Secco

Secco can be a light alternative to sparkling wine whenever you feel like celebrating with others.

Facts

  • 6 - 8° degrees

    are ideal drinking temperatures

  • < 35 g/l

    of residual sugar is considered as "dry"

  • 1 - 2,5 bar

    pressure

With relatively low alcohol, a Secco is recommended as an ideal summer aperitif, which does not put as much strain on the body even in hot temperatures. Served cool at around 6-8 ° C, it is particularly refreshing. Seccos are now part of the standard repertoire for many German winegrowers.

How is Secco different

According to German Wine Law, semi-sparkling wine is defined as wine which has an excess of carbon dioxide compared to still wines. While most of the CO2 escapes during the fermentation of grape must to wine, for the preparation of high-quality Seccos, this is captured and put back into the wine after fermentation.

If CO2 from sources other than the wine itself are added, then it must be declared as "semi-sparkling wine with added carbon dioxide." This carbonation method is only used in the simplest semi-sparkling wines. Seccos have only 1 to 2.5 bar pressure, while sparkling wine contains at least 3, and up to 6, bar of carbonic acid pressure. An important distinction between seccos and sekt, or sparkling wine, is that in the latter, the CO2 comes from a second fermentation.

Seccos don’t need to use a wire cage (muselet) over the cork, like with sparkling wine, but are mostly closed with either a screw cap or a cork with foil or string.

Levels of sweetness for semi-sparkling wines

    Dry: up to 35 g / liter residual sugar content
    Semi-dry: 33 - 50 g / liter residual sugar content
    Mild: > 50 g / liter residual sugar

Is Secco the same as Prosecco?

No! Prosecco comes from Italy, is pressed from the Glera grape variety and may only be produced in the DOC Prosecco. It is available as sparkling, semi-sparkling and still wine. Meanwhile in Germany, Secco is a sparkling wine with technically added carbon dioxide.

Asparagus harmonises perfectly with Silvaner Roasted asparagus with wild garlic and ribbon noodles

Roasted asparagus with wild garlic and ribbon noodles goes perfectly with Silvaner.

  • 1kg weißer Spargel
  • 1kg grüner Spargel
  • 200g Butter
  • 1 TL Zucker
  • 2-4 EL Walnussöl
  • 600g Tagliatelle
  • 1 Prise Salz und Pfeffer
  • 200 ml Schlagsahne
  • 1 Spritzer Zitronensaft
  • 8 Bärlauchblätter

Preparation:

 

Peel the asparagus (green asparagus only in the lower third), cut off the ends. Cut each spear in half lengthways and cut the halves in half. Cut the halves into 3 – 5 cm long pieces.

 

Heat the butter in a large pan, add the sugar. Caramelise briefly. Add the oil and asparagus and cook over a medium heat for approx. 10 mins. until al dente, tossing occasionally.

 

In the meantime, cook the tagliatelle in boiling salted water according to the pack instructions until al dente.

 

Pour the cream into the asparagus and reduce until creamy. Season the asparagus with salt, pepper and lemon juice.

 

Rinse the pasta, drain and mix with the asparagus. Cut the spring onions into strips and fold in.

 

Wine recommendation:

 

Silvaner Spätlese dry

  • Silvaner (trocken)

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)

Japanese hollandaise succeeds with wasabi paste Salmon with Japanese hollandaise and green asparagus

Combine salmon with hollandaise and asparagus with a dry Riesling.

  • 4x 150g Lachsfilet mit Haut
  • 1 Limette
  • 2 Zehen Knoblauch
  • 4 EL Honig
  • 10 EL Sojasauce
  • 200g Butter
  • 4 Eier
  • 1 EL Joghurt
  • 2 EL Reisessig
  • 2 EL Wasabipaste
  • 500 g Grüner Spargel

For the marinade, finely chop the garlic first. Wash the lime in hot water, grate the zest and squeeze out the juice and bring everything to the boil with the honey and soya sauce. Put to one side.

 

Now prepare the Japanese hollandaise: Bring 180g butter to the boil. Place the egg yolks, yoghurt, rice vinegar, wasabi paste and a pinch of salt in a tall measuring jug and mix with a hand blender. Gradually mix the boiling (!) butter into the egg yolks using a hand blender. Season the hollandaise with salt and pepper to taste and keep the measuring jug warm in hot water.

 

Peel the bottom third of 500 g green asparagus and cut off the ends. Melt 1 tbsp butter in a large pan. Add the asparagus to the pan, pour in 50 ml water and season with salt and pepper. Cover and bring to the boil briefly.

 

Fry the salmon fillets on the skin side in a little oil for about 4 minutes. Turn the salmon and fry for a further 2 minutes. Then turn again and baste with the marinade. Remove the salmon from the pan and reduce the marinade until thick. Brush the salmon with it. Serve the salmon with the hollandaise and asparagus. Enjoy your meal!

 

Wine recommendation:

 

WINE TIP: Dry Rielsing

  • Riesling (trocken)

with semi-frozen goat's milk Lavender waffles

with semi-frozen goat's milk

  • 2 Stück Eigelb
  • 60 ml Ziegenmilch
  • 500 Gramm weiße Kuvertüre
  • 125 ml Sahne
  • Abrieb und Saft einer halben Orange
  • 2 cl Tresterbrand
  • 8 Blatt Minze
  • 125 Gramm Mehl
  • 50 Gramm Zucker
  • 70 Gramm Butter
  • 2 Eier
  • 1 Messerspitze Backpulver
  • 1/2 EL Lavendelzucker
  • 175 ml Milch

Semi-frozen goat's milk: Beat the egg yolks and goat's milk in a bowl over a hot bain-marie until creamy. Remove from the bain-marie and beat the cream until cold. Flavour with the zest of the orange and the marc brandy.

 

Liquefy the couverture in a bain-marie and stir into the lukewarm egg mixture. Whip the cream until stiff and carefully fold in. Line a parfait tin (triangular or gutter shape) with cling film. Pour in the mixture and smooth out. Cover well with cling film and leave to freeze in the freezer for at least 8 hours.

 

About 20 minutes before serving, remove the mould from the freezer and turn the parfait out of the mould. Remove the foil and cut the semi-frozen parfait into 8 slices.

<p

 

<p>Lavender wafers: Lightly mash the butter in a mixing bowl with a fork. Add the sugar and stir a little. Add half of the milk, the lavender sugar and the baking powder. Stir in the eggs and finally the rest of the milk. Mix everything well with a hand mixer for about 2 minutes to create a homogeneous, slightly liquid mixture. Bake the batter in batches in a waffle iron until golden brown.</p

 

<p>Arrange 2 slices of semifreddo on each waffle on a flat plate and decorate with mint leaves.

  • Riesling (halbtrocken & feinherb)