'Tis the Season for Teutonic Bubbles!
11/30/16 -
All current events aside, this is usually the time of year to celebrate. As we get closer to the holidays, it becomes instinctive to seek out special bottles for loved ones or ourselves; whether it's for holiday gifts, host gifts, end-of-year bonuses, or just a light at the end of a dark week, bubbles are truly a treat. Although one often thinks of Champagne, Cava, Crémant, and Prosecco for these occasions, today we would love to feature some of our favorite sparkling wines from Austria and Germany.
In its most basic definition, Sekt is sparkling wine made in Germany/Austria that can range in both sweetness and grape variety. Some larger Sekt houses may favor the more cost-effective Charmat (tank) Method and purchasing grapes, but we are focusing on wine makers that not only grow their own grapes, but use Méthode Champenoise or even Ancestrale - Grower Sekt! When tracing a latitude line eastward from Champagne, many German winemaking regions are even more northerly still. The cool climate-induced high acidity necessary to make enthralling Champagne is (luckily for us) also present in Germany. Although Riesling isn't the only grape we see made into Sekt, the grape's natural propensity for high acidity and rich fruit flavors makes for beautiful sparkling wines.
From the upper Mosel, the Elbling Sekt from Hild is a fun and fruity way to start your evening, dry but with lots of tropical flavors that round out the palate. From the middle Mosel and Saar we have the Weiser-Künstler Riesling Sekt, and Falkenstein Riesling Sekt respectively, both very dry and stony, but each very different on the palate. Finally we have the Sekt Riesling Zero, from Andi Knauss in Württemburg, west of the Black Forest. This Sekt has no dosage, no sulfur added, and pulls no punches. Absolutely the most crisp, tart, and stony one of the bunch, a real eye-opener (not to mention palate jump-starter). Sekt is not the only sparkling option made in Germany; they also have Perlwein. Wines with this nomenclature are often less sparkling than Sekt (think Frizzante rather than Spumante). Stefan Vetter in Franken is making a deliciously dry and savory Apfelperlwein, or sparkling apple cider, with no added sulfur or dosage, from indigenous apple varieties.
From Austria, we are pleased to offer Volumes 1 and 2 of the Fuchs und Hase 2015 Pét Nats: a collaboration between Alwin & Stefanie Jurtschitsch and Martin & Anna Arndorfer, friends and wine makers in the Kamptal. Each year they produce multiple Volumes, using organic grapes from cooler sites, with no added yeast and no additions of sulfur. Weingut Jurtschitsch also produces a Brut Rosé: a blend of Zweigelt, Pinot Noir, and Sankt Laurent that spends 2 1/2 years on the lees. In the Steiermark part of the Styria region of southeast Austria, Franz Strohmeier is making thought-provoking wines using biodynamic methods and no or low sulfur additions. His Frizzante rosé of Styrian grape Blauer Wildbacher is a perennial favorite at the shop. We hope this list inspires you to expand your bubbly horizons, and find new favorites for the holidays and beyond! Cari Bernard
