Sparkling wine

deutscher Winzersekt auf dem Mainzer Wochenmarkt

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

with honey and thyme Goat's cheese tower

with honey and thyme

1 großer Apfel
1 Rolle Ziegenkäse
4 Scheiben Bacon
4 TL Honig
1 TL Thymian
4 Blätter Eichblattsalat
frische Zweige Thymian zum Garnieren
nach Belieben Salz & Pfeffer

Preheat the grill to the highest setting.

Fry the bacon slices without fat in a non-stick frying pan until crispy and drain on a piece of kitchen paper. Leave the rendered fat in the pan.

Wash the apple, core it with a corer and then cut it into four, approx. 1 cm thick slices. Slowly fry the apple slices in the remaining bacon fat until just cooked, using the tip of a knife to check the doneness. Place the apple slices in a lightly greased baking dish, sprinkle with thyme and place a crispy fried bacon slice on top of each one.

Divide the goat's cheese into 4 thalers and place one thaler on each apple slice, sprinkle with thyme again and drizzle with 1 teaspoon of honey.

Bake under the grill until the cheese is lightly browned.

Serve the goat's cheese and apple tartlets on a lettuce leaf or, if you prefer, on a bed of lettuce (add a honey-flavoured dressing)

Dornfelder (halbtrocken & feinherb)

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.

Grauburgunder / Pinot Gris (extra brut)
Chardonnay (extra brut)
Trollinger (brut)
Spätburgunder / Pinot Noir (brut)

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 pear wedges Chicken breast strips

with pear wedges

500 Gramm Hähnchenbrustfilet
2 reife Birnen
200 ml Birnensaft
100 ml Sahne
1 ganze Zwiebel
4 EL Olivenöl
nach Belieben Salz & Pfeffer

Cut the chicken breast fillet into strips. Peel the onion and cut into cubes. Heat the olive oil in a pan and fry the meat in it. Add the diced onion and season with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Wash and peel the pears, remove the skin, cut into wedges and sauté in the pan. Deglaze with the pear juice and allow to reduce slightly.

<p>Finally, add the cream and season to taste.