🏷️ Erstes Gewächs
The name for dry wines from the best vineyards in the Rheingau.
Erstes Gewächs is the name for dry wines from the best sites in the Rheingau, a wine region of Germany. The words mean first growth. They show that the wine is made from grapes of the most highly valued sites and under strict rules.
The Rheingau lies on the right bank of the Rhine, on sun-facing slopes. The main grape here is Riesling, and also Pinot Noir. The sites with the best reputation have been known for centuries. Strict conditions were set for Erstes Gewächs wines: low yield, hand harvest, a dry style and a certain sugar level in the grapes.
Later the idea entered the classification of the VDP, the association of German winemakers. In it the wines of the best sites are called Grosses Gewächs, meaning great growth. The names are similar in sense, but Erstes Gewächs belongs to the Rheingau and its rules.
For the buyer, the words on the label point to a dry wine of a high level. Such Rieslings keep well and open up with time.
How it connects to Wine
🏷️ Erstes Gewächs → kind of → 🏷️ VDP classification → kind of → 🏷️ Wine classifications → kind of → 🍷 Wine
Links
- Part of
- 🏷️ VDP classification
- Where it applies
- 🗺️ German wine
- Similar and different
- 🏷️ Grosses Gewächs, 📍 Rheingau
Frequently asked questions
What is Erstes Gewächs?
The name for dry wines from the best sites in the Rheingau, Germany.
What is the main grape of the Rheingau?
Riesling.
How is Erstes Gewächs related to Grosses Gewächs?
They are similar in meaning, names for top dry wines; Grosses Gewächs is used in the VDP classification.
Similar
🏷️ VDP Grosse Lage · 🏷️ VDP classification · 🏷️ Grosses Gewächs · 🏷️ Qualitätswein · 🏷️ Classic and Selection · 🏷️ Deutscher Wein
⚠️ 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.