What sort of price point is most German sparkling wine
90% - inexpensive, high volume
How much inexpensive sparkling wine does the average German consumer drink per year?
4.5 bottles
What are the main categories of Sekt? (4)
- Sekt (90% of production)
- Deutscher Sekt
- Deutscher Sekt bA
- Winzersekt
Describe the requirements that need to be met for a wine to be called Sekt
- Usually tank method
- Made in Germany but grapes usually sourced from southern Europe
- Sold six months after 2nd ferment has begun (min 90 days on lees or 30 if lees are stirred)
- Doesn’t require vintage or mention of grapes
Describe a typical Sekt
- Med acid
- Light intensity
- Primary fruit
- No autolysis
- Noticeable RS - Brut or Extra Dry
- Acceptable to good
- Inexpensive
Describe the requirements that need to be met for a wine to be called Deutscher Sekt
- Tank method or trad method
- German grown fruit but may come from multiple regions
- Cannot state region of origin even if grapes from single region
- Vintage / non-vintage
- > 85% of grapes from one variety
- Cannot state region of origin even if grapes from single region
Describe the requirements that need to be met for a wine to be called Deutscher Sekt bA
- bestimmter Anbaugebiete = “of a defined region”
- Region name must appear on label
- Tank or traditional method
Describe the requirements that need to be met for a wine to be called Winzersekt
- Estate bottled - wine is made on same estate where the grapes were grown - usually Riesling
- Traditional method
- Vintage, variety, producer’s name must appear on bottle
Describe a typical Winzersekt (when made from Riesling)
- Med intensity
- Apple and peach fruit
- Toasty, smoky autolysis
- High acid
- Brut
- Very good - outstanding
- Mid - premium priced
What is Perlwein / Secco?
- Can be made from grapes from a specified region (Qualitätsperlwein bA) or from across EU (Perlwein)
- Tank or carbonation
- Three bar or less (taxed less)
- Usually sweeter than Sekt
1. Trocken - up to 35 g/L
2. Halbtrocken - 33-50 g/L
3. Mild - > 50 g/L
Where are grapes for Sekt picked and how are they processed?
- High vol production in Southern Europe
- Picked early for acidity
- Crushed in region of origin, chilled and transported to Germany
Where are grapes for Deutscher Sekt, Deutscher Sekt bA and Winzersekt picked and how are they processed?
- Throughout Germany - cool continental climate suits growing grapes with low potential ABV and high acid
- Grapes picked early with under-ripe grapes being removed with high acid and just-ripe fruit character
- Hand-harvesting used for HQ wines
What kind of grapes are used for Deutscher Sekt, Deutscher Sekt bA, and Winzersekt?
Riesling - most prestigious wines
Chardonnay/PN blends or as single varietal wines
Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Silvaner, Scheurebe
Do variations in climate and soil types have an impact on the final wine?
No - wines are usually extensively blended prior to 2nd ferment
Describe how tank method is used to produce Sekt
First Ferment
- Low temp –> fruit
- Blended –> consistency
Second Ferment
- HQ aged on lees for 3-6 months –> complexity, balanced
- High vol –> time and price
Describe how traditional method is used to produce Sekt
Grapes: Champagne varieties + Riesling
Malo - avoided for Riesling –> aromatic
Lees ageing - varies by style
- Aromatic: min 9 mnths with focus on floral, apple, lemon
- Smoky: min 18 months with some smokiness
Dosage - mature sweet Riesling may be used for premium bottling –> richness, complexity
What technique can produce use to make less expensive bottle-fermented wine?
Transfer method
Can Sekt be made using carbonation?
No
What are the minimum alcohol and pressure requirements for Sekt?
> 10% ABV
3.5 atmospheres
What proportion of a wine must be made from a single grape variety/vintage to be named as such?
> 85%
Outline the min ageing requirements for different methods of Sekt
- Tank method - six months from tirage w/ 90 days on lees (30 days if stirred)
- Traditional method - min 9 months on lees
- Transfer method - min 3 months on lees
What do the terms Flaschengärung and Klassische Flaschengärung mean?
Flaschengärung - bottle fermented, may be disgorged by transfer
Klassische Flaschengärung - classic bottle fermentation, may not be disgorged by transfer
What are the three main price segments for Sekt?
Low-end: up to 4EUR retail - >50%
Standard: up to 8EUR
HQ: considerably higher prices
Describe the extent of competition in the domestic market for Sekt
Fiercely competitive esp. between large brands
Competition for shelf space in retailers
Large ad spends to win market share
