Trocken
German for "dry" — a label term on German wine indicating the wine has been made in a dry style with very low residual sugar (typically 0–9 g/L), in contrast to the country's historic tradition of sweeter Rieslings.
In depth
German wine has historically been associated with off-dry and sweet styles (Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese), but the majority of German wine — and most of what is drunk domestically — is actually trocken (dry). The misperception of German wine as universally sweet comes from export market dominance of sweeter styles in the 20th century.
Trocken wines may contain up to 9 g/L residual sugar (or up to 4 g/L above the total acidity in g/L — whichever is higher), effectively making them taste bone dry. In practice, most German trocken wines have 2–5 g/L RS.
The VDP (Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter), Germany's top producers association, has its own classification that emphasises dry Riesling styles: Gutsriesling (estate), Ortswein (village), Erste Lage/Grosses Gewächs (premier and grand cru level dry wines). Grosses Gewächs (GG) is Germany's equivalent of Grand Cru dry Riesling.
Halbtrocken (half-dry or off-dry) is another designation, containing 9–18 g/L RS. The term "Feinherb" is an informal alternative to Halbtrocken used by some producers.
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Frequently asked questions
- Is most German wine actually dry?
- Yes — the majority of German wine produced and consumed domestically is trocken (dry). The stereotype of German wine being sweet comes from the export market, which historically bought sweeter Spätlese and Auslese styles. Today, dry German Riesling (particularly Grosses Gewächs) is among the most critically acclaimed white wine in the world. When a German wine label says "trocken," it tastes as dry as a white Burgundy or Alsace Riesling.
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Practise questions on this topic
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