Grosses Gewächs: Germany's top dry wines from classified vineyards
Grosses Gewächs, shortened to GG, is the name for the dry wines at the top of the VDP classification. The VDP, or Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter, was founded in 1910 and brings together around 200 wine estates. It ranks vineyards in a pyramid of four levels: Gutswein, Ortswein, Erste Lage and, at the top, Grosse Lage. Erste Lage is roughly the equivalent of a premier cru and Grosse Lage of a grand cru. When a dry wine comes from a Grosse Lage it is called Grosses Gewächs, and the bottle simply says GG. This page brings those wines together.
The rules behind a GG wine
A GG must be dry, and the grapes must be picked by hand from a classified site. Yields are capped at 50 hectolitres per hectare, and only the traditional grape varieties of each region are allowed. The wine must also pass a tasting panel before it can carry the name.
The release date is fixed too. White GGs go on sale on 1 September, about a year after the harvest, and the reds are given at least another year. Just before the release, VDP estates show the new vintage at a pre-release tasting in Wiesbaden in late August. Some estates hold their wines back for several more years, and a few GGs are sold at the VDP's own auctions, marked Versteigerung on the label.
Riesling GG, Spätburgunder GG and other grapes
Riesling is the main GG grape. From Rheinhessen come Klaus Peter Keller's GGs from Hubacker, Morstein and Abtserde, along with Wittmann's Morstein. The Nahe is represented by Dönnhoff, Emrich-Schönleber and Schäfer-Fröhlich, while the Pfalz brings Ökonomierat Rebholz, A. Christmann and Bassermann-Jordan. From the Mosel and Saar there is Heymann-Löwenstein and Van Volxem, and from the Rheingau, Robert Weil.
Red GG is almost always Spätburgunder, Germany's name for Pinot Noir. Christmann's Idig shows what the Pfalz can do with it, and Klaus Peter Keller makes Spätburgunder GG in Rheinhessen too. From Baden come Bernhard Huber and Franz Keller, who also makes a Grauburgunder GG. Other regions have their own GG grapes: Silvaner in Franken, as at Rudolf May, Lemberger in Württemberg, as at Heid, and Weissburgunder in Baden and the Pfalz.
GG, Erste Lage and sweet wines from the same vineyard
Erste Lage is the level below Grosse Lage, and its dry wines are now often labelled Erstes Gewächs. In the Rheingau, Erstes Gewächs was long the name for the region's top dry wines, but VDP estates there now use GG like the rest of the country. A sweet Riesling from a Grosse Lage is never a GG; it carries a Prädikat such as Kabinett, Spätlese or Auslese instead. Austrian wines labelled 1ÖTW or Erste Lage belong to a separate classification altogether, so they are not on this page. For the wider range, browse all our wine from Germany.
Food pairing and cellaring Grosses Gewächs
A young Riesling GG has body, concentration and fresh acidity, which makes it a serious food wine. Try it with lobster, scallops, roast fish, pork loin or dishes with a little Asian heat. With age it gains honey, dried fruit and petrol notes and pairs well with poultry and mature cheese. A Spätburgunder GG can take duck, game and mushrooms. Many GGs improve with a few years in bottle.
Grosses Gewächs FAQ
What does GG mean on a German wine label?
GG stands for Grosses Gewächs, a dry wine from a vineyard the VDP has classified as Grosse Lage. It is the top level for dry wines in the VDP system.
Is Grosses Gewächs always dry?
Yes. Sweet wines from the same vineyards are sold with a Prädikat such as Spätlese or Auslese and cannot be called GG.
What is the difference between GG and Erste Lage?
Erste Lage is the class below Grosse Lage, much like premier cru sits below grand cru in Burgundy. A GG only comes from a Grosse Lage.
When are new GG wines released?
White GGs are released on 1 September of the year after the harvest, and reds usually a year later. Some estates wait longer.