Falstaff Sekt-Trophies
In 2018, for the first time, the Falstaff Sekt-Trophies were awarded, in 7 categories. Common to all of them was that the Sekt had to be made in the Méthode Champenoise.
122 different Sekts (all made in the Méthode Champenoise) were submitted and rated. 80 of them received a rating of 90 points or better.
Sekt in Germany
Germany is one of the largest sparkling wine markets in the world. 500 million of the 2 billion bottles of sparkling wine produced in the world is consumed in Germany. Sparkling wine produced in Germany is called Sekt. Sekt is made in all German wine regions. All of the 5 production methods are used.
There are three groups of Sekt makers: (i) large and (ii) smaller Sekt Houses, which only make Sekt and (iii) winemakers, who make predominantly wine, but complement their wine selection by a few Sekts.
The Sekts produced by large Sekt estates tend to be in the demy-sweet and sweet range and made by using the Charmat Method, while the Sekts of smaller estates and winemakers are mostly in the brut and extra brut range, made according to the Méthode Champenoise.
At the top, premium and ultra-premium Sekts are made according to the Méthode Champenoise. To indicate that it is made like Champagne the label says "Traditionelle Flachengährung"/ Traditional Method. One of the rquirements is that it has aged on the lees in the bottle for at least 9 months on the lees.
"Winzersekt" is what is called "Grower Champagne" in Champagne, i.e. the grapes come from the producer's vineyard.
A Winzersekt is always a Deutscher Sekt/ Qualitätsschaumwein b.A. (bestimmter Anbaugebiete), a quality sparkling wine from a protected designation of origin wine region. Regional grape varieties like Riesling, Silvaner, and Pinot Noir are used.is 7,000 cases annually.
On the other side of the quality spectrum, you find just "Sekt" on the label, made at least partially from imported wines from Italy, Spain and France. If it says "Deutscher Sekt", the grapes are all from Germany.
There are also lots of semi-sparkling wines (Perlwein), which can range from really cheap to excellent quality wines.
German production of sparkling wines dates back to the early 1800s, when G. C. Kessler & Co. was founded by Georg Christian Kessler, who had previously worked at the Champagne House Veuve Clicquot. Also, many (French) Champagne Houses have German origins, such as Bollinger, Mumm, Taitinger.
Falstaff
The wine/food/travel journal Falstaff has been around for a number of years, issued in Vienna, Austria, and reporting about wine, food and travel from an Austrian perspective, for Austria-based readers. A few years ago, Falstaff expanded into the German wine and food scene and started to issue a German version of Falstaff in addition to the well established Austrian version.
Falstaff Sekt Trophies 2018: The Winners
Here are the winners in each of the 7 categories.
Rieslingsekt
2013 Geisenheim Rothenberg Riesling Sekt Brut
Weingüter Wegeler – Gutshaus Rheingau
Blanc de Blancs
2007 Vintage Chardonnay Brut Nature
Sekthaus Raumland
Cuvée
2010 X. Triumvirat Grande Cuvée Brut
Sekthaus Raumland
Brut Nature
2011 Brut Nature
Weingut Aldinger
Rosé
2014 Rosé Réserve brut
Sektmanufaktur Schloss Vaux
Spät Degorgiert/ Late Disgorgement
1998 Bardong Reserve brut
Sektkellerei Bardong
Blanc de Noirs
2012 Pinot Blanc de Noirs brut
Wein- und Sektgut Wilhelmshof
schiller-wine: Related Postings
UPCOMING Tours/ Wine Dinners/ Tastings - Annette and Christian Schiller/ ombiasyPR & WineTours/ schiller-wine, Germany, France, USA (Issued: July 2, 2018)
Ombiasy Wine Tours 2018: 3 x France and 3 x Germany - Ombiasy Newsletter December 2017
Germany-East Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Art, Culture, History - Berlin, Saale-Unstrut, Sachsen, Württemberg, Franken
Visit of a Small, Premium Sekt Producer: Sektkellerei Bardong in the Rheingau, Germany – Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), Germany
Tasting at Sekthaus Raumland in Flörsheim-Dalsheim, Rheinhessen, with Heide-Rose and Volker Raumland - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours
Tour and Wine Tasting with Lunch, with Mark Barth at Wein- und Sektgut Barth in Hattenheim, Rheingau – Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)
Cellar Tour, Tasting and Dinner at Wein- und Sektgut F.B. Schönleber in Östrich-Winkel, Rheingau, with Ralp and Bernd Schönleber - Germany-North Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours
German Wine Basics: Sekt
Champagne, Sekt, Cava, Pét-Nat ...: Sparkling Wines around the World - A Prime
Salon Tasting at Schiller's Home: Sparkling Wines of the World
German Wine Makers in the World: The Korbel Brothers from Bohemia Introduced "Champagne" to the US
Visiting Rotkaeppchen-Mumm - the Second Largest Producer of Sparkling Wine in the World - in Freyburg (Saale-Unstrut), Germany
Saint Valentine's Day: French Champagne, German Sekt or Virginia Sparkler!
German Wine Makers in the World: Anton Mueller Invented the Remuage Technique Revolutionizing Sparkling Wine Drinking, 1800s, France
German Wine Makers in the World: Eduard Werle --- Owner of the Veuve Cliquot Champagne house (France)
German Wine Makers in the World: Robert Alwin Schlumberger--the Father of Austrian Sekt (Austria)
Best German Winemakers: Falstaff Wine Trophies 2018
Given that there are some Pét-Nats, which would be produced in the méthode ancestral, it doesn't seem like a requirement that they were made in the champagne method.
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