Sekt refers to any German sparkling wine – a delicious world of fizz that the UK has yet to discover! Sekt is über-popular in Germany – Germans drink more sparkling per capita than anywhere else in the world. In Germany, you don’t have to wait for a momentous occasion to crack open the bubbles – it’s not unusual to pop a cork on a weeknight!
Sekt is typically made from one grape variety rather than a blend – around 50% of premium German Sekt is made from Riesling and another 30% is made from the three Pinots – Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris – pinot cuvées are also common.
One thing to note is that the word ‘Sekt’ is not a protected term, in the same way that ‘Champagne’ is. This means that there is some variation to what you could expect from a bottle labelled ‘Sekt’. On one hand you might get a wine with a light, fruity style, made in the same way as Prosecco, or you might have a traditional method sparkling, produced in the same way as Champagne, with the same richness and toasty character.
This having been said, there are a couple of terms that you can look out for on a label that may help you make your choice:
- Deutscher Sekt means that 100% of the grapes in the wine come from Germany
- Winzersekt is a mark of high quality – it means that the Sekt is single vintage, from a single grape variety or pinot cuvée and that the wine has been produced in the traditional (Champagne) method and aged on lees for at least 9 months
To find out more about the delights of Sekt, including what cocktails to make with it, take a look at our Sekt guide.
There are a few delicious German Sekt starting to make their way into the UK market – pick one up and I’m sure you won’t be disappointed!
Give one of these a stunning Sekts a try:
- Gysler Riesling Brut 2015, Oddbins
- Solter Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Sekt, The Wine Barn
- Griesel Blanc de Noir Brut 2014, The Wine Barn
- Reichsrat von Buhl Riesling Brut Sekt 2015, Laithwaite’s
- Andreas Bender Riesling Sekt Brut, Bottle Apostle (This comes in magnums too!)
All photo credits: Matt the List
