German for “first growth,” Erstes Gewachs is a vineyard classification established in September 2000, for Germany’s RHEINGAU region. The area involved is relatively large—just over 35 percent of the entire region. However, to use “Erstes Gewachs” on the label (the equivalent of the French PREMIER CRU), vineyards must comply with a complex set of criteria, including a maximum yield of 50 hectolitres per hecatre and the tasting test of the finished wine.