Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese, Beernauslese, Eiswein, Trockenbeerennaulese.
You may know that the German Riesling is a sweet wine.
But how sweet is sweet? The Germans have simplified this process by including the information on the label of each wine bottle.
Let's start with Kabinett: The lightest end of the German wine spectrum.
They are the least sweet of the German Rieslings.
This wine is great as an aperitif, with oysters, codfish or lobster salad.
Spätlese is next in line for the sweet category.
Breaking up the word spat means "late" and "lese" means "harvest".
Put them together it means "late harvest".
These grapes are fully ripened, a little sweeter than Kabinett and typically are more expensive.
They pair well with blue cheese (my favorite Maytag), red tuna tartar, chicken tarragon, Chinese cuisine, veal tournedos, smoked fish and Pad Thai.
Auslese wine is made from selected bunches of grapes which have been left on the vine and allowed to become overripe.
Some of the grapes have been attacked by Edelfäule (noble rot, a good mold which forms on the grapes as they shrivel up to become raisin-like, extracting the water, but leaving a honey flavor in the grape).
Auslese wines pair well with Duck Foie Gras, lamb curry, goat cheese, dark chocolate mousse, Peach Melba and raspberry crème brûlée (burnt crème).
Beernauslese wines are specially selected grapes which have been affected by Edelfäule, choosing the ripest bunches.
It is made only in outstanding years and is very expensive.
Beernauslese wines are great with cherry dessert, Duck la Orange, Foie Gras, and strawberry tarts.
Eiswein is exactly what it suggests.
The wine is made from overripe grapes unaffected by Edelfäule, but left on the vine until caught by frost.
The grapes are pressed to separate the frozen water from the very sweet juice.
Eiswein can be enjoyed with just about any sweet dessert or it can be the final course.
Trockenbeernauslese sometimes known as TBA is a wine that may be hard to pronounce but is unforgettable once it reaches your palate.
The wine is usually ultra-rich and deep golden-orange.
The term literally means dried up selected grapes.
It is only made in selected years and is affected by Edelfäule.
The selection is hand picked from a single vineyard.
I recommend this wine with any fresh seasonal fruits with a chocolate fondue.
German Rieslings display a mineral quality with pear, yellow/green apple, white peach, floral and honey notes.
They are typically higher in acidity lower in alcohol which makes them a good match for spicy dishes.
It can also be grown in Alsace, Austria, Australia, New Zealand, U.
S.
A.
, Chile, and South Africa.
Look for the label that has the famous German Eagle with the grape cluster.
This represents the Verband Deutscher Pradikatsweingüter Association also known as the VDP.
It is the oldest recognized wine organization in the world founded in 1910.
This association insures quality in the wine by meeting certain members' uncompromising dedicated standards starting with self-imposed regulations.
Cheers! Glenn Sudnick Certified Sommelier