VDP. Grosses Gewächs.

In Germany, the origin of a wine is central. Historically, quality here was long defined by must weight (the sugar content of the grapes), not by origin. Terms such as Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese, or Beerenauslese originate from this system and describe the ripeness of the grapes at the time of harvest. This so-called Prädikatswein classification is still valid today and forms the legal basis of German wine law.
Parallel to this, a new understanding of quality has been established in recent decades – one that is more strongly tied to the soil, the site, and the origin. The Association of German Prädikat Wine Estates, or VDP for short, with its eagle symbol, has created its own clearly structured origin system, which is based on Burgundian models and defines the quality of a wine by its origin.

The VDP classification is divided into four levels:
1. VDP.Gutswein – Wines from the winery's own vineyards. They form the entry into the collection and show the style of the house.
2. VDP.Ortswein – Wines from characterful sites of a municipality that show typical terroir and varietal character.
3. VDP.Erste Lage – Wines from very good vineyards with an independent character, comparable to a Premier Cru.
4. VDP.Große Lage – the pinnacle of the pyramid. This is where the best dry wines of the country are produced, which may be marketed as VDP.Grosses Gewächs (GG).
This system combines origin and quality and has sustainably shaped the international reputation of German wine. It stands for a return to what truly makes great wine: the soil, the microclimate, and the work of the winemaker in the vineyard.
Thus, two systems coexist in Germany today: one that is oriented towards must weight, and the origin-related one that focuses on the site and provenance.