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The Living Wine Dictionary
"Q"
 
Qualitatswein This rank of quality for Austrian wine requires that the grapes have a minimum must weight of 15° KMW. The wine must have at least 9% alcohol and 4 g acidity per liter. Grape harvest is restricted to a maximum of 9,000 kg per hectare.
Qualitätswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete (QbA) (quality wine of one particular growing region): These wines underlay the regional appellation laws unlike table wine. These laws ensure that the wine is from one specific wine-growing region (13 regions in Germany), is made of approved grape varieties and reached sufficient ripeness for the category. Nevertheless, these wines are chaptalized*. The chaptalization adds body to these otherwise lighter wines and makes them great, simple food wines, enjoyable on a day-to-day basis. All QbA wines have to have an official approval number (AP number) confirming that the wine has been analyzed, tasted, and approved for what it states on the label.
Qualitätswein mit Prädikat (QmP) (Quality wine with attribute) The German wine law refers to the following categories as Qualitätsweine mit Prädikat (QmP, quality wines with attributes; the attributes being Kabinett*, Spätlese*, Auslese*, Beerenauslese (BA)* and Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA)*. The attributes reflect the various stages of ripeness of the grapes when they were harvested. All wines in this category have to be all natural, meaning chaptalization is not permitted. Up to the level of Auslese, the wines can be dry, medium dry or sweeter style, depending on the decision of the winemaker when to halt the fermentation. Beyond Auslese, the natural sugar content of the grapes is so high (BA, TBA, Eiswein) that the resulting wine will be a dessert wine.

Don't forget .. this QmP rating only says how the wine was harvested and the vinified .. it does NOT guarantee quality. But you can bet your bippies that once a producer has put in the work to make a TBA wine that is will probably be pretty darn good. As always, starting with great grapes it still takes a good winemaker to achieve high quality wine, so look for good producers over anything else.
Quarts de Chaume French - Appellation of Loire Valley
Quincy French - Appellation of Loire Valley

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