen grapes. Trokenbeerenauslese wine is the final classification and entails grapes that are almost raisins during the harvesting. This is another very sweet albeit expensive wine. With so many German wines falling into the sweet category it is not surprise that many consumers feel the Germany only produces sweet wines of variable quality.

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1. German Wines
2. Australian Wines
3. Spanish Wines