Trockenbeerenauslese

Trockenbeerenauslese (literal meaning: "selected harvest of dried berries") is a German language wine term for an intensely sweet dessert wine-style wine. The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. The glossary of wine terms lists the definitions of many terms used within the wine industry Dessert wines (or pudding wines BrE) are sweet Wines typically served with Dessert, such as Sauternes and Tokaji Wine is an Alcoholic beverage made from the fermentation of Grape juice Trockenbeerenauslese is the highest category in the Prädikatswein category of the Austrian and German wine classifications. German wine classification consists of several quality categories and is often the source of some confusion especially among non-German speaking wine consumers Austrian wines are mostly dry White wines (often made from the Grüner Veltliner grape with some luscious Dessert wines made around the Neusiedler German wine classification consists of several quality categories and is often the source of some confusion especially among non-German speaking wine consumers ^[1] Trockenbeerenauslese wines, often called "TBA" for short, are made from individually selected grapes affected by noble rot, i. Noble rot (French pourriture noble; German Edelfäule) is the benevolent form of a grey Fungus, Botrytis cinerea, affecting e. "botrytized" grapes. Botrytis cinerea is a Fungus that affects many plant species although its most notable hosts may be Wine Grapes In Viticulture

This means that the grapes have been individually picked and are shrivelled with noble rot, often to the point of appearing like a raisin. Raisins are dried Grapes They are produced in many regions of the world such as the United States, Australia, Chile, They are therefore very sweet and rich, frequently with a lot of caramel and honey bouquet, rock fruits note such as apricot and distinctive aroma of the noble rot. Honey is a sweet and Viscous fluid produced by Honey bees (and some other species and derived from the nectar of Flowers According to the The finest examples are made from the Riesling grape, as this retains plenty of acidity even at the extreme ripeness. Riesling is a white Grape variety which originates in the Rhine region of Germany. ^[2]^[3] Other grape varieties are also used, such as Scheurebe, Ortega, Welschriesling, Chardonnay, and Gewürztraminer and many are more prone to noble rot than Riesling since they ripen earlier. Scheurebe is a white Wine Grape variety primarily grown in Germany, Austria, where it often is called Sämling 88, and some parts Ortega is a Grape variety used for white wine It was created in 1948 by Hans Breider at the Bayerischen Landesanstalt für Wein- Obst- und Gartenbau in Welschriesling is an ancient variety of white Wine grape that is unrelated to the Rhine Riesling. Chardonnay is a green-skinned Grape variety used to make white Wine. Gewürztraminer (ɡəˈvʏrtstraˈminɚ guh-VURTS-trah-MEE-ner in English is an aromatic Wine Grape variety that performs best in cooler climates

These wines are usually very rare and expensive, and some of the best are almost exclusively sold at the various German wine auctions. A number of German wine auctions are held each year where the premier German Wine producers auction off some of the best young wines as well as some older wines They are usually golden to deep golden in colour, sometimes even dark caramel. The body is viscous, very thick and concentrated, and arguably can be aged almost indefinitely. Although TBA has very high residual sugar level, the finest specimens are far from being cloying due to high level of acidity.

Trockenbeerenauslesen have also been in common production since the 1960s in Austria. Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich Most TBA wines from Austria come from Neusiedlersee, Burgenland. Lake Neusiedl (Neusiedlersee Fertő tó is the second largest Steppe lake in Central Europe, straddling the Austrian �� Hungarian border Burgenland ( Croatian Gradišće, Slovenian Gradiščansko, Hungarian Várvidék, Őrvidék or Felsőőrvidék On both sides of lake Neusiedl those wines are produced. East of the lake, the village of Illmitz is known for the production of "liquid gold". At the western side of the lake in Rust and St. Margarethen, wine of exceptionally good quality can be found. Rust ( Hungarian: Ruszt) is a city in Burgenland, Austria located at the shore of the Neusiedler See. St Margareten is a town in Burgenland near the state capital Eisenstadt. 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.

The style is similar to, but much more concentrated than, Sélection de Grains Nobles from Alsace. Sélection de Grains Nobles (SGN is French for "selection of noble berries" and refers to Wines made from Grapes affected by Noble rot Alsace (Alsace alzas Alsatian and Elsass pre-1996 German: Elsaß; Alsatia is one of the 26 Regions of France, located on the eastern

In comparison to Sauternes, the wines are considerably sweeter, have a lower alcoholic strength and are usually not oaked. Sauternes is a French Dessert wine from the Sauternais region of the Graves section in Bordeaux. The use of Oak in Wine plays a significant role in Winemaking and can have a profound effect on the resulting wine impacting the color flavor

Requirements

The minimum must weight requirements for Trockenbeerenauslese is as follows:

For German wine, 150 to 154 degrees Oechsle, depending on the region (wine growing zone) and grape variety. Must weight is a measure of the amount of Sugar in Grape juice ( Must) and hence indicates the amount of Alcohol that could be produced The Oechsle Scale is a Hydrometer scale measuring the Density of Grape Must, which is an indication of grape ripeness and sugar content used The European Union wine growing zones is a tool used in the common European Union (EU Wine law to regulate certain aspects of Winemaking. This is a list of varieties of cultivated Grapes whether used for Wine, or eating as a Table grape, fresh or dried ( Raisin, currant, sultana ^[4]
In Austrian wine, 30 degrees KMW^[5], corresponding to 154 °Oechsle. Must weight is a measure of the amount of Sugar in Grape juice ( Must) and hence indicates the amount of Alcohol that could be produced

The requirements are part of the wine law in both countries. Wine laws are Legislation regulating various aspects of production and sales of Wine. Many producers, especially top-level producers, exceed the minimum requirements , resulting in richer and sweeter wines. In Germany, it is common to add a golden capsule to indicate a superior wine. The sweetness of a TBA that just comes up to the minimum requirements may be 150 grams per liter, but in exceptional circumstances, the wines may contain more than 300 grams of sugar per liter and may approach the very rare Tokaji Eszencia in concentration. For Tokajský wine and the wine region in Slovakia see Tokaj (Slovakia Tokaji (of Tokaj is the name of the wines from the region of Tokaj-Hegyalja

References

^ German Wine Institute: Quality categories, accessed on May 4, 2008
^ "Riesling". Oxford Companion to Wine (Third Edition). The Oxford Companion to Wine is a book in the series of Oxford Companions published by Oxford University Press. (2006). Ed. Jancis Robinson. Jancis Mary Robinson OBE, MW (born in Cumbria on April 22 1950) is a British Wine Critic, journalist Oxford: Oxford University Press. 577. ISBN 0-19-860990-6.
^ "Botrytized". Oxford Companion to Wine (Third Edition). The Oxford Companion to Wine is a book in the series of Oxford Companions published by Oxford University Press. (2006). Ed. Jancis Robinson. Jancis Mary Robinson OBE, MW (born in Cumbria on April 22 1950) is a British Wine Critic, journalist Oxford: Oxford University Press. 95. ISBN 0-19-860990-6.
^ German Wine Institute: Must weights, accessed on May 4, 2008
^ Wines from Austria: Quality Designations in Detail, accessed on May 4, 2008

Requirements

References

See also