A brief introduction to German wine

January? I like mine slightly off dry with crisp acidity.

Not sure how, why, or when Dry January became such a thing. In the Wine World it is the time for portfolio tastings and Burgundy En Primeur tastings. So, it would seem churlish to be completely abstinent just maybe off dry?

How do we classify a wine as dry?

Seems odd to describe a drink as dry but equally a wine having a “crunchy mouthfeel” seems just as counterintuitive. Wine descriptors can sound like a foreign language!  

A wine is called dry when almost all of the grape sugar has been converted into alcohol during fermentation, so it tastes not sweet. Dryness is about sugar level and is felt mainly on the tongue. Tannins, on the other hand, are natural compounds from grape skins, seeds, stems, and oak that create a drying or puckering sensation in your gums and cheeks, similar to strong tea. This is why a wine can be completely dry yet still feel very mouth-drying if it has high tannins. In short, dry = lack of sweetness, while tannins = drying mouthfeel, and they are related but not the same thing.

Where does this leave us with Dry January?

Nowhere really but what if you decide to choose the route of quality over quantity. Where should one look if you still want to adhere to the theme of dry?

How do we classify a dry german wine? 

In German wine, “dry” (often labelled trocken) means the wine has very little residual sugar left after fermentation, so it does not taste sweet. While German wines are sometimes associated with sweetness, many are dry and focused on crisp acidity and clarity of flavour. These wines may still show fruit aromas like apple, citrus, or stone fruit, but the impression on the palate is clean, fresh, and balanced rather than sweet. Under German law, a wine can be labelled trocken even with a small amount of sugar, if the acidity keeps the overall taste dry. They also have a low alcohol volume which is a bonus.

What about quality?

German winemaking laws are designed to clearly show quality and style, especially for beginners. Traditionally, wines are classified by the ripeness of the grapes at harvest (called Prädikat levels), rather than by sweetness, with categories ranging from light Kabinett to very ripe Auslese, Beerenauslese, and Trockenbeerenauslese. Modern labels may also indicate dryness (trocken or halbtrocken) and where the grapes come from, since origin is considered important for quality. Strict rules control grape varieties, vineyard sites, yields, and labelling, helping ensure that German wines are reliable, transparent, and expressive of their region, even if the terminology takes a little getting used to.

What to look our for...

Ask your friendly wine merchant but some producer names to look out for would be:

• Weingut Leitz (Rheingau)

• Weingut Dönnhoff (Nahe)

• Weingut Dr. Loosen (Mosel)

• Weingut Willi Schaefer (Mosel)