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
Why are wines blended in Germany sparkling?
to ensure consistency across batches and within style brand
If using the tank method in Germany where is second fermentation carried out
tanks
How long do quality wines in Germany remain on the lees for tank method?
3-6 months
What is an advantage of tank method use in Germany
large vols of wine can be made and released after a relatively short production cycle reducing costs and prices
Describe what sometimes happens with a base wine made in Germany by the grower?
it is delivered to a large Sekt producing specialist company for 2nd fermentation
What varieties are used with the traditional method in Germany?
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, but also Reisling
Do sparkling wines in Germany going through Traditional method go through malolactic conversion?
for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir-based wine = yes
Riesling = no
What is the choice of some producers in Germany around Riesling wine production?
to focus on the distinctive floral, apple and lemon primary notes - making time on the lees minimum (9 months)
others prefer longer age on the lees (18 months or longer) to develop attractive smoky notes rather than brioche or biscuit aromas
What can be used for dosage in germany sparkling wines?
Mature sweet Riesling - to add richness
What does the traditional method add to Winzersekt?
cost
What do some companies use in Germany for less expensive bottle fermented wines?
transfer method
What are regulations for Sekt?
must be produced through 2nd fermentation cannot be made by injecting carbon dioxide
content of at least 10% abv
Co2 pressure of at least 3.5 atmospheres
wines labelled with Sekt must be made with base wine of grapes grown in any EU country
Wines sold as vintage or varietal wines must be made up of how much percent of that vintage/varietal?
85%
What is the min period between tirage to release from the winery for sale for tank method Sekt wines?
6 months and min 90 days on lees - however this time can be reduced to 30 days if the wine is in a tank with stirrers
For traditional method wines in Germany what is the min amount of time on Lees?
9 months then can be released for sale
For transfer method wines in Germany what is the min amount of time on Lees?
min 3 months on lees and then can be released for sale after 9 months
What can Perlwein be made from?
a quality wine from a specified region (Qualitatsperlwein bA) or as EU wine (Perlwein)
What occurs in the production of Perlwein?
CO2 can be injected or produced by fermentation (usually tank method)
What type of sparkling is Perlwein?
semi sparkling 1-2.5 bars
How does Perlwein compare to Sekt?
it is often sweeter
How much residual sugar is foun din each style of Perlwein: Trocken; Halbtrocken; Mild
Trocken (dry) = up to 35 g/l
Halbtrocken (off dry) = 33-50g/l
Mild = more than 50 g/l
What does Flaschengarung mean?
bottle fermented but may be disgorged by the transfer method
What does Klassiche Flasengarung mean?
“Classic bottle fermentation” which is 2nd fermentation in the bottle and transfer method is not allowed
What are the 3 segments or price categories that the Sekt market falls into?
low-end price driven sparkling wines retailing up to 4 euros - accoutn for over half the sales
standard quality that retail up to 8 euros
high quality usually considerably higher in price - a segment that has shown promising development in recent years
What does the price of a bottle of Sekt automatically include
government tax of 1.02 euros that has been levied since 1902
Is the sparkling wine market in Germany competitive?
yes, highly - with a number of vol producers aggressively competing to get their brands in retail outlets and win consumers
Describe marketing in germany
some of the largest producers go to great efforts to support their brands with advertising
What is the driving force behind sales in Germany?
big brands that have been on the market for decades where the vast majority of wines are sold in large or small supermarkets
Where is Winzersekt sold?
from the cellar door, specialist wine retailers and in restaurants
Who is Sekt production dominated by?
small number of very large companies: Rotkappchen-Mumm; Henkell & CO and Schloss Wachenheim each with multiple brands (between them about 80% of production is accounted for)
Who is the leading producer of wine and sparkling wine in Germany
Rotkappchen
Why do Rotkappchen wine brands have mass appeal for Germans?
relatively high quality at low prices in the economy segment
Who are significant producers of Winzersekt
Reichsrat von Buhl and Schloss Vaux
How much Sekt is exported?
10%
How much sparkling wine (all categories) in germany are sold predominantly via the retail sector?
75%
How do most German consumers prefer to buy wine?
via retailers for home consumption rather than paying restaurant prices
What is VDP?
Verband deutscher Pradikatsweinguter - private association of wine companies committed to high quality
In 2018 what did VDP incorporate into its statutes
Sekt
What does the VDP Sekt classification require
VDP members to make wines under the tag line “good Sekt from the beginning”
What are the requirements of VDP Sekt?
fruit must be grown on the estate of VDP member and be produced specifically for Sekt production
fruit must be picked early by hand whole cluster pressed and made by traditional method only
When was the new classification of VDP Sekt introduced? what was it called
2020 - Non vintage VDP Sekt
what are the requirements of NV VDP Sekt?
min 15 months on lees
vintage Sekt requires 24 months for VDP Sekt and 36 Months VDP Sekt Prestige
What are the permissible grapes for VDP Sekt?
each german region can determine the permissible grapes, but typically Riesling, or Pinot Blanc/Gris/Noir
