Germany Flashcards
What is the German word for sparkling wine
Sekt
when did Sekt production increase significantly? why?
mid 1950s because inexpensive base wines could be sourced within the EU
how much of sparkling wine in germany is accounted for inexpensive high vol brands?
over 90%
What is not permitted as a method in production for any category sparkling in Germany
carbonation
There are 5 categories of Sparkling wines in Germany, what are they?
Sekt
Deutscher Sekt
Deutscher Sekt bA
Winzersekt
Perlwein
What is Sekt
tank method wines without mention of varietals or vintage typically made from a range of base wines sourced from inexpensive regions of southern Europe and made sparkling in Germany
What is the largest category of sparkling wines made in germany>
Sekt - accounting for 90%
general SAT of Sekt wines
light intensity fruit no autolytic notes
made in brut or extra brut
noticeable residual sugar
med acidity
acceptable to good
inexpensive in price
Describe Deutscher Sekt
must be made with Germany grown fruit
can be made with tank or traditional method
can be vintage or non vintage
min of 85% one variety if it is to be labeled with single varietal.
fruit can come from multiple different German regions
wine cannot state its region of origin on the label
Describe Deutscher Sekt bA
bA is the abrreviation for bestimmter Anbaugebiete “of defined region”
related to general quality category of Qualitatswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete quality wine from one of 13 regions
name of region must appear on the bottle
can be made either tank or traditional
Describe Winzersekt
Winzer = wine grower
refers to a sparkling wine that is estate bottled and only uses grapes grown by that estate, made traditional method
kept min 9 months on lees in the bottle
mostly made with Reisling, but a range of other varieties may be used
What must appear on the bottle of Winzersekt
grape variety, vintage, and producers name
General SAT for Winzersekt if made from Reisling
med intensity apple and peach, toasty , smokey autolytic notes
high acidity, brut in style
very good to outstanding in quality
mid to premium priced
What is Perlwein?
more commonly known as Secco
made by either tank or carbonation from inexpensive base wines
cheaper in Germany then fully sparkling wines (min 3 atmospheres) as they do not attract tax
Where are Sekt grapes grown?
high vol production areas in southern Europe
What type of varieties are used for Sekt?
low aromatic varieties from Italy, Spain, and France
When are Sekt wines picked and why?
early to retain acidity
Where are the Sekt wine grapes usually crushed?
in country of their origin - juice then chilled and shipped to Germany by truck or train
What is the climate in Germany
cool continental
What types of grapes are produced in Germany’s climate?
low potential alcohol and high acidity - suitable for base wines for sparkling wine
When are grapes typically picked in germany?
early to retain acidity and and have just ripe primary fruit flavors
what happens during picking in german grapes?
underripe grapes are removed
What type of varieties are made in german grown wines?
normally single varieties but can be a blend based on Chardonnay and Pinot noir as well
What variety makes the most prestigious wines in germany?
Reisling
what other single varieties are also used for German sparkling wines?
Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, and Silvaner
what type of harvesting is done in germany?
hand harvesting for quality wines
What is overridden by blending wines prior to second fermentation in germany?
variations in climate and soil type
What temp is first fermentation carried out during tank method in German sparkling wines? why?
low temperatures to retain freshness of fruit