Correct me if I'm wrong, but my understanding is that trocken (dry), or halbtrocken/feinherb (off-dry) is separate from spatlese/auslese/etc. The Pradikat level only indicates the level of sugar in the grape at harvest, but the winemaker can still ferment to dryness or leave some RS. That would mean that an auslese fermented to dryness would have higher alcohol than a spatlese fermented to dryness. At one point I'd learned the math so that you could tell RS just by the Pradikat level compared to the alcohol.jrweinberger said:
Cecil--I've actually never had an Auslese Riesling. Mostly because I haven't wanted to spend the money (most Auslese bottles from producers I'm familiar with start at around $50-$60 and just go up from there). I drink mostly trocken (dry), or halbtrocken/feinherb (off-dry) and I will have Spatlese (sweet) every now and then (again, because of $$$). I don't mind some RS in my wine (i.e. Riesling or Chenin Blanc), as long as there is enough acidity to balance the sweetness.
I like seafood/shellfish with trocken Rieslings and spicy food with the halbtrocken/feinherb styles.
And yes, it's amazaing how acid and RS work together. I think that acid balance is crucial in all wines, especially for food pairing, but is often overlooked.
