Every month, our 5 to Try series showcases five examples of stellar wines from varying wine styles, grapes, and Germany’s 13 winegrowing regions. As an alternative to Champagne, Prosecco, and Cava, seek out sensational German Sekt!
Some save sparkling wine for special occasions, but in Germany (where it’s called Sekt), folks embrace bubbles for everyday drinking. In fact, sparkling wine is so popular there that Germans drink more per capita than any other market in the world, annually consuming about one fifth of the nearly 2 billion bottles of bubbly produced worldwide! The country is also the 3rd largest producer of sparkling wine, after France and Italy.
The origins of Sekt date back hundreds of years, starting in the early 19th century when a number of German winemakers studied sparkling wine production in Champagne. Some stayed and became instrumental in the founding of famous Champagne houses (Krug, Bollinger, etc), while some brought their learnings back to Germany to establish the country’s own sparkling wines. German Sekt production quickly skyrocketed, and by the end of the 19th century, producers recognized the need to set regulations to protect the quality of sparkling wine labeled as Sekt and began to apply branding and adhere to stricter quality control. Today, smaller producers are leading the Sekt revolution in quality and international awareness.
While all German grape varieties can be used to make Sekt, the top grape varieties for Sekt production are:
- White: Riesling, Pinot Blanc (Weissburgunder), Chardonnay, Pinot Gris (Grauburgunder), Elbling
- Rosé or Blanc de Noir: Pinot Noir (Spätburgunder), Pinot Meunier (Schwarzriesling)
Sekt produced from Riesling is often racy, with pronounced acidity and minerality. The styles can range from extra dry to sweet. Classic Riesling flavors of citrus, apple, and peach come alive in Riesling Sekt. Sekt produced using Pinot Noir (Spätburgunder) is celebrated for juicy strawberry and raspberry flavors, ranging from extra brut to mild.
Learn more about Sekt here, and pop one of the below bottles to bring some much needed sparkle to any night! We recommend Wine-Searcher to find where to shop in-store, and Wine.com for shipping straight to you.
1. Hild Elbling Sekt, Mosel
Grape variety: Elbling
Find near you: Wine-Searcher.com
2. Schlossgut Diel Reserve Riesling Sekt Extra Brut, Nahe
Grape variety: Riesling
Buy now: Wine.com
Find near you: Wine-Searcher.com
3. Sekthaus Raumland “Cuvee Katharina” Blanc de Noir Sekt, Rheinhessen
Grape varieties: Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier
4. Dr. Loosen “Dr. L” Riesling Sekt, Mosel
Grape variety: Riesling
Buy now: Wine.com
Find near you: Wine-Searcher.com
5. Leitz Pinot Noir Rosé Sekt Brut, Rheingau
Grape variety: Pinot Noir
Find near you: Wine-Searcher.com
Don’t forget to tag and follow @GermanWineUSA!
