Weingut Reuscher-Haart - Purity Law for Wine

Reiner Wein

Everyone knows that Germany has a Purity Law for Beer. But only a few know that Germany also has a Purity Law for Wine. In Germany every quality and ‘Prädikat’ (special classification) wine has to undergo official quality-control and analysis. The wines also have to meet certain basic requirements from a sensory angle. Only when the wine satisfies these requirements is it granted an official quality control number (‘amtliche Prüfnummer’) – known as the AP number for short. The first digit indicates the growing region, the next set of digits the location and the third set the wine estate. The last two digits indicate the year in which the wine was quality-controlled.

Ein Weingut - drei Familien

Thus, consumers can be totally certain that German wines are full of the quality stated on the label. No other country in the world has rules governing the origin, analysis and labelling of wine that are as strict as Germany’s. Wine drinkers can in principle trace back the wine’s origin to the vine that bore the grapes.

[Translation of German terms on above image, left to right:] Quality control centre (Wittlich); Wine-growing location (Piesport); Wine estate (Reuscher-Haart); Quality control number and year

We believe our Wine Purity Law is good for the German wine industry.
It means you can rest assured that you will always be poured a glass of honest and pure wine.

You can find further details about the official quality control number at the German Wine Institute’s website: Reinheitsgebot