Food & beverage

Sekt and Cava

 TABLE OF CONTENTS
Process Grapes, brands

Defination

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05 06
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Sekt

Sekt is a sparkling wine made in Germany from imported

grapes (generally from Italy or France). Very little is
exported. Germany is the biggest consumer of fizz in the
world and much of this is Sekt! If you’re interested in
trying Sekt, it’s worth looking for bottles labelled as
Deutscher Sekt. In addition to being made sparkling in
Germany, it must also only use grapes grown in
Germany. The best are made from Riesling.
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Sekt Wine
We all may look to Champagne for bubbly inspiration, but 
Germany can claim three top sparkling wine houses. You may
have never heard their names, but together the conglomerate
brands of Rotkäppchen-Mumm, Henkell and Söhnlein, and
Schloss Wachenheim produce 575.4 million bottles each year
(2008 data). Just these 3 brands produce more Sekt than all of
Champagne (which shipped 306.1 million bottles in 2016).
There are an estimated 2,000 producers of Sekt in Germany, the
majority of which are small producers. Of course, as you’ll soon
discover, a lot of the Sekt produced in Germany isn’t from
Germany at all. Say what? Here’s a run down of how German
Sekt is classified and a few notes on how to find quality.
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Sekt wine is a sparkling wine from Germany and Austria

that has lived a mediocre life thus far. It maintained low
quality standards among the other inexpensive bubbly
wines on the market. Recent wine governance changes
have improved Sekt wine. This sparkling wine now
shows great promise to become exceptional. Many
estates are trying to create fine Sekt and give it the
luxury it deserves.
 In Praise of Riesling

● Personally, I think Sekt is most interesting and distinctive

when made using the Riesling grape variety.  Other varieties
are wonderful too but can often seem ubiquitous as other
countries produce much the same stuff.  Riesling, on the other
hand, is fairly unique to this part of the world (though no
doubt some will argue that Alsace does it better) and it is a
variety that wine lovers tend to adore because of its crisp
acidity and its ability to reveal a true expression of terroir (the
earth from whence it came) in the bottle.
● A Brief History
● The German landscape provides excellent conditions for
growing light-bodied, highly acidic wine, making it
perfect for creating sparkling wine. German producers
turned to tank fermentation over in-bottle fermentation,
enabling them to create mass quantities of the wine.
Quantity was more important than quality at the time.
Winemakers created the wine for the locals in Germany;
in fact, there was a time when you couldn’t find it
outside of the country. Nowadays, things are looking up
for this delicious bubbly wine. 
 f

● fGerman Grades
● Sekt wine is either white or rose, and there are four
different grades for German Sekt wine: Sekt, German
Sekt, Sekt b.A., and Winzersekt. Sekt is the lowest
grade possible and is generally avoided. German Sekt is
often made with cheaper grapes that didn’t originate in
Germany. Winzersekt is an exceptionally high-quality
Sekt wine.
● Austrian Grades f
● There are four different grades for Austrian Sekt wine: Sekt, Austrian Sekt, Klassik,
and Reserve. As with German Sekt, this grade of Sekt can be made from a
combination of grapes not grown in Austria. Reserve is the highest-quality grade of
the Austrian Sekt variety.

● Flavor Profile
● It’s challenging to come up with a clear flavor profile for Sekt wine because of its
range in grades and grapes. The appeal of the wine becomes clearer as you achieve
more high-quality grades. Cheaper Sekt wines will taste like overly sweet, carbonated
water, similar to soda.
● Now that you know more about Sekt wine, you can answer the question, “What is
Sekt wine?” Consider bringing it to your next gathering to change up the wine variety.
 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 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”.
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● Brut, extra brut, dry .... and what it actually means
● 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.
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● 1. Hild Elbling Sekt, Mosel
● Grape variety: Elbling
●
●  
● 2. Schlossgut Diel Reserve Riesling Sekt Extra Brut, Nahe
● Grape variety: Riesling
●
●  
● 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
●
●  
● 5. Leitz Pinot Noir Rosé Sekt Brut, Rheingau
● Grape variety: Pinot Noir
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● Markus Molitor, Haus Klosterberg Riesling 2017
● A ripe, rich style of Mosel Kabinett clocking in with 10g/l residual sugar and 11.5%. The
nose was all ripe orchard fruit, the easy-drinking palate had notes of lemon meringue pie
and lemon verbena on the slightly green finish. With a tiny bit of mineral spritz this could
work at any stage of the meal. £12.53 trade. (Bibendum)
● Petri, Pinot Noir 2016
● Ripe, primary fruit belied how dry this Pfalz Pinot actually is. Bit of farmyard here and nice
tannic grip. Good balance, nice finish. £11.95 trade. (Lea&Sandeman)
● Tesch, Queen of Whites Riesling 2016
● A leaner style of Riesling compared to the Molitor, and destined to cut through many a rich
white sauce. This was lifted and fruity on the nose, with just a smidge of petrol, the palate
was lean, mineral, with a smash of fresh lemon on the end which persisted well. The label
looks like it was designed so bottles could gather dust on a shelf (weird Lincoln lookalike in
front of a chess piece) but luckily it’s on-trade we’re talking about and the wine delivers in
the glass. £11.50 trade. (Enotria&Coe)
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● The Coolest wines were this year sensibly limited to five and picked by UK influencers, the
Best On-Trade Wines were just three and picked by Jan Konetzki from Ten Trinity Square,
Charlotte Prescot from Elystan Street and Gustavo Medina from Tate Britain.
● The wines they picked out were all showing well and you could see why they would work
well in on-trade.
 x
● it must be made using the traditional method, within the areas designated and protected by the
Cava Regulatory Board.
● Secondly, Cava can be either white or rosé. In addition, the double classification is both by aging
time, and by sugar content. Finally, a new zoning of the Cava territory gives consumers more
information when selecting Cava.

● Summary table:
● The Characteristics of Cava
 Climate: Mediterranean

 Grape varieties: Xarel-lo, Macabeo, Parellada (traditional coupage) Other authorised varieties: Subirat
Parent (Malvasia), Chardonnay, and the black varieties: Garnacha Negra, Monastrell, Trepat (only for
rosés) and Pinot Noir

 Production method: traditional or champenoise method

 Average price: medium to high

● Types of Cava
● Brut Nature: 0-3 g/l
● Extra Brut: 0-6 g/l
● Brut: up to 12 g/l
 What Does Cava Mean?
● Champana was the original name of Cava. This moniker didn’t stem
from the Champagne wine region in France but actually refers to the
method of fermentation used to turn base wine into bubbly. 
● In 1970, the name Cava, meaning cave or cellar in Catalan, was
adopted to avoid confusion with the French Champagne. The French
use something called ‘Méthode Champenoise Denominación de Origen’
which can be loosely translated to the ‘method from the appellation of
Champagne’. 
● This traditional method of double fermentation is what has
highlighted Champagne in the history books of oenophiles and is used
across the world to create other sparkling wine variations.  
 x
● In 1984, the Codorníu winery introduced Chardonnay grapes to
cava making. The result is Anna de Codorníu Brut Nature, named
after the head of the wine estate in the 17th century. This is the
best selling Cava in Spain, with delicate notes of citrus and
pineapple.

● Rosé Cava, or Cava Rosado in Spanish, is usually made with black

grapes like Trepat. Monastrell, Garnacha and Pinot noir are red
Cava favorites. 
● Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes are often used to make Cava
Reserva, which is aged for a minimum of 18 months. Gran Reserva
Cava has more than 30 months aging in the bottle.
● Blanca Cusiné cava combines xarel·lo, chardonnay and pinot noir
grapes, grown organically and harvested by hand in their Penedès
vineyard.
 x
● Cava Faustino Brut Reserva has well balanced acidity with hints of
honey and flowers. This award-winning wine pairs well with cold
meats, seafood, caviar and strong cheeses.

● Black Label Treasure Gold by Giró Ribot uses a strain of yeast

that increases mannoprotein content of the cava. This, combined
with bottle ageing on the lees for up to 15 months gives the wine a
creamy and velvety taste in the mouth.
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● Where Is Cava Made?
● The vast majority of Cava comes from the Penedès wine region in
Catalonia, in northeast Spain near Barcelona. The Cava DO is not
contiguous: While 95% of Cava comes from Penedès, there are also areas
in Aragón, Euskadi, Extremadura, La Rioja, Navarra, and València that
are authorized to make Cava wine.
● Most Cava production is centered around the town of Sant Sadurní
d’Anoia, where the first Cava was made by José Raventós in 1872. He
was inspired by a trip to France, and brought Champagne-style
winemaking to Spain. The winery Raventós headed, Codorníu, along
with Freixenet and Juvé y Camps, dominate Cava production to this day.
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● What Grapes Make Cava?
● Although single varietal examples exist, Cava is most often made from a
blend of grapes, each of which brings its own character to the wine. The
traditional white grapes of Cava production are:
 Macabeu (also called macabeo or viura). This grape is easy to grow in
Spain’s climate and resistant to oxidation. It adds body and is relatively
neutral in flavor.
 Xarel·lo. This grape adds acidity, earthiness, and a lime blossom aroma.
 Parellada. This grape has green apple and citrus notes.
● Subirat, the local name for malvasia, is sometimes used to give extra
perfume to the wine. The French grape varieties pinot noir and
chardonnay are not traditional, but they are allowed in Cava DO wines.
● Rosado styles of Cava are made from the red grapes garnacha,
monastrell, pinot noir, and/or trepat (a Catalan variety).
 x
● The Different Styles of Cava
● Cava is labeled according to the amount of sweetness added to the wine
at bottling, in terms of grams per liter of sugar. Most Cava is brut or extra
brut.
 Brut Nature: 0-3 grams per liter
 Extra Brut: 0-6 g/l
 Brut: 0-12 g/l
 Extra Seco (Extra Dry): 12-17 g/l
 Seco (Dry): 17-32 g/l
 Semi-Seco (Semi-Dry): 32-50 g/l
 Dolç/dulce (Sweet): 50+ g/l
 x
● In 1984, the Codorníu winery introduced Chardonnay grapes to
cava making. The result is Anna de Codorníu Brut Nature, named
after the head of the wine estate in the 17th century. This is the
best selling Cava in Spain, with delicate notes of citrus and
pineapple.

● Rosé Cava, or Cava Rosado in Spanish, is usually made with black

grapes like Trepat. Monastrell, Garnacha and Pinot noir are red
Cava favorites. 
● Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes are often used to make Cava
Reserva, which is aged for a minimum of 18 months. Gran Reserva
Cava has more than 30 months aging in the bottle.
● Blanca Cusiné cava combines xarel·lo, chardonnay and pinot noir
grapes, grown organically and harvested by hand in their Penedès
vineyard.
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