Sparkling wine

Be it New Year’s Eve, a party or brunch, a Formula One or a horse race – whenever people are bubbling over with joy, it’s hard to imagine them without a glass of bubbly, the sparkling crown jewel of winemaking.

8 - 10°

are ideal drinking temperatures
3,5

bar minimum
9 Monate

Fermentation in the bottle
0-3g

residual sugar content correspond to "brut nature".

German gourmets are the world champions of Sekt consumption. And that’s why many wine estates have established Winzersekt as a fixed component on their list of offers.

Extra Effort brings Extra Flavor

Classic fermentation in the bottle: At the beginning of the production of Sekt, sugar and a special kind of yeast, able to withstand great pressure, are added to the base wine. This initiates the second fermentation, producing the CO2 that will later make the Sekt sparkle so pleasantly in the glass. The pressure exerted by the carbonic acid needs to amount to at least 3.5 bar – up to 6 bar can be achieved. In the original method of Sekt manufacturing, the so-called Méthode champenoise, and in classic bottle fermentation, the second fermentation takes place in the individual bottle.

In a dark and cool cellar, Winzersekt lies and matures on its yeast for a minimum of 9 months, sometimes for years. After this, the bottles are placed upside down into so-called riddling racks. For a period of four weeks, they get turned daily and set ever more steeply upright at the same time. At the end of this laborious process, all the yeast has collected in the bottle’s neck. The bottle necks are then immersed in a brine (a freezing cold solution) to make the yeast freeze. If the bottles are opened now, the pressure from the carbonic acid ejects the yeast clot. The technical term for this process is “disgorging”.

Since the term “Méthode champenoise” has been exclusively reserved to the products of the French Champagne region for many years, Sekt manufactured by this method in Germany uses the term traditional or classic bottle fermentation.

Designations of styles

The designations for the styles of Sekt as defined by German Wine Law are different from those of wine, because the natural carbonic acid content of Sekt reduces the perception of sweetness. Accordingly, the permissible residual sugar levels of a dry Sekt are markedly higher than those of a dry wine.

brut nature: 0-3 g/l
extra brut: 0-6 g/l
brut: 0-12 g/l
extra dry: 12-17 g/l
dry: 17-32 g/l
semi-dry: 32-50 g/l
mild: over 50 g/l

Not everything that foams is sparkling wine:

Schaumwein is the generic term for moussing, i.e. foaming wines with perlage, with a minimum pressure of 3 bar.

Sparkling wine is sparkling wine whose carbonic acid is produced during fermentation and generates at least 3.5 bar of internal pressure.

Perlwein has less pressure, the carbonic acid may also be added. Good sparkling wines are fresh, light, summery-fruity and at the same time relatively inexpensive, as they are not subject to sparkling wine tax.

Secco is the modern term for trendy sparkling wines.

Crémant can be called German sparkling wines that meet certain specifications for grape varieties, harvest and fermentation.

Which wine-growing region was the first to introduce sparkling wines to the market?

Rheinhessen launched the first vintner sparkling wines in Germany more than 25 years ago.

Varietals

to sweet selections Apple doughnuts with vanilla sauce

to sweet selections

5 große, säuerliche Äpfel
200 Gramm Mehl
2 Eier
250 ml Milch
2 EL Rum
Nach Bedarf Schmalz oder Öl
Nach Belieben Zimt, Zucker, Salz

Peel the apples and remove the core, cut into finger-thick, even slices. Drizzle with rum and sugar. Leave to infuse.

Stir the batter, it should be quite thick. Turn the apple rings in it and bake floating in hot fat until golden brown.

<p>Drain on kitchen paper and serve hot with cinnamon and sugar.

Riesling (süß & edelsüß)
Scheurebe (süß & edelsüß)

with apples and nuts Tarte flambée

with apples and nuts

250 Gramm Weizen- oder Dinkelmehl
150 Gramm Crème fraîche
150 Gramm körniger Frischkäse
2 säuerliche Äpfel
1 - 2 Zwiebeln
30 Gramm Walnüsse oder Haselnüsse
15 Gramm Hefe
1 EL Zucker
2 EL Olivenöl
2 Zweige frischer Thymian
Nach Bedarf Salz & Pfeffer
200 ml warmes Wasser

For the yeast dough, sieve the flour into a bowl and make a well in it. Dissolve the yeast in a little warm water and pour into the well. Cover the bowl with a cloth and leave to rise for 10 minutes. Then knead the pre-dough with the dough hook of a hand mixer and gradually work in the warm water, the oil and a teaspoon of salt. Leave the kneaded dough to rise until it has doubled in volume (approx. half an hour, in a warm place).

Cut the onions into wedges. Roughly chop the nuts. Core the apples, cut into slices (the thicker the apple slices, the juicier the tarte flambée) and sprinkle with the sugar.

<p>After resting, divide the dough and roll out each half on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Preheat the oven to 220 °C (top and bottom heat)

Spread the crème fraîche evenly over the tarte flambée and top with the apple slices and onion wedges. Spread the fresh cheese on top and sprinkle with the walnuts. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.

Bake on the lowest shelf for 12-15 minutes and sprinkle with the fresh thyme before serving.

Riesling (halbtrocken & feinherb)
Riesling (lieblich)

with wild duck breast, porcini mushrooms and glazed chestnuts Herb salad

with wild duck breast, porcini mushrooms and glazed chestnuts

150 Gramm Wildkräuter
4 EL Olivenöl
2 EL Balsamessig
8 Stück Wildentenbrüste (a 100g)
2 EL Sonnenblumenöl
4 EL Honig
1 EL Thymian
200 Gramm Steinpilze
20 gekochte Maronen
100 ml Apfelsaft
2 El Zucker
nach Belieben Salz & Pfeffer

Clean, wash and pat dry the wild herbs. Marinate with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and season with salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 220°C top and bottom heat. Season the wild duck breasts with salt and pepper, sear on the meat side in a pan with sunflower oil and cook in the preheated oven for about 8 minutes on the skin side. Remove the duck breast, brush the skin side with honey and thyme and roast for another 2 minutes on a high heat until crispy.

Clean the porcini mushrooms and cut into slices. Fry in a pan in oil on both sides, remove and keep warm. Caramelise the sugar in the pan, deglaze with the apple juice and simmer until the caramel has dissolved. Add the chestnuts and add a little more apple juice if necessary.

Pinot Blanc (trocken)
Gutedel (trocken)

Wine recommendation: A white wine with a mellow flavour such as Pinot Gris or Chardonnay. Asparagus risotto al scampi

Risotto with green asparagus, scampi and parmesan.

400g Grüner Spargel
200g Küchenfertige Scampis
200g Risotto-Reis
250ml Trockener Weißwein
500ml Gemüsebrühe
50g Parmesan
1 Zwiebel
4EL Olivenöl
1Dose Safranfäden
etwas Salz und Pfeffer

Peel the lower third of the asparagus and cut off the ends. Cut into 2 cm long pieces, cook in boiling salted water for approx. 5 minutes and drain. Cut the onion into thin slices and finely chop the garlic.

<p>Heat 2 tbsp of oil, add the onion slices, garlic and rice
.

sauté until translucent. Deglaze with the white wine. Season with salt, pepper

and saffron to flavour. Add a little stock, bring to the boil and simmer, stirring constantly. Gradually add the remaining stock and simmer until the liquid has been absorbed by the rice. The rice should still have a bite on the inside.

Wash the scampi and grate the Parmesan. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan and fry the scampi for approx. 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir the asparagus, scampi and parmesan into the risotto and serve.

Wine recommendation:

A white wine with a mellow flavour such as Pinot Gris or Chardonnay. Alternatively, a well-chilled, light Trollinger or Blanc de Noir from Pinot Noir.