Glossary entries

Climatic and weather conditions vary tremendously within the European Union. As such, the EU area devoted to viticulture is divided into climatic zones designed to help compensate for the variations that influence wine production, thereby putting all members on an equal footing. They range from A, the northernmost/coolest, to CIII (b), the southernmost/warmest. The prerequisites for quality categories are correlated with these zones, particularly, the required minimum amount of natural alcohol. With one exception, Germany’s wine-growing regions are located within zone A; Baden lies in zone B.