Compulsory sensory and analytical test for quality wines or pedigree wines in Germany (this is not necessary for the two quality levels wine and country wine ). As proof that the test has been passed, the official test number is issued, which must be indicated on the label. From this, the inspection body, producer and vintage can be traced back without any doubt.
The wine may not be altered from the beginning of the application until the end of the procedure and from the time of issuance. However, this prohibition does not affect necessary precautions for normal wine care. These include sulphurisation, addition of ascorbic acid and metatartaric acid, and filtration (but not the various fining techniques).
Analytical and sensory testing
The analytical testing using standardised methods includes alcohol content (actual alcohol content, total alcohol content), sugar-free extract, residual sugar, total acidity, free sulphurous acidity, total sulphurous acidity (free and combined acidity), relative density, and carbon dioxide pressure for sparkling wine and semi-sparkling wine.
The sensory testing is carried out by officially appointed professional tasters. Beforehand, sensory preconditions are evaluated with YES or NO, whereby a single NO means exclusion. These are growing region, predicate (if indicated), grape variety (if indicated), colour, clarity and bubbles for sparkling wine and semi-sparkling wine.
Then, according to a five-point scheme, the three criteria of smell, taste and harmony are evaluated. Harmony means the positive interaction of smell and taste. The evaluation of harmony may deviate upwards by a maximum of 1.0 points compared to smell and taste. If smell and taste are rated differently, the higher number of points shall be taken as the standard. At least 1.5 points must be achieved for each of the three criteria. The sum divided by three gives the quality score, which must also be at least 1.5:
- 5 - from 4.50 to 5.00 - excellent
- 4 - from 3.50 to 4.49 - very good
- 3 - from 2.50 to 3.49 - good
- 2 - from 1.50 to 2.49 - satisfactory
- 1 - from 0.50 to 1.49 - not satisfactory = not a quality wine
- 0 - no evaluation, exclusion of the product
Test number
The numbers are slightly different in the federal states. If there is only one inspection body, this number may be missing. In the case of small wine-growing regions, the local number is also missing. A concrete example with test no. 4 318 063 10 94:
- Inspection body: 4 = Alzey (1 = Koblenz, 2 = Wittlich, 3 = Trier, 5 = Neustadt, 6 and 7 = Bad Kreuznach)
- Applicant's place of business: 318 = Stein-Bockenheim (can also be 2 digits)
- Producer or bottler: 063 = Weingut Steitz (one winery can have several)
- Tested wine: 10 = the 10th wine (can also have 3 digits)
- Year of testing (not vintage): 94 = 1994
further information
In Austria, a very similar procedure for quality wines is used to assign the analogously identical state test number. For the production of alcoholic beverages, see Champagne (sparkling wines), Distillation (distillates), Spirits (types), Vinification (wines and wine types) and Wine Law (wine law issues).
