Beerenauslese is the term used to describe a specific type of late harvest wine in Germany or Austria. Meaning "select berry harvest," the term was defined in the 1971 German wine law that created specific meanings for wine, based on a number of factors, including natural sugar level; in other words, how sweet the wines would be.

The most famous examples are made from the Riesling variety, which is the finest variety planted in Germany. Beerenauslese is the next level up in terms of natural sweetness after Auslese. These wines are very limited and cannot be produced every year, as the weather conditions must be right to allow the development of a rot on the grapes known as botrytis.

These are very sweet, lush dessert wines with honeyed flavors and incredible richness on the palate. Due to their high sugar content, they can age for decades. They are almost always bottled in half bottles and are expensive, costing between $75-$150 a half bottle.