🍷 Feinherb
An unofficial German word for wine with a light sweetness, slightly sweeter than dry.
Feinherb is a German label term for wine with a light touch of sweetness. It roughly means finely dry. Such wine is a little sweeter than dry but clearly drier than sweet. It appears most often on Riesling from the Mosel, the Rheingau and other German regions.
Feinherb is an unofficial term. The law sets no exact sugar range for it, unlike halbtrocken (off-dry), which has defined limits. So one feinherb wine may be almost dry and another noticeably sweet. Many winemakers prefer the word because it sounds gentler than off-dry.
The residual sugar in such Riesling balances its high acidity, so the wine feels harmonious rather than sugary. Feinherb works well with spicy Asian food, pork and cheese. It is one of the German terms for off-dry wines, alongside halbtrocken.
Links
- Part of
- 🍷 Medium-dry wine
- Where it is made
- 🗺️ German wine
- Related to
- 🍇 Riesling
- Similar and different
- 🍷 Halbtrocken
Frequently asked questions
What does feinherb mean on German wine?
It means a wine with light sweetness, slightly sweeter than dry. The term is unofficial and has no fixed sugar level.
How is feinherb different from halbtrocken?
Halbtrocken is an official term with sugar limits. Feinherb is a looser term and can be a little sweeter or drier than halbtrocken.
What food goes with feinherb Riesling?
Spicy dishes, Asian food, pork and cheese. The light sweetness softens heat.
Similar
🍷 Halbtrocken · 🍷 Abboccato · 🍷 Trocken · 🍷 Sekt · 🍷 Weinschorle · 🍷 Schillerwein
⚠️ 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
- Wikipedia (en)
- EU Delegated Regulation 2019/33 (labelling, sugar terms)
- Encyclopaedia Britannica: Wine
- Deutsches Weininstitut