Designation for wines of a higher quality class, for which specific minimum requirements under wine law apply in each country. Within the EU, this is the highest quality level. As a rule, the preliminary stage is Landwein. In many wine-growing countries, there is a multi-stage quality wine scheme (see under Grand Cru). For the EU member states, there are quality wine tests that are carried out by independent official bodies. If the result is positive, the official test number is issued in Germany and the state test number in Austria.

The EU wine market regulation, which came into force in August 2009, introduced an origin-orientated system with new wine designations in the member states. Quality wine and Prädikat wine correspond to the highest quality level of PDO wine (wine with a protected designation of origin). The old terms Landwein, Qualitätswein and Prädikatswein are still permitted as "traditional indications", which is regulated on a country-specific basis (they are still used in Germany, Austria and other countries). See under Quality system.
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freier Autor und Weinberater (Fine, Vinum u.a.), Bad Krozingen