Learn to decipher German labels

Deciphering a German wine label when you speak the language can be tough enough, but an inability to read German can make wine selection rough.

Yet, there are some great wines to be drunk from Germany, so learning a few basic rules can help.

A German label contains many pieces of information, such as: the wine maker (for instance Leonard Kreusch), the town it comes from (Piesporter), the name of the grape (Riesling), which is not used on most other European wines, and the quality rating (kabinett).

German law provides for three categories of wine quality, and the highest category is divided into six subcategories, ranging from driest to sweetest. A Riesling grape picked early in the harvest will tend to have less sugar than the grape picked late.

The six high-quality subcategories, beginning with the driest, are: kabinett, spatlese, auslese, beerensauslese, eiswein and trockenbeerenauslese. Kabinett is usually the least expensive because it is easier to harvest the grapes early and the wine requires less manipulation.

Eiswein is one of my favorite dessert wines -- when I can afford it.

Kabinett wines are among the most popular because of their lower prices and a preference among Americans for drier whites.

I asked the wine tasters to compare five kabinett-quality wines in a blind tasting. Note the price range varied widely, from $10 to $25. Here is what we found:

- 2002 Leonard Kreusch Piesporter Michelsberg Riesling Kabinett at $9.99. The bottle brought to our tasting was bad (corked) so we tasted a new bottle later. The Riesling was crisp and refreshing, full of citrus fruit. The texture was round and rather creamy to be so crisp on the finish. This was a nice bottle for under $10.

- 2002 Dr. Loosen Bernkasteler Lay Riesling Kabinett at $24.99. The aroma reminded us of snappy green apples and floral scents, backed by lemon juice and honey. The wine was lip-smacking in the mouth, tasting fresh with lots of layers of tastes. A pretty wine, it had nice balance and texture. This wine finished first in our tasting.

- 2002 Fredrich-Wilhelm Gymnasium Graacher Himmelreich Kabinett at $14.99. This wine had a musty aroma at first that eventually evolved into apricots and minerals. It was made in a different style than the first two, emphasizing more mineral notes and a leaner (less fruit, not as fleshy) taste. My experts described this wine as the most classic kabinett of the five. It finished second in our tasting.

- 2002 Peter Nicolay Bernkasteler Badstube Kabinett at $23.99. This wine had an oily aroma with nice notes of gardenias and hints of grapefruit. In the mouth, the wine had bright acids but it was fairly one-dimensional (not complex).

- 2002 Gunderloch "Jean-Baptiste" Kabinett at $19.99. The first encounter with the aroma reminded us of opening a bottle of vitamins. Then we found citrus, lemon and lime. It was low on acids and not as crisp as we expected. It had a short finish.

Surfing the wine shelves:

- 2001 Stefani Vineyard Zinfandel at $28. This wine had an earthy aroma, with dried red cherries, black pepper and cassis. This was a big, fleshy wine that had a long finish.

- 2003 Cocha y Toro Terrunyo Sauvignon Blanc at $20. This was a refreshing wine offering tastes of grapefruit and pleasant minerals. The acids were big and bright, the finish crisp.

- 2003 Sartori Pinot Grigio at $9. Aromas offered perfume, lemon and citrus fruit. In the mouth, it was light, delicate and crisp.

- 1998 Sartori Amarone Corte Bras at $40. Plums, chocolate and dark berries emerged from a powerful aroma. The texture was lush and elegant, the finish long. This would be a powerful companion for beef or strong cheese.

Questions can be sent to Frank Sutherland, editor, The Tennessean, 1100 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37203 or e-mailed to editor