It never contains more than 9 grams of residual sugar per liter and often less. It is very dry. Halbtrocken wines are semi-dry and may have not more than 18 grams of residual sugar per liter. If these terms are not found on the label, the wine is likely a sweeter style and usually the sweetness increases with increasing ripeness. The grape variety used to make a wine is the single most influential factor determining its taste.
Different grapes have different flavors, just like different fruits have different flavors.
In comparison, Chardonnay is a spicy grape with elements of ripe apple, tropical fruit and occasionally butter. The categories of German wine one finds on the label are determined by the degree of ripeness that the grapes have achieved by the time the are harvested. Riper grapes provide more aroma and more flavor. The riper the grapes, the higher up in the pyramid the wines made from those grapes will be. See the Ripeness pyramid to the left.