Got a few weeks ago a German wine (NikWeis Wiltingen '13) that was labeled “Deutscher Predikatswein”. I assume that’s the same as “Qualitatswein mit Pradikat”?? Yet the wine is not labeled as to the level of Pradikatswein (Kabinett/Spatlese/etc).
What gives with this?? Is there a new change in regards to German wine labeling??
Tom
Tom, I have been buying the same wine, in fact think I posted a TN here a few weeks ago. Good question but not sure of the answer but bet a few rants on recent German wine laws and changes.
There is no obligaiton to put the pradikat on the label. In fact for drier/dry wines the pradikat is now out of favor.
As spoken elsewhere, that makes it much easier for the consumer ![[head-bang.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/b/b1cd199e4b2b2988b5107c3c9598fd28dc92a776.gif "[head-bang.gif]"){kind=small}
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They seem to say the same thing, but looking at “Qualitatswein mit Pradikat” there is a reference to 2007/2008. Therefore I googled it and found out that one replaced the other: Prädikatswein, renamed from Qualitätswein mit Prädikat (QmP) (superior quality wine) in August 2007
Translated as “quality wine with specific attributes”, this is the top level of German wines. These prominently display a Prädikat (ripeness level designation) on the label and may not be chaptalized. Prädikatswein range from dry to intensely sweet, but unless it is specifically indicated that the wine is dry or off-dry, these wines always contain a noticeable amount of residual sugar. Prädikatswein must be produced from allowed varieties in one of the 39 subregions (Bereich) of one of the 13 wine-growing regions, although it is the region rather than the subregion which is mandatory information on the label. (Some of the smaller regions, such as Rheingau, consist of only one subregion.)
