At long last, German wine is about to become easier to understand – in theory. Germany has rolled out a revised, geography-based labeling and classification system designed to make its wines easier to navigate. However, the changes add another layer to an already complex framework. So while the language on the label may become more recognizable overall, German wine isn’t getting any simpler.
“They set up this new German wine law to harmonize with the EU wine law and now we are coming to the end of the transition, but a lot of questions have popped up,” says Thomas Loosen, managing director of Dr. Loosen winery in the Mosel.
The new laws, phased in starting in 2021 and mandatory from the 2026 vintage onward, require a geographically based approach, creating Protected Geographic Indications (PGIs) and Protected Designation of Origins (PDOs). PGI wines, previously known as Landwein or Deutscher Wein in Germany, include wines labeled with their state or country of origin. They are rarely exported to the U.S.
PDOs, or Qualitätsweine (quality wines), which represent 60 percent or more of German wine production depending on the vintage, can stipulate not just geographical borders but also specific techniques, grape varieties, and other details of production. “The smaller the region named on the label, the higher the quality criteria are,” Loosen says. “This is the whole idea about the new German wine law.”
Power shifts to the regions
“The power now lies with the regions in the form of Schutzgemeinschaften,” says Theresa Olkus, the managing director of the Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter (VDP), a private producer association. “It’s basically something like a consortium.”
Each Schutzgemeinschaft must represent a quorum of growers and producers in each I (area), such as the Mosel, Rheingau, Franconia, and the other 10 recognized wine regions of the country. They are empowered to add – but not take away – additional qualifications beyond the general guidelines set in the national law.
Schutzgemeinschaften are also responsible for designating acceptable grape varieties for the Anbaugebiet and managing a tasting board, which approves all wines bearing the Qualitätswein designation.
The quality pyramid
The broadest Qualitätswein appellations are the Anbaugebiete themselves. Above them – with each level becoming more geographically specific – are Regions; Ortsweine, or a specific village; and Lagenweine, or a specified vineyard.
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