What is Weissherbst?

• A. Weissherbst, a saignée rosé wine made from a single varietal and of at least QbA quality
• B. Weissherbst is a red wine
• C. Weissherbst is a dry white wine from Riesling
• D. Weissherbst is a sparkling wine from Mosel

Answer: (A)

Weissherbst is a German rosé wine made from red grapes, produced by the saignée method where a portion of juice is bled off from the red must to concentrate color and flavor. Because it comes from red grapes with limited skin contact, it ends up pink rather than red. A defining rule is that it must be produced from a single grape variety and be at least QbA quality. This combination—pink color from red grapes, single-variety sourcing, and at least QbA quality—is what distinguishes Weissherbst. It is not a red wine, nor a dry white wine from Riesling, nor a sparkling wine from Mosel. The style can vary in dryness, but the hallmark is the pink, single-variety saignée wine.