Where the name came from
There is a popular belief that the sparkling wine got its name by accident. Some talented people translated Shakespeare into German. Others staged the play “Henry V”. Sir John Falstaff in it loudly praises the merits of “sherries sack”, that is, classic Spanish sherry. We have already had a lovely chat about it.
So, Ludwig Devrient, who played that very Falstaff, decided to have a drink after a performance in Berlin. Late evening, 1825. The actor, still in character, demands of the waiter in his favorite bar: “Bring me a cup of sherry, lad!” The waiter did not realize he was being quoted Shakespeare. So, with no ulterior motive, he brings a glass of champagne, since that was what the actor usually drank.
Exactly a year later, the name Sekt officially entered use among German winemakers.
It is a lovely story, of course, but not quite accurate. The first documented use of the word Sekt dates to 1805, two decades before the Berlin incident. But the term became widespread precisely after Devrient’s performance. And in 1925 the word was officially fixed in wine legislation, after the term Champagner was reserved exclusively for champagne from the Champagne region.
By the way, the first German producer of Sekt by the traditional method was Georg Christian Kessler, in 1826, after working at the house of Veuve Clicquot. His company still exists today.
What the label says
Winzersekt is an individual wine. Released in the name of the winemaker, or even by the winemaker personally. For this sparkling wine the grapes are not bought in. Oh no. They are grown on the producer’s own farm. It is made the classic way, with secondary fermentation in the bottle.
When the wine has matured, the bottles are sent to riddling racks. There they are turned, changing the angle of tilt, so that the yeast collects at the neck. Then the necks are dipped in a cooling brine, and the yeast plug is removed. The bottles are re-corked with a cork and a wire cage, or muselet.
In all other cases the Charmat method is almost always used, with secondary fermentation in tanks.
Deutscher Sekt means that the sparkling wine is made from German grapes, predominantly Riesling.
Austrian Qualitätsschaumwein / Sekt is made only from grape varieties permitted in Austria. Moreover, a protected-origin wine, Österreichischer Sekt mit geschützter Ursprungsbezeichnung, may be produced only with the following designations:
- Klassik — grapes from a single terroir, aged at least 9 months;
- Reserve — traditional secondary fermentation in the bottle;
- Große Reserve — a single wine-growing municipality, aged at least 18 months.
Qualitätsschaumwein bestimmter Anbaugebiete (QbA) — quality sparkling wines. The label must state the origin: one of the 13 wine regions. Sugar may be added to the must.
Qualitätsschaumwein mit Prädikat (QmP) — now the highest class of sparkling wine. It tolerates no additives. The label notes the terroir, the variety, even the ripeness level of the grapes.
Oh, the Germans really do have a long and tangled wine vocabulary. People love complications, what can you do.
The Germans, by the way, have the highest per-capita consumption of sparkling wine in the world. At the same time, mass-market Sekt (usually made by the Charmat method) accounts for the overwhelming share of volume, while the premium categories, Winzersekt and the traditional method, take less than 10% of the market. Although they are getting more and more attention thanks to VDP (Verband der Prädikatsweingüter) initiatives and growing interest in Riesling Sekts.
What to avoid
If the label says just Schaumwein, throw that muck in the face of the swindler who dared to serve it to you. Because it is wine pumped full of carbon dioxide. Or, as we put it before, the urine of a donkey with gonorrhea.
If the label shows Cuvée, then what you are holding is a blended wine made from several grape varieties. Sometimes a successful one.
How to drink it
Sekt is usually released from the cellars at its peak of maturity. Of course, you can put a bottle in a home wine fridge, but it is not recommended. Sekt does not like being overripe.
But it loves coolness. Sparkling wine should be well chilled, to about 6–8°. And then served.
Always in tall glasses. So that the play of the bubbles and the delicate floral-berry aroma fill the whole room. Flat glasses would spoil all the pleasure here.
Sekt has a delicate taste. A light tartness, pleasant sweetness, a barely noticeable aftertaste. This is a sparkling wine about pleasure, which should not be interrupted by food.
Well, all right. If you really want to, a little young cheese or a low-sugar dessert will do.