Grosse Lage

Definition - What does Grosse Lage mean?

Grosse Lage is a German wine rating. The Grosse Lage rating is considered to be the most elite rating of German Wines in the VDP tier rating and indicates that the wine has site-specific characteristics, with complex and unique flavors, and it is regulated by the Verband deutscher Prädikatsweingüter (VDP), the Association of German Prädikat Wine Estates.

WineFrog explains Grosse Lage

When you buy a bottle of wine that is labelled Grosse Lage, you are buying a wine that has been produced under the strict regulations and criteria of the VDP, which is a small elite group of German Vintners who uphold the highest level of terroir-driven viticulture. Produced from vineyards that are carefully chosen by the regional associations of the VDP, Grosse Lage wines are highly regarded as being the finest wines from the best vineyards in Germany.

The VDP classification of a Grosse Lage wine has regulations in place for every step of the wine making process, including: the types of grape varieties the wineries can plant and use, maximum yields from each harvest and the harvest method and the ripeness of the grapes at harvest. Grape varieties approved for VDP Grosse Lage certification include:

  • Riesling
  • Chardonnay
  • Weissburgunder
  • Spätburgunder
  • Grauburgunder
  • Frühburgunder
  • Traminer

The VDP stipulates that during vinification, only traditional winemaking techniques can be used. After meeting all of these regulations vineyards and wineries must submit to estate inspections and examinations as well as wine tastings and evaluations in order to label their wine as Grosse Lage.