Riesling-Auslese or Spaetlese?

Steps of quality (german-wine-law)

• table wine (min. 8,5% alcohol)
• classic
• quality-wine of certain wine-growing-regions (ger.: Qualitaetswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete - Q.b.A.) has to have some characteristcal attributes of the wine-growing-region. There has to be an official wine-check-number on the label.

The minimum of natural sugar which is needed for the different wine-grades varies from one region to another. The wine-grades can be approximated with the following öchsle degrees:

• Kabinett (min. 73° oechsle)
  (cabinet wine)
• Spaetlese (min. 85° oechsle)
  (wine made from late-gathered grapes)
• Auslese (min. 95° oechsle)
  (wine made of the choicest grapes)
• Beerenauslese (min. 125° oechsle)
  (wine made of the choicest grapes with additional selection)
• Trockenbeerenauslese (min. 150° oechsle)
• Eiswein (the grapes have to be frozen from the harvest until they get pressed)
  (white wine of highest quality made from frozen grapes)

The amount of alcohol normally lies between 9 and 14 percent. Wines with 12% or above are called "heavy". Occasionally you find wines with a higher amount of alcolol, for example in 2003. The wine they pressed in Baden had 15Vol% alcohol!

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