A to Z: A for Auslese – WineActually TV Ep #18

Shaun Lee talks about Auslese and the German Pradikat designations.

The different Prädikat designations used are as followed, in order of increasing sugar levels in the must:

Kabinett
fully ripened light wines from the main harvest, typically semi-sweet with crisp acidity, but can be dry if designated so.

Spätlese – meaning “late harvest”
typically semi-sweet, often (but not always) sweeter and fruitier than Kabinett. Spätlese can be a relatively full-bodied dry wine if designated so. While Spätlese means late harvest the wine is not as sweet as a dessert wine.

Auslese – meaning “select harvest”
made from selected very ripe bunches or grapes, typically semi-sweet or sweet, sometimes with some noble rot character. Sometimes Auslese is also made into a powerful dry wine, but the designation Auslese trocken has been discouraged after the introduction of Grosses Gewächs. Auslese is the Prädikat which covers the widest range of wine styles, and can be a dessert wine.

Beerenauslese – meaning “select berry harvest”
made from individually selected overripe grapes often affected by noble rot, making rich sweet dessert wine.

Eiswein (ice wine)
made from grapes that have been naturally frozen on the vine, making a very concentrated wine. Must reach at least the same level of sugar content in the must as a Beerenauslese. The most classic Eiswein style is to use only grapes that are not affected by noble rot. Until the 1980s, the Eiswein designation was used in conjunction with another Prädikat (which indicated the ripeness level of the grapes before they had frozen), but is now considered a Prädikat of its own. Normally picked during midnight.

Trockenbeerenauslese – meaning “select dry berry harvest” or “dry berry selection”
made from selected overripe shrivelled grapes often affected by noble rot making extremely rich sweet wines. Only made in certain years.