🍷 Halbtrocken

Halbtrocken is a German label term meaning off-dry, literally half-dry. It is used in Germany and Austria. For still wine under EU rules it means up to 12 g of sugar per litre. If acidity is high, up to 18 g/l is allowed, because the acid balances the sweetness.

Sparkling wine uses a different scale. On a bottle of German Sekt, halbtrocken means a noticeably sweet wine with 32 to 50 g/l, the same as French demi-sec. So the word should be read together with the type of wine.

The neighbouring steps are trocken (dry) and lieblich (medium-sweet). Feinherb sounds similar but has no legal definition; it is often used for wines that taste nearly dry. Many German Rieslings are made halbtrocken, since a little sugar softens their sharp acidity.

These wines go well with spicy Asian food and smoked dishes. The word tells you how sweet the wine will be before the bottle is opened.