An ultra-premium German dry wine can be labeled differently, depending on who has made the wine. Basically, you have to distinguish between 6 groups of winemakers and thus labelings: (1) The VDP non-Rheingau winemakers, (2) the VDP Rheingau winemakers, (3) the Rheingau non-VDP winemakers, (4) the zero classification winemakers, (5) the own classification winemakers and (6) all other winemakers.
The VDP is Germany’s association of elite winemakers with about 200 members, compared with say 30.000 winemakers in Germany. But the VDP accounts for a large part of the export of premium wines.
Spaetlese/Auslese Trocken
Let us start with the last group, the by far largest group. Typically, the best dry wines of one of the 30.000 or so winemaker of this group will carry the designation Spaetlese or Auslese trocken. This is a wine made of fully ripe grapes that were fully fermented. Auslese is the highest predicate, where the production of dry wines is possible, by fully fermenting the grape juice. These wines have around 13% to 14% alcohol and are dry. Typically, the grapes come from a top vineyard, but don’t have to. Before the days of Erstes Gewaechs and Grosses Gewaechs, Spaetlese trocken and Auslese trocken was the way to go, if you were interested in premium dry wines in Germany.
Example:
Weingut Schmitz-Herges, 2010 Lieserer Niederberg-Helden, Riesling Auslese trocken
See:
Wining in Bernkastel-Kues in the Mosel Valley: Wine Tavern “Spitzhaeuschen”, Germany
Erstes Gewaechs
The Rheingau introduced a few years ago the concept of Erste Lage. These are the best vineyards in the Rheingau. Any Rheingau winemaker, who owns an Erste Lage vineyard and who makes a top dry wine that passes the test of various regulations can name this wine an Erstes Gewaechs. Erstes Gewaechs wines are top dry wines from top vineyards in the Rheingau.
Example:
Weingut Schaefer, Hochheim, 2010 Hochheimer Hölle Riesling, Erstes Gewaechs
See:
Meeting J. Schaefer from Weingut J. Schaefer, Hochheim, Rheingau, in Frankfurt am Main, Germany
VDP.Grosses Gewaechs
Then came the VDP into the game and introduced the concept of Grosses Gewaechs. A Grosses Gewaechs is a top dry wine from the very best vineyards of the VDP members, which had been named Erste Lage until recently and, starting with the 2012 vintage, have been named Grosse Lage. Note, that for some legal reasons, the VDP has started to use the suffix VDP.
Example:
Weingut Weil, Kiedrich, 2012 Kiedricher Graefenberg Riesling, VDP.Grosses Gewaechs
For more:
Visiting Wilhelm Weil at his Weingut Robert Weil in Kiedrich, Germany
Tasting with Wilhelm Weil the 2010 Weingut Weil Wines in Kiedrich, Germany
Rheingau: VDP.Grosses Gewaechs and Erstes Gewaechs
Until recently, the VDP winemakers in the Rheingau did not go along with their VDP colleagues in other regions, but they went along with their non-VDP colleagues in the Rheingau: They called their best dry wines Erstes Gewaechs. Thus, until recently, the top dry wines of VDP members in the Rheingau were called Erstes Gewaeachs, while the rest of the VDP members in the other wine regions called their top dry wines Grosses Gewaechs.
This changed with the 2012 vintage. The VDP winemakers from the Rheingau switched fronts and decided to call their best dry wines Grosses Gewaechs. So, there is now uniformity on the VDP front.
The non-VDP winemakers in the Rheingau were faced with the decision: to stick to the Erstes Gewaechs or change with the VDP members to Grosses Gewaechs. Initially, the latter was the plan. But eventually, the non-VDP winemakers in the Rheingau went in a different direction. Thus, there will be two denominations for the top dry wines in the Rheingau: VDP.Grosses Gewaechs (VDP members) and Erstes Gewaechs (non-VDP members). Roughly 90% of the top dry wines in the Rheingau will be VDP.Grosses Gewaechs and 10% Erstes Gewaechs.
Zero Classification Winemakers
Moving on, there are two more groups of winemakers, although probably less relevant for the world market. One is the group of winemakers that have abandoned any classification, following the New World approach. One of them is cult winemaker Markus Schneider in the Pfalz.
Markus Schneider markets all his wines as Qualitaetswein, without any reference to the predicate level and without any reference to the vineyard(s) were the grapes come from. Here are some of Markus Schneider’s wines: Blackprint, Rotwein Alte Reben, M Spaetburgunder, Tohuwabohu, Chardonnay, Riesling and Kaitui.
Example:
Weingut Markus Schneider, Pfalz, Kaitui 2011, Sauvignon Blanc, QbA
See:
German Riesling and International Grape Varieties – Top Wine Makers Wilhelm Weil and Markus Schneider at Kai Buhrfeindt’s Grand Cru in Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Innovative Classification Winemakers
Finally, there are a number of winemakers who have introduced their own classification system. One of them is Christian Stahl in Franken.
With regard to classifying his wines, Christian Stahl markets all his wines as Qualitaetswein. And he has developed his own, innovative classification system, playing with his name Stahl (= steel). Christian Stahl groups his wines into 3 categories:
Top: Edelstahl (= precious steel)
Middle: Damaszener Stahl
Entry: Feder Stahl
Also, Christian rejects the terroir principle. You will never find a vineyard name on his bottles. Instead, he gives his wines colorful names, such as Literweise (by the liter), Rauschgift (drugs) and Rosenrot (red like a rose).
Example:
Winzerhof Stahl, Franken, 2011 Edelstahl Riesling
See:
The Bistronomics Cuisine of Chef Christoph Kubenz and the Wines of Winemaker Christian Stahl at Restaurant schauMahl in Frankfurt, Germany
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