Description
What makes a German riesling auslese instead of, say, kabinett or spatlese? These terms correspond to levels of ripeness in grapes harvested for the best German wines. Kabinett grapes are picked at the normal time, while spatlese refers to late-picked grapes. The literal translation of auslese is special selection, meaning specially selected bunches of ripe grapes. Generally, auslese grapes have the potential for more richness and intensity than kabinett or spatlese grapes.