What is the typical residual sugar level for Trockenbeerenauslese?

• A. Very high; typically well above 100 g/L (extremely sweet).
• B. Very low; below 5 g/L
• C. Moderate; around 10-20 g/L
• D. Off-dry; 12-25 g/L

Answer: (A)

Trockenbeerenauslese yields an extremely sweet wine because it’s made from grapes that have shriveled and concentrated their sugars through prolonged botrytization. The must starts with a staggering amount of sugar, and during fermentation the yeast can’t convert all of it, so a large portion remains as residual sugar. That’s why the residual sugar level for this style is typically well over 100 g/L, often reaching well into the hundreds of g/L. This intense sweetness is the hallmark of TBA. The other options describe much drier or less sweet styles, which don’t match this wine.