🍷 Süß
Also known as: sweet German wine
German label term meaning sweet wine.
Süß is the German label word for sweet. It marks wine with at least 45 g of sugar per litre. This is an EU rule, so it applies equally to German and Austrian wine.
On the sweetness scale süß is above lieblich (medium-sweet). The sugar remains naturally: the grapes are picked very ripe and the yeast cannot convert all of it. Sometimes fermentation is stopped by chilling.
The word süß is mostly seen on simple sweet wines. Expensive sweet wines usually show a Prädikat level instead, such as Auslese, Beerenauslese, Eiswein or Trockenbeerenauslese. They are sweet too, but their names describe grape ripeness at harvest, not the sugar in the finished wine. Süß belongs to sweet wine. It is served with desserts, fruit and blue cheese.
How it connects to Wine
🍷 Süß → kind of → 🍷 Sweet wine → kind of → 🍷 Types of wine → kind of → 🍷 Wine
Links
- Part of
- 🍷 Sweet wine
- Where it is made
- 🗺️ German wine, 🗺️ Austrian wine
- Similar and different
- 🍷 Lieblich, 🍷 Sweet wine
Frequently asked questions
Is süß simply 'sweet' on a German wine label?
Yes. It is the German word for sweet and marks a wine with at least 45 g of sugar per litre.
Is it true that Auslese or Eiswein must carry the word süß?
No. Fine sweet wines usually show a Prädikat level such as Auslese or Eiswein instead; those names describe grape ripeness, not the sugar in the finished wine.
What is served with süß wine?
Desserts, fruit and blue cheese.
Similar
🍷 Dolce · 🍷 Lieblich · 🍷 Perlwein · 🍷 Trocken · 🍷 Halbtrocken · 🍷 Biodynamic wine
⚠️ 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