is all we grow at Dr. Loosen. It is such a versatile grape variety that it never ceases to amaze us. In addition to its unmatched ability to capture the essence of a vineyard’s terroir, Riesling is one of the few grapes that is capable of producing a complete spectrum of wine styles, from bone dry to monstrously sweet.

The key to maintaining top quality throughout the range lies in the selection process at harvest time. As the harvest progresses, we make daily decisions about each vineyard plot based on maturation of the grapes, as well as on the prevailing weather conditions.

Numerous lots of harvested grapes are vinified separately. The best finished wines are bottled with their appropriate single-vineyard designation and quality category. There are three categories for non-botrytis wines:

Kabinett: The lightest and most delicate style, from normally ripe grapes picked early in the harvest.
Spätlese: Richer, bolder wines made from riper grapes harvested later than Kabinett.
Auslese: Very ripe, late-harvested grapes that are selected cluster by cluster.

Each quality level (Prädikat) has minimum legal ripeness standards, which we always exceed in order to make wines that are intense and flavorful.