10. German Sparkling Flashcards
What is the German word for sparkling wine?
Sekt
What production method is not allowed for any category of German sparkling wine?
Carbonation
How would you categorise the vast majority of German sparkling wine?
Inexpensive, high volume brands
When and why did Sekt production levels increase greatly?
1950s as inexpensive base wine could be bought from within the European Union.
How much inexpensive sparkling wine do Germans consume per year?
3.4 litres per capita
What are the four categories of Sekt?
Sekt
Deutscher Sekt
Deutscher Sekt bA
Winzersekt
What process is utilised for Sekt?
What varieties are used for it?
What proportion of German sparkling is Sekt?
Tank method, no listed varieties and made from inexpensive base wine sourced from southern Europe.
90% of all wines made
What are the production requirements for Sekt? (5)
- Must be 2 ferments (cannot be carbonated)
- Must have alcohol content of at least 10%
- Must have at least 3.5 atmospheres of pressure
- Must be sold six months after second fermentation is complete.
- Minimum 90 days on lees, or 30 if the lees are stirred.
Describe a typical Sekt (6)
Light intensity fruit. No autolytic characters. Herb or Extra Herb with noticeable residual sugar. Medium acidity. Acceptable to good quality. Inexpensive price.
What are the requirements for making Deutscher Sekt? (5)
- German-grown fruit
- Tank or Traditional method
- Vintage or non-Vintage
- 85% one variety if labelled single variety, or multiple varieties
- Can be multi-regional, cannot list the region
What does the bA stand for in Deutscher Sekt bA? What does it translate to?
What category is it related to?
“Bestimmter Anbaugebiete”
“of a defined region”
Related to the Qualitatswein bestimmter anbaugebiete.
What are the regulations for making a Deutscher Sekt bA?
Must be quality wine from one of the 13 defined wine growing regions, the region must be on the label. It may be tank or traditional method.
What does Winzer translate to?
Winegrower
What are the regulations for Winzersekt?
Estate grown and bottled
Traditional method
Nine months on lees
Must be labelled with vintage, variety and producer.
What are the classic characteristics of a Winzersekt?
Commonly made from Riesling Medium intensity apple and peach. Toasty/smoky autolytic flavours. High acidity, Brut style. Very good to outstanding quality. Mid-premium priced.
What is the other category of sparkling wine in Germany apart from Sekt?
What are it’s requirements?
Perlwein (Secco) Made by tank or carbonation. Inexpensive base wines. Usually less than 3 atmosphere. Can have up to 35g/L for Trocken, 33-50g/L halbtrocken, +50g/L Mild Attract no tax in Germany.
What makes German wine growing regions suitable for sparkling wine production?
Cool continental climate - capable of making grapes with high acid and low potential alcohol.
What varieties and/or blends are typically used for Deutscher Sekt, Deutscher Sekt Ba and Winzersekt?
Riesling for most prestigious wines, but other varieties are: Pinto Gris, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and Silvaner.
Typically single variety, but blends based on Chard and Pinot are also made.
Is provenance a consideration for Deutscher Sekt, Deutscher Sekt Ba and Winzersekt?
As long as it is German grown, variations in climate and soil type are mostly overridden by blending of base wines prior to fermentation.
When and why is blending used in Tank fermented Sekt?
Before secondary fermentation to ensure consistency across batches (not for complexity)
With which varieties is the Traditional Method used in Germany?
Champagne varieties (Chardonnay and Pinot Noir) and Riesling
When is MLF used for MT wines in Germany?
Optional for Pinot/Chard, but more often than not it is blocked for Riesling.
What kind of lees ageing is generally used for MT Riesling?
Why?
What happens to wine if this is longer?
9 months (the minimum). To keep the floral, apple, lemon aromatic characters of Riesling present. When aged for longer, the lees ageing can have a distinctive smoky character as opposed to biscuit/brioche as with Champagne
What might a premium producer use for dosage of a MT sparkling?
Mature, sweet Riesling.
