New Wine ("Federweißer")

If you hold the glass to your ear, Federweißer (new wine) sounds like murmuring waves. When the time of the grape harvest has come, you can get 'Rauscher', 'Sauser' or 'Brauser', these local terms are used for Federweißer in Germany, on every street corner.

If you hold the glass to your ear, Federweißer (new wine) sounds like murmuring waves. When the time of the grape harvest has come, you can get 'Rauscher', 'Sauser' or 'Brauser', these local terms are used for Federweißer in Germany, on every street corner.

Facts

  • 5 %

    by volume alcohol content

  • around 2

    million liters are sold annually in Rhineland-Palatinate

Steffen Schindler, marketing director for Wines of Germany (DWI), puts it this way: “Federweißer is a pleasure that defines autumn and the grape harvest just as much as a delicious onion tart.” Ideally, you drink Federweißer when it has come half way between grape juice and wine, when sweetness, alcohol content and fruit acidity are well balanced. At this stage, its alcohol content amounts to around 5 % vol. watch video (German language / subtitles)

How to handle Federweißer correctly

Owing to the high demand for the new wine, Federweißer is on offer all over Germany these days and can be bought in supermarkets as well as specialist wine stores. But you have to be careful when you buy it: Since fermentation continues inside the bottle, it should always be sealed with a closure that is permeable to air, so the carbonic acid can escape. The bottle should be transported standing upright at all times. Wines of Germany recommends to taste a little of the Federweißer once you have reached home. If it tastes just right: Straight into the fridge it goes, because the cold puts a stop to the fermentation process and you will be able to enjoy a perfect Federweißer for a little longer. (Video of Federweisser harvest)

If the Federweißer still tastes too sweet, keep it at room temperature and have another taste after 6-8 hours. Once the perfect degree of sweetness has been achieved, store the Federweißer in the fridge.

How much Federweißer is sold per year?

In Rhineland-Palatinate alone, about two million liters of Federweißer are sold every year.

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)

with herb crust Roast turkey

with herb crust

  • 600 Gramm Putenbrust am Stücke
  • 0,25 Liter Weißwein
  • 0,25 Liter Gemüsebrühe
  • 4 ganze Tomaten
  • 4 Scheiben Toastbrot
  • 2 ganze Eier
  • 2 Stück Zwiebeln
  • 75 Gramm geriebener Emmentaler
  • 1 Stange Porree
  • 1 Bund Schnittlauch
  • 1 EL Olivenöl
  • nach Belieben Salz & Pfeffer

Wash the meat, pat dry and cut a deep pocket lengthways. Crumble the toast. Wash and chop the herbs, peel and dice the onions.

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<p>Preheat the oven to 200°C (top and bottom heat). Place the bread, herbs, onions, cheese and eggs in a bowl, mix thoroughly and season. Stuff 2/3 of this mixture into the turkey breast. Pin the opening with wooden skewers and tie up crosswise with kitchen twine. Place the roast in a roasting tin and brush with oil.

 

Roast in the preheated oven for approx. 1 hour. Gradually pour in the white wine and vegetable stock.

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<p>Clean and wash the vegetables. Cut the leek into pieces and add to the roast with the whole tomatoes after 30 minutes.

 

About 20 minutes before the end of the cooking time, spread the remaining third of the herb mixture over the roast and finish cooking.

 

Arrange on plates with the vegetables and serve. Serve with rice.

  • Pinot Gris (trocken)
  • Chardonnay (trocken)

a Christmassy dessert Plum roaster with cinnamon ice cream

a Christmassy dessert

  • 1 kg Zwetschgen (frisch oder TK)
  • 100 Gramm Zucker
  • 0.5 TL gemahlener Zimt
  • Eine Prise Nelkenpulver
  • 50 ml Pflaumenschnaps
  • 50 Gramm dunkler Rohrzucker
  • 2 EL alter Balsamicoessig
  • 200 Gramm Zucker
  • 4 Eigelb
  • 500 ml Sahne

Plum rings:

Wash, deseed and quarter the plums. Spread the sugar evenly in a non-stick pan and melt slowly over a medium heat. Increase the temperature and immediately add the fruit, schnapps and spices. Stir until the mixture caramelises.

Stir in the muscovado sugar and balsamic vinegar, spread onto a cold plate after approx. 3 minutes.

<p

 

<p>Cinnamon ice cream:

Combine the sugar and egg yolks and stir the two ingredients over a bain-marie until frothy.

Whip the cream, then carefully mix both mixtures and add three teaspoons of cinnamon. Carefully mix the cinnamon into the mixture again.

Pour the finished mixture into any (cake) tin or small dish, cover with aluminium foil and place in the freezer for at least three hours.

 

Place the plums on four deep plates or small bowls, cut off 2 – 3 ice lollies each and place on top, serve immediately.

  • Gewürztraminer (trocken)

with pears, beans, parsley root and black walnuts Venison medallions

with pears, beans, parsley root and black walnuts

  • 12 Stück Rehmedaillions (a 80g)
  • 30 Gramm gebratene Speckstreifen
  • 200 ml Bechamelsauce
  • 3 EL Sonnenblumenöl
  • 8 kleine Petersilienwurzeln mit Grün (alternativ Knollensellerie)
  • 6 - 8 breite Schnippelbohnen
  • 1 große Birne
  • 4 - 6 schwarze Walnüsse
  • 100 ml Wildfond
  • 2 EL Butter
  • 2 Stängel glatte Petersilie
  • nach Geschmack Salz

Preheat the oven to 180 °C top and bottom heat. Clean, peel and trim the parsley roots. Clean the beans and cut into diagonal pieces. Blanch the parsley roots and beans separately in boiling salted water and rinse immediately in iced water.

 

Cut the walnuts into eighths and warm in the game stock. Wash the unpeeled pear, cut into eighths, remove the core and cut into thin slices. Fry the venison medallions on both sides in oil, then finish cooking in the oven for approx. 3 - 5 minutes.

 

In the meantime, toss the beans and parsley roots in melted butter and season with salt. Arrange the vegetables with the black walnuts and pear slices on large plates. Place the medallions on top, garnish with game stock, Béchamel sauce and bacon strips.

 

Tip: You can make your own black walnuts. To do this, prick the walnuts all over with a fork or skewer and place in water for 10 days. Change the water every day so that the tannic acid can drain off. Boil the nuts 3 times in salted water until they are deep black. Simmer with bay leaves and peppercorns for approx. 20 minutes until soft. Layer in preserving jars and cover with syrup. The nuts can be kept for approx. 1 year.

  • Spätburgunder / Pinot Noir (trocken)
  • Pinot Gris (trocken)