14. Germany Flashcards
What is the German word for sparkling wine?
Sekt
What quality level is the majority of Sekt wine?
Over 90% is inexpensive, high volume brands.
What is the per capita consumption of sparkling wines in Germany and where does it rank in the world?
3.4 liters (4-1/2 bottles/year); #1 in the world
What production method of sparkling wine is NOT permitted in Germany?
Carbonation
What are the 5 categories of German sparkling wines? Give a brief description of each.
- Sekt - tank method, without mention of grape varieties or vintage
- Deutscher sekt - must be made from German-grown fruit. Tank or traditional, vintage or non-vintage; min 85% single variety
- Deutscher Sekt bA = “bestimmter Anbaugebiete” = “of a defined region”. name of region must appear on label. Tank or traditional
- Winzersekt - estate-bottled using only estate grapes. Traditional method. Vintage, variety & producer must be on label.
- Perlwein (Secco) - tank or carbonation from inexpensive base wine.
What are production guidelines/requirements for Sekt wines?
- Tank method
- No mention of variety/vintage
- Typically range of base wines from inexpensive regions in southern Europe - made sparkling in Germany
- Sold 6 months after 2nd fermentation started
- Minimum 90 days on lees, or 30 if lees stirred
- Non-vintage
What are aroma/flavor characteristics and quality level of Sekt wines?
- Light intensity fruit
- No autolytic notes
- Typically Brut or Extra Dry
- Noticeable residual sugar
- Medium acidity
- Acceptable/good quality
- Inexpensive
What are the requirements for Winzersekt wines?
- Uses only estate-grown grapes
- Traditional method
- 9 months on the lees minimum
- Typically made with Riesling but other varieties may be used
- Vintage, variety and producer’s name must appear on bottle
What are the aroma/flavor characteristics and quality level of Winzersekt wines?
- Medium intensity
- Apple and peach fruit with smoky, autolytic notes
- High acidity
- Typically Brut
- Very good to outstanding quality
- Mid-priced to premium.
What type of grapes are used for Sekt wines? What regions are they grown and what is the process for transporting grapes/juice?
Low aromatic grape varieties from Italy, Spain and France. Picked early to retain acidity. Crushed in region of origin and juice chilled and transported by truck/train to Germany.
Describe the grape growing and environment for Deutscher Sekt, Deutscher Sekt bA and Winzersekt wines
Cool continental climate - produces grapes with low potential alcohol and high acidity. Picked early with under-ripe grapes selected out. Results in high acidity and just-ripe primary fruit. Mainly single varieties, though Chardonnay/Pinot Noir blends also made. Riesling makes most prestigious wine.
How much time on the lees do higher quality tank method wines spend?
3-6 months
Do traditional method sparkling German wines go through malolactic conversion?
no
What is an issue that traditional method wine producers have when making sparkling wine with Riesling?
The desirability of autolytic notes. Some producers prefer to focus on Riesling’s distinctive floral, apple, lemon primary notes. As a result, time on the lees may be minimum 9 months. Others prefer to develop attractive smoky notes (rather than biscuit/brioche of Champagne varieties) and will leave on lees 18 months or longer.
What are the legal requirements for Sekt wine?
- Must have 2nd fermentation (can’t be carbonated)
- Minimum 10% abv
- Minimum CO2 of 3.5 atmospheres
- Base wine of grapes grown in any EU country
What are the sweetness categories and RS levels of Perlwein?
- Trocken (Dry) - <35 g/l
- Halbtrocken (off-dry) - 33-50 g/l
- Mild - > 50 g/l
If a wine is sold as varietal or vintage, what is the minimum percent of that variety or vintage that must be in the wine?
85%
What are the minimum time on lees for transfer, tank and traditional method wines?
- Transfer - 3 months on lees; can be released for sale after 9 months
- Tank - 90 days on lees; can be released for sale after 6 months
- Traditional - 9 months on lees; released for sale thereafter
Define “Flaschengarung”
Bottle fermented, may be disgorged by transfer method
Define “Klassiche Flaschengarung”
Classic bottle fermentation - 2nd fermentation in bottle. Transfer method not allowed
What are the 3 segments of the Sekt market, and the price points of each?
- Low end - up to 4 euro - over 50% of sales
- Standard quality - up to 8 euro
- High quality - > 8 euro
What is the primary producer of sparkling wine in Germany?
Rotkappchen
What standards must a wine meet in order to be classified “VDP Sekt”
- Fruit must be grown on estate of VDP member and produced specifically for Sekt
- Fruit must be picked early by hand, whole cluster pressed, traditional method only
- 2 tiers - one requires min 15 months on lees; 2nd for single vineyard and all vintage wines requires 36 months on lees.
