Germany is the most northerly major wine region in the world. You can find the vineyards of the Rhine, Mosel Unstrut and Elbe. Although Germany as a wine region is not bigger than Bordeaux, the yield per hectare is higher. A few characteristics of German wines are, there is much less use of wood maturation and the alcohol in the wines is not so high. In more than one third of the vineyards, the Riesling and Müller-Thurgau is planted. For red wines, Spätburgunder or the Pinot Noir is the most planted grape.

Germany has thirteen areas of origin, called Anbaugebiete (wine regions):
1. Ahr
2. Mosel-Saar-Ruwer
3. Mittelrhein
4. Nahe
5. Rheingau
6. Rheinhessen
7. Pfalz
8. Hessische Bergstrasse
9. Saale-Unstrut
10. Sachsen
11. Franken
12. Württemberg
13. Baden

Wine Legislation in Germany
Germany has a quality classification at four levels which is based on the ripeness of the grapes:
• Deutscher Tafelwein, is very rare
• Deutscher Landwein
• Qualitätswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete (QbA)
• Qualitätswein mit Prädikat (QMP)

The last two are both VCPRD wines (Vins de Qualité Produits dans des Régions Déterminées). It is called Appellation in French and therefore a certain qualification of a particular provenance. The Prädikats wines should meet the highest quality standards. Both types of quality wines are also dealing with a regional subdivision:
- Anbaugebiete (wine region)
- Bereich; is a district which consists of several wine villages, but usually carry the name of the best known village like Bereich Johannisberg in the Rheingau.
- Grosslagen (collection vineyards)
- Einzellagen (single vineyard but may have multiple owners) and within there is a distinction Erstes Gewächs (comparable Premier Cru) and Grosses Gewächs (like Grand Cru).

Prädikatswijnen (QMP)
The QMP is also known in Austria, where the wines has to meet the highest quality. For example, the grapes has to be from the same Bereich, but not especially from the same Einzellage. A natural alcohol content of at least 6.1% and Einreichern (chaptalisation) is prohibited. Within Prädikat wines there are six types of Prädikats (depending on the weight and the harvest period):
1. Kabinett, pleasant wine made from ripe grapes
2. Spätlese, late harvest, ripe grapes with intense flavor
3. Auslese; selected grapes. Noble wine of almost overripe grapes affected by noble rot Edelfäule (pourriture noble in French). They are rich, ripe wines.
4. Beerenauslese: selected overripe grapes. The winemaker selects only the appropriate grape. They are like the Auslese grapes affected by noble rot. It is a high class wine with a golden color. A delicious dessert wine.
5. Trockenbeerenauslese; dried grapes from selected grapes. One step further than the Auslese and Beerenauslese. It is the most mature wine made from grapes that have become almost raisins, but are affected by noble rot. The wines have a honey-sweet flavor and are relatively expensive.
6. Eiswein, naturally frozen grapes. Since this is not happening very often, Eiswein is rare. The grapes are picked while frozen, the lower the temperature (ideally between -10 and -12 degrees Celsius) the better the sugars are concentrated.

Since 2000 Germany has two new concepts for dry wines
• Classic, is a classic wine for a specific area. High quality and dry taste, full bodied and aromatic
• Selection, a new type of top wines of selected area’s with low yields and hand-picked grapes.

Making the wine sweeter
In Germany, three ways of making the wine sweeter is allowed.
- Süssreserve, adding sweet, concentrated must which can be compared with the French liqueur d'expédition (dosage) for sparkling wine.
- Anreichern, add sugar to the must with the main objective to increase the alcohol content and not to sweeten the taste.
- Edelfäule, noble rot. Not all sugars are converted into alcohol during fermentation, leaving residual sugar remaining natural

Some need-to-know terms from Germany
- Perlwein, red or white pearl-like wine
- Rotwein, red wine
- Weisswein, white wine
- Weissherbst, pink, or QbA QMP and consists of a single grape variety
- Rotling; rose
- Badische Rotgold, Rose Wine a specialty of Baden
- Schillerwein, specialty wines from Württemberg
- Sekt, sparkling white wine
- Halbtrocken, half dry
- Trocken, Dry