🏷️ Spätlese
Prädikat level of German and Austrian wine made from fully ripe grapes harvested late; in Austria the juice must reach at least 19° KMW.
Spätlese (German for late harvest) is one of the Prädikatswein levels in German and Austrian wine law.
Germany (Weingesetz, §§ 17 and 20): only fully ripe grapes picked in a late harvest may be used, and the wine may not be enriched. A Prädikat is awarded on application together with an official test number, and the wine must have at least 7% vol of actual alcohol. The federal states set the minimum natural alcohol, graded by Prädikat.
Austria (Weingesetz 2009, § 11): Spätlese is wine from grapes harvested fully ripe whose juice had a must weight of at least 19° KMW. A Prädikat wine may not be enriched or sweetened; residual sugar may only come from stopping fermentation. Spätlese may be submitted for the state test number from 1 January of the year after the harvest.
How it connects to Wine
🏷️ Spätlese → applies in → 🗺️ German wine → kind of → 🗺️ Wines of Europe → kind of → 🍷 Wine
Links
- Part of
- 🏷️ Prädikatswein
- Where it applies
- 🗺️ German wine, 🗺️ Austrian wine
- Similar and different
- 🍷 Late harvest wine, 🏷️ Prädikatswein, 🏷️ Kabinett, 🏷️ Auslese
Frequently asked questions
What is Spätlese?
A Prädikatswein level for wine from fully ripe grapes picked in a late harvest (Germany) or with a must weight of at least 19° KMW (Austria).
What must weight does Spätlese need in Austria?
At least 19° KMW (Weingesetz 2009, § 11). In Germany the federal states set the minimum natural alcohol, graded by Prädikat.
Can Spätlese be enriched?
No. In Germany a Prädikat is awarded only without enrichment (Weingesetz, § 20), and in Austria Prädikat wines may not be enriched or sweetened (§ 11).
Guides
What to read next
- 🗺️ German wine — The country's wine and winemaking: regions, grapes and appellations.
- 🍷 Late harvest wine — Wine from overripe grapes: under EU rules at least 15 % total alcohol with no enrichment.
- 🏷️ Auslese — Prädikat level of German and Austrian wine above Spätlese: from fully ripe or noble-rotted grapes; in Austria, from carefully selected grapes with at least 21° KMW.
- 🏷️ Kabinett — The lowest of the six German Prädikat levels: no enrichment allowed and at least 7% vol. of actual alcohol.
Similar
🏷️ Beerenauslese · 🏷️ Auslese · 🏷️ Trockenbeerenauslese · 🏷️ Eiswein · 🏷️ Kabinett · 🏷️ Qualitätswein
⚠️ 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
- Weingesetz (WeinG 1994), §§ 17 und 20 — Bundesministerium der Justiz, gesetze-im-internet.de
- Weingesetz 2009 (Österreich), §§ 10–11, konsolidierte Fassung vom 23.10.2023 — BMLUK