Germany

Question 1

What does “Sekt” mean?

Answer 1

German word for “sparkling wine”

Question 2

Inexpensive Sekt

Answer 2

”- 90% of production

- Enourmous domestic demand (4.5 bottles per capita per year = highest in the world)”

Question 3

Permitted Methods

Answer 3

All {except carbonation}

Question 4

Sekt

Answer 4

”- Method: Tank

• No mention of grape varities or vintage {they’re NV}
• Made from base wine sourced from souther EU and made into sparkling in Germany
• Sold 6 months after 2nd fermentation has been started with a min of 90 days on lees {or 30 days if lees are stirred}
• Min 10% ABV, 3.5 atmospheres, come from EU, no CO2 added”

Question 5

Sekt Flavor Profile

Answer 5

Light intensity, no autolytic notes, Brut or Extra Dry {notable RS + med acidity}

Question 6

Deutscher Sekt

Answer 6

”- Method: Tank or traditional

• Vintage or NV
• Made from German-grown fruit {cannot state region of origin on label} , one variety {if 85% is one} or multiple grape varieties”

Question 7

Deutscher Sekt bA

Answer 7

”- Method: Tank or traditional

• bestimmter Anbaugebiete = ““of a defined region”” meaning that it’s a quiality wine from one of the 13 defined wine-growing regions (e.g. Rheingau)
• Region must appear on the label”

Question 8

What does Winzer mean?

Answer 8

Winegrower in German

Question 9

Winzersekt

Answer 9

”- Method: traditional, min 9 mos on lees

• Estate-bottled, uses only grapes grown by the estate, vintage
• Most often Riesling {but range permitted}
• Vintage, grape, producer’s name must be on label
• Very good to outstanding”

Question 10

Winzersekt Flavor Profile

Answer 10

”- Medium intensity

• Apple, peach with smoky autolytic notes
• High acid
• Brut”

Question 11

Perlwein {aka Secco}

Answer 11

“this is not Sekt

• Method: Tank or carbonation
• Lower pressure {less than 3 atmospheres} which makes them cheaper than fully-sparkling wines {avoids the tax!}
• Often sweeter than Sekt {if ““Trocken”” it can have up to 35 g/L}”

Question 12

Sekt - Growing Region

Answer 12

High volume areas of souther Europe

Question 13

Sekt - Grape Varietyes

Answer 13

Low aromatic grapes from Italy, Spain, and France

Question 14

Sekt - Harvest

Answer 14

”- Grapes picked early to retain acidity

- Grapes crushed in the region of origin and the juice chilled and transported by truck/train to Germany”

Question 15

DD&W - Growing Region

Answer 15

• Cool continental climate

Question 16

DD&W - Grape Varieties

Answer 16

”- Typically single variety {Chard/PN blends are made}

• Riesling = most prestigious
• PN, P Blanc, P Gris, Chard, Silvaner, Scheurebe”

Question 17

DD&W - Harvest

Answer 17

”- Grapes are picked early with under-ripe grapes being selected out to create wines with high acidity and just-ripe primary fruit aromas
- Hand harvest for high quality”

Question 18

Winemaking - Tank

Answer 18

”- Pressing

• 1st fermentation (16 - 18 deg) to maintain primary aromas
• Sugar + Yeast added
• 2nd fermentation in pressurized (reinforced) tanks
• Fermentation is arrested by cooling when desired pressure and residual sugar reached
• *high quality wines aged on lees for 3 - 6mos
• Wine is cold stabilised to precipitate tartrates
• Yeast removed via centrifugation or filtration
• Adjustmented to sugar and SO2
• Sterile filtration
• Bottling with a counter-pressure filler (like soda)”

Question 19

Role of large Sekt-producing specialists?

Answer 19

Grapes grown in Germany may be made into base wine by the grower and then delivered to large Sekt-producing specialist companies for the second fermentation.

Question 20

Winemaking - Traditional

Answer 20

”- Used for Champagne varieties and Riesling

• Issue with Riesling is whether or not the autolytic notes are desirable when using an aromatic variety
• Some prefer focus on primary aromas so time of lees may be the minimum required {9 mos}
• Some prefer to develop an attractive smoky note {rather than biscuit/brioche} so time on lees may be 18+ mos
• Mature sweet Riesling often used for dosage to add richness”

Question 21

WInemaking - Transfer

Answer 21

Some companies use the transfer method for less expensive bottle-fermented wines.

Question 22

Flaschengärung

Answer 22

‘bottle fermented’, but may be disgorged by the transfer method

Question 23

Klassische Flaschengärung

Answer 23

‘Classic bottle fermentation’, which is second fermentation in this bottle and transfer method not allowed.

Question 24

Sekt Market

Answer 24

“Sold in the supermarket:

• Low-end Sekt retailing for €4 = more than half of all sales
• Standard-quality retailing for €8

Sold from Cellar Door, specialist retailers, and {small portion} restaurants:
- High-quality = considerably more €”

Question 25

Consumption

Answer 25

90% domestic, 10% exported

Question 26

Producers

Answer 26

”- Large Company, Inexp Sekt: Rotkäppchen

• Private Label: Aldi, Lidl
• Winzersekt - Reichstrat von Buhl, Schloss Vaux”

Question 27

VDP Sekt

Answer 27

“Private Association of wine companies committeed to quality. Standards include:

• The fruit must be grown on the estate of a VDP member and be produced specifically for
  Sekt production
• The fruit must be picked early (in order to be appropriate for Sekt production) by hand, whole cluster pressed, and the wine made by the traditional method only
• There are two tiers: one that requires a minimum of 15 months on the lees and a second
  for single-vineyard and all vintage wines that require 36 months on the lees.”