German sparkling wine Flashcards
German (inexpensive) sparkling wine consumption per capita
3.4L per capita
Highest in the world
Sekt method of production
Tank method
Base wine for Sekt comes from where
Inexpensive regions of southern Europe
Sekt must be made sparkling where
Germany
When can Sekt be sold from?
Six months after start of second ferment
Sekt lees ageing
Min 90 days
30 days if lees are stirred
Can Sekt be vintage?
No. no mention of vintage or grape variety on label
Sekt accounts for what % of German sparkling wine?
90%
Sekt style
Light intensity fruit Not autolytic Brut or Extra Dry Noticeable RS Medium acidity
Deutscher Sekt method of production
Tank or traditional
Deutscher Sekt: vintage or NV?
can be either
Deutscher Sekt fruit must be grown where?
Germany
Can be multiple regions
Cannot state origin on label
If Deutscher Sekt has a grape variety on the label, what min % must it contain of that variety?
85%
Deutscher Sekt bA: method of production
Tank or traditional
Deutscher Sekt bA must come from where?
One of 13 defined regions (eg Rheingau)
Name of region must appear on label
Winzersekt: method of production
Traditional method only
What does Winzersekt indicate?
Estate-bottled wine from estate-grown fruit
Traditional method
9 mths lees
Riesling or others
Vintage, grapea dn producer appear on label
Winzersekt Riesling style
Medium intensity apple and peach
Toasty smoky autolytic
High acid
Brut style
Perlwein aka
Secco
What is Perlwein?
Tank method or carbonation
Inexpensive base wine
Less than 3 atm of pressure
Don’t attract same tax as fully sparkling wine
What sort of grapes are used for Sekt?
Low aromatic varieties from Italy, Spain and France
Sekt: grapes crushed where?
Typically crushed in the region. Juice chilled and transported by truck or train to Germany
Sekt: grapes harvested when?
Picked early to retain acidity
Why is German climate suitable for sparkling wine grapes?
Cool continental
Low potential alcohol, high acidity
Traditional method used for what grapes?
Champagne grapes
Riesling
Traditional method Riesling: MLF?
Typically not
Focus on floral, apple and lemon primary notes
Mature sweet Riesling used for what in sparkling production?
Used as dosage for premium bottlings of eg Winzersekt
Adds cost, complexity
Carbonation allowed in Sekt?
No, it must be produced w/ second ferment
Sekt min abv
10%
Sekt min pressure
3.5atm
Base wine for Sekt can legally come from any EU country. T/F?
True
Flaschengarung
Bottle fermetned
can be transfer method
Klassische Flaschengarung
Classic bottle ferement in this bottle
ie not transfer method
Three price segments for Sekt
Low end price driven: up to €4
Standard quality; up to €8
High quality: above €8
Price of every bottle of Sekt includes government tax. How much and since when?
€1.02
since 1902
Why is advertising so important in German sparkling wine?
Crowded, highly competitive market
Agressive competition for retail space
Supermarket
Winzersekt route to market
Cellar door sales, specialist retail, restauarants
Eg of big Sekt companies
Rotkappchen-Mumm
Henkell & Co
Schloss Wachenheim
Private label Sekt a thing?
Yes especially from discounters Aldi and Lidl
Winzersekt producers eg
Reichsrat von Buhl, Schloss Vaux
Domestic/export split for Sekt
90% domestic
10% export
VDP Sekt
VDP association incorporated Sekt in 2018
Fruit grown on VDP member estate, for Sekt production
Picked early by hand, whole cluster, traditional method
15 mths lees OR single vyd and vintage: 36 mths lees
