German wine seal

For many decades, consumers have trusted the German Wine Seal as a guarantee of quality for German wines. Wines bearing this seal of quality have been tested by experts from the DLG. The German Wine Seal comprises two types of award, which provide concise and comprehensible information about the quality, regional characteristics and taste of German wines.

Typical regional quality from German wine-growing regions

  • The German Wine Seal ‘Regional Quality’ focuses on the special regional characteristics of German wine-growing areas. The award-winning wines represent traditional grape varieties typical of the region and regionally specific cultivation methods.
  • The German wine seal ‘Certified Quality RÉSERVE’ distinguishes superior quality based on defined quality requirements. They are characterised by the producer's individual winemaking philosophy.
Test criteriaRegional qualityTested quality RÉSERVE
High sensory quality (at least 3 out of 5 points in the DLG 5-point scale®)✓✓
Traditional grape varieties✓ 
Estate or producer bottling✓✓
Reference to specific wine-growing methods✓ 

Three colours – three worlds of flavour

The classic German Wine Seal quality mark is not only proof of quality, but also an easy-to-understand colour guide.

The red seal indicates sophisticated, sweet wines. Their sweetness is pronounced and refined. It allows you to experience all the beauty of the wine in its diversity. This colour variant is used when the wine has a residual sugar content of over 18 g/l.

The green seal indicates semi-dry wines with a stimulating balance between fine acidity and a little sweetness. This colour variant is used for wines with a maximum of 9 to 18 g/l of unfermented sugar, whereby the sugar may not exceed the acidity by more than 10 g/l.

The yellow seal indicates dry wines with no perceptible sweetness, with a delicately tart note and a distinctive classic character. This colour variant is used for wines with a maximum residual sugar content of 9 g/l, whereby the acidity may be no more than 2 g/l lower.

German wines of guaranteed quality

The German Wine Seal is the most traditional official quality mark for German wines. It has been awarded by the DLG to wines of above-average quality since 1950. Wines bearing the quality mark are regularly tested by experts from DLG TestService and stand for authentic German wine enjoyment.