A new German wine law requires coming to grips with not one complex system, but three. German wine classification is vexing: impeccably precise yet notoriously inscrutable — and bifurcated at that. The good news? Germany's national classification system was recently reformed to improve clarity and transparency. The bad? Those reforms do not take full effect until 2026. So, for now, students of German wine must master not one complex classification system, but three. With all this in mind, here is a short guide to the long story of how Germany classifies its wines. Strap in!