wine REGIONS

Germany

Light, lively and fruity are adjectives often used to describe German wine, thanks to the country’s unique geology and climate. Most of Germany’s 13 wine-growing regions are clustered in the south and southwest, and due to the many soil types and grape varieties used, there isn’t one particular “type” of German wine, although the more temperate climate results in wines with relatively low alcohol content.

The U.K. is by far the world’s largest consumer of German wine, accounting for more than half of the country’s exports. Better known for white than red wine, German producers are recognized worldwide for their production of sweet Riesling.

The German government has a regulated system for ranking its wines, and the information is printed on all German wine labels, making selection easier.

Tafelwein is the lowest quality level of wine, similar to France’s Vin de Table.

Qualitatswein bestimmte Anbaugebiete (QbA) denotes a mid-level wine.

Qualitatswein mit Pradikat (QmP) is the highest quality level, similar to a French AOC wine.

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