🍷 Lieblich
Also known as: German medium-sweet wine
A German label term meaning medium-sweet wine.
Lieblich is a German label term for medium-sweet wine. Literally it means 'lovely' or 'pleasant'. It is used in Germany and Austria.
Under European Union rules, a medium-sweet wine has more sugar than an off-dry one but no more than 45 grams per litre. The lower limit is 12 to 18 grams per litre, depending on the wine's acidity. The sweetness is noticeable but not cloying. Above 45 grams the wine is called sweet, in German süß.
Lieblich often appears on inexpensive German wines, but good Rieslings with gentle sweetness and lively acidity can carry it too. Lieblich wine is usually fairly low in alcohol, since part of the sugar was not turned into alcohol. It is served chilled, often with spicy dishes that pair well with light sweetness.
How it connects to Wine
🍷 Lieblich → made in → 🗺️ German wine → kind of → 🗺️ Wines of Europe → kind of → 🍷 Wine
Links
- Part of
- 🍷 Medium-sweet wine
- Where it is made
- 🗺️ German wine, 🗺️ Austrian wine
- Similar and different
- 🍷 Medium-sweet wine, 🍷 Süß
Frequently asked questions
What does lieblich mean on a German wine label?
Medium-sweet: more sugar than an off-dry wine but no more than 45 g/l. Above 45 g/l a wine counts as sweet, süß.
Is it true that lieblich is only found on cheap wine?
Not quite. It often appears on simple wines, but good Rieslings with gentle sweetness and lively acidity can carry it too.
How is a lieblich wine usually served?
Chilled, often with spicy dishes that pair well with light sweetness.
What to read next
- 🗺️ Austrian wine — The country's wine and winemaking: regions, grapes and appellations.
- 🍷 Süß — German label term meaning sweet wine.
Similar
🍷 Moelleux · 🍷 Amabile · 🍷 Süß · 🍷 Perlwein · 🍷 Trocken · 🍷 Halbtrocken
⚠️ Wine contains alcohol: adults only, drink in moderation. Wine usually contains sulphites; egg white or milk proteins are sometimes used for fining — important for allergies and for vegans.
Sources
- EU Delegated Regulation 2019/33 (labelling, sugar terms)
- Encyclopaedia Britannica: Wine
- Deutsches Weininstitut
- Austrian Wine Marketing Board