The 1971 classification of German wines divides them into the following groups:

Deutscher Tafelwein (German table wine)

Deutscher Landwein (German country wine)

Qualitätswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete (QbA)

Qualitätswein mit Prädikat (QmP)

Kabinett

Spätlese

Auslese

Beerenauslese

Trockenbeerenauslese

Eiswein (ice wine)

Kabinett

Kabinett in the German wine classification system is the lowest level of QmP wine, lower in ripeness than Spätlese. These are fully ripened grapes, typically picked in September, and are usually made in a light style. They may be sweet (lieblich), dry (trocken) or off dry (halbtrocken). They are generally not wines that are aged for long (usually not exceeding 10 years). Kabinetts are very “food friendly” and are often enjoyed as a casual dinner wine.

The majority of Kabinetts are a Riesling variety though sometimes they are blended with Müller-Thurgau grapes. The absence of "Riesling" on the wine label, according to German wine law, would indicate that it is most likely a blend.

Kabinett wines are considered unique in that the cool climate of the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer region allow the grapes an opportunity to fully ripen but still maintain a very low sugar content. This keeps the alcohol content low (7 to 9%) and the natural ripening often coaxes the slate & mineral flavors of the region’s terroir.

The 2001 vintage is generally considered an outstanding year for German Kabinetts.

The name comes from the locked cabinets in the cellars of the old estates in which the finest wines were kept, as it was originally a term for the very finest German wines.

Spätlese

Spätlese (literal meaning: "late harvest" Plural spatlesen) is a German wine term for a late harvest wine and is the second category of QmP wine in the German wine classification above Kabinett and below Auslese in terms of ripeness. The grapes are picked at least 7 days after normal harvest, so they are riper and have a higher must weight. Because of the weather, waiting to pick the grapes later carries a risk of the crop being ruined by rain. However in warm years and from good sites much of the harvest will reach spätlese level. In 2000, German wine producers introduced two new wine classifications “Classic” & “Selection” in an attempt to make German wine labels easier for consumers to understand. Under this new system “Classic” is meant to replace the Spatlese classification.

The wines may be either sweet or dry (trocken); it is a level of ripeness that particularly suits rich dry wines from Riesling, Weißer Burgunder and Grauer Burgunder grapes for example, as at Auslese levels the alcohol levels may become very high in a dry wine leaving the wine unbalanced, making wines with at least some residual sweetness preferable to most palates.

Many spätlese wines will age well, especially those made from the Riesling grape.

Auslese

Auslese (literal meaning: "selected harvest" Plural Auslesen) is a German wine term for a late harvest wine and is a riper category than Spätlese in the QmP category of the Austrian and German wine classification. The grapes are picked from selected very ripe bunches in the autumn (late November-early December), and have to be hand picked. Generally Auslese wine can be made in only the best harvest years that have been sufficiently warm. A small proportion of the grapes may be affected by noble rot in some regions although this never dominates the character of the wine. Rheingau winemaker Schloss Johannisberg is generally credited with discovering Auslese wine in 1787.

Auslesen are sometimes considered a German dessert wine, especially the wines made from botrytis infected bunches, though it is not as sweet as Eiswein, Beerenauslese (BA), or Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA) dessert wines.

Auslesen can be enjoyed by themselves (aperitif - an “afternoon wine“) but are usually best accompanied with food, particularly those that exhibit the hearty characteristics of German cuisine.

beerenauslese

Beerenauslese is an Austrian and German wine term and type of dessert wine meaning "selected berries". Often abbreviated to BA, it is one of the German wine classification levels in the QmP category.

A wine with beerenauslese on the label means that the grapes have been individually picked, and are affected at least partially with noble rot. It also means that the wine had at least a specified minimum must weight at harvest. These wines are typically very sweet and rich, and age extremely well. The finest examples are made from the riesling grape, as this retains significant acidity even with the extreme ripeness. Other grapes are used but can often have much lower acidity levels, resulting in a less well balanced wine that simply tastes very sweet.

These wines are produced in very small quantities when the weather is suitable for the noble rot to form and only in vineyards with appropriate conditions, so they are very expensive. An exception to this is beerenauslesen produced from grapes such as Ortega, which have extremely high sugar content, but little of the grape and noble rot characters.

Trockenbeerenauslese

Trockenbeerenauslese is a German and Austrian wine term and type of dessert wine meaning "selected dried berries." Often abbreviated to TBA, it is one of the German wine classification levels in the QmP category and the one requiring the highest must weight.

This means that the grapes have been individually picked and are shrivelled with noble rot, nearly to the point of being a raisin. They are therefore very sweet and rich, with a lot of caramel and honey bouquet and distinctive aroma of the noble rot. The finest examples are made from the riesling grape, as this retains plenty of acidity even at the extreme ripeness, but other grape varieties can be used, and many are more prone to rot than riesling (such as Scheurebe, Ortega, Chardonnay, Traminer, etc).

These wines are usually very rare and expensive, and some of the best are almost exclusively sold at the various German wine auctions. They are usually golden to deep golden in color, very thick and concentrated, and arguably can be aged almost indefinitely. The style is similar to, but much more concentrated than, selection de grains nobles from Alsace or Sauternes from Bordeaux.

The same term has also been used since the 1960s in Austria for the same type of wines. Most TBA wines from Austria come from Neusiedlersee, Burgenland. Especially in Rust and St. Margarethen, wine of exceptionally good quality can be found. This region is known for its wide and shallow lakes which can lose more than half their volume due to evaporation. The mists created by these lakes provide a very conducive climate for Noble Rot to shrivel grapes.

Also compare to the similar but less intense beerenauslese and to eiswein.

ice wine