Worth knowing

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Agraffe

The agraffe (known in French as muselet, literally "muzzle") is a wire cage that encloses the cork and secures it against the pressure inside a sparkling wine bottle. For natural corks, a small metal disc (called plaque in French) is added underneath to prevent the wire from cutting into the cork. The agraffe is part of the sparkling wine’s official closure system, which is protected by EU law.

Base Wine

The base wine is a still wine that forms the foundation for sparkling wine production. It has undergone primary fermentation and is typically made from grapes harvested earlier to retain fresh acidity. It is not to be confused with standard table wine, as it is specifically tailored for sparkling wine. The term base wine refers to its role in the next step, undergoing a second fermentation.

Cuvée

The term Cuvée originates from the French word cuve, meaning fermentation tank. Its interpretation varies across countries. In France, it refers to any bottled wine from an estate, whether a single-vineyard wine or a blend. In German usage, however, the term is used specifically for blends — meaning the co-fermentation or mixing of different grape varieties in a single tank. A cuvée can enhance wine quality by harmonizing fruit, tannins, and alcohol. The final composition reflects the winemaker's philosophy: some cuvées are assembled right after pressing, others during maturation such as post-malolactic fermentation or shortly before bottling.

Cork Taint

If wine or sparkling wine tastes musty or moldy, the cork is often to blame. A defective or porous cork can negatively affect the wine’s aroma and flavor, in some cases rendering it undrinkable.

Disgorging

Disgorging refers to the removal of yeast sediment left over from the second fermentation. This step, known as degorgieren in German and dégorgement in French, is a key process in traditional bottle-fermented sparkling wine production. It follows the riddling process, which collects the yeast deposit in the bottle neck.

Two methods are available to winemakers: warm disgorging and cold disgorging. The warm method, traditionally done manually at cellar temperatures around 10 °C, requires considerable skill. Today, the cold method, introduced by Frenchman Armand Walfard in 1884, is more common. Using the Walfard technique, bottles are chilled to –15 to –35 °C, solidifying the yeast in the neck. When the cork is removed, the frozen plug is expelled without losing carbonation. The small wine loss is topped up with dosage. Winemakers often allow the wine to rest in the bottle for another three months to recover from the “disgorging shock.” The legally protected term récemment dégorgé indicates the date of disgorging and may be noted on the label.

Dosage

The dosage or shipping dosage (distinct from the tirage or filling dosage added to initiate the second fermentation) is added after the second fermentation. It determines the final sugar level and therefore the taste profile of the sparkling wine. The following categories apply:

• Brut nature (naturherb): under 3 g sugar/l
• Extra brut (extra herb): 0–6 g sugar/l
• Brut (herb): less than 12 g sugar/l
• Extra dry (extra trocken): 12–17 g sugar/l
• Dry (trocken): 17–32 g sugar/l
• Medium dry (halbtrocken): 32–50 g sugar/l
• Sweet (mild, doux): more than 50 g sugar/l

Frappé Cooling

Frappé cooling is a simple method to bring sparkling wine quickly to drinking temperature. Place the bottle in a cooler, fill it with ice and water, and generously sprinkle salt over the top. While gently rotating the bottle by the neck for a few minutes, the salt accelerates ice melt and thus intensifies the cooling effect.

Moussier Point

Most sparkling wine glasses have a small etched or roughened point at the bottom, known as the moussier point (from French mousse = foam). It encourages a steady stream of fine bubbles to rise in a straight line.

Official Test Number (Amtliche Prüfnummer)

Since 1995, sparkling wine with protected designation of origin (Sekt b.A.) and in some cases varietal sparkling wines are issued an official test number as a certificate of special quality. According to German wine law, the producer must submit three sample bottles to the local wine authority for testing. If approved, the test number is printed on the label. The A.P. number includes the following information:

A.P. No.: 1 234 567 89 10

• Testing authority: 1
• Location of applicant: 234
• Applicant’s business number: 567
• Applicant’s bottling number: 89
• Year of application: 10

Opening a Sparkling Wine Bottle

1. Tear the foil at the designated spot.
2. Hold the bottle neck with your left hand (if right-handed), keeping your thumb on the cork.
3. Untwist the wire cage and remove it, always keeping the cork secured.
4. While firmly holding the cork, gently twist the bottle, not the cork, to ease it out.

If it refuses to come out, a nutcracker or a special pair of Sekt pliers may help. To ensure the cork does not injure anyone when it pops out, please point the bottle away from people at all times.

Second Fermentation

The second fermentation transforms base wine into sparkling wine. After adding sugar and yeast, the wine blend (cuvée) is fermented again in bottles or pressure tanks. The yeast converts the sugar into alcohol, and the resulting CO₂ remains trapped, giving the wine its sparkle.

Sekt b.A.

Sekt b.A. ("bestimmter Anbaugebiete" or "quality sparkling wine from a designated region") is a German classification for sparkling wine made exclusively from grapes grown in one of Germany’s 13 wine regions. The region and the official test number must appear on the label.

Serving Temperature

To best enjoy its aroma and flavor, sparkling wine should be served well chilled, ideally at 6 to 10 °C. If too cold or too warm, its character can be lost. Do not freeze; instead, chill slowly in the refrigerator.

Sparkling Wine (Schaumwein)

Sparkling wine is a general term for wine-based beverages containing dissolved carbon dioxide with a pressure of at least 3 bar at 20 °C.
There are three types, based on how the carbonation is produced:

1. Carbonated – CO₂ is added externally.
2. First fermentation – CO₂ arises naturally during primary fermentation.
3. Second fermentation – CO₂ forms during a second fermentation, such as in the traditional bottle method.

Sparkling Wine Bottle Sizes

In addition to the standard 0.75-liter bottle, sparkling wine comes in many sizes:

• Piccolo (0.2 L)
• Demi / Filette (0.375 L)
• Standard bottle (0.75 L)
• Magnum (1.5 L)
• Double Magnum / Jeroboam (3 L)
• Rehoboam (4.5 L)
• Methuselah (6 L)
• Salmanazar (9 L)
• Balthazar (12 L)
• Nebuchadnezzar (15 L)
• Melchior / Goliath (18 L)
• Souverain / Sovereign (25.5 L)
• Primat (27 L)
• Melchizedek (30 L)

Sparkling Wine Closure System (Schaumweinausstattung)

This refers to the bottle’s closure and is protected by EU law. It includes a mushroom-shaped stopper made of cork or another food-grade material, secured with a retaining device and often topped with a metal cap. The neck and stopper are partially or fully covered in foil. Foil may be omitted if safety is otherwise ensured. Bottles of up to 0.2 l may use alternative closures like screw caps.

Sparkling Wine Glass

The ideal sparkling wine glass is slender towards the rim to minimize surface area and slow the release of aromas and bubbles. Narrower glasses are suited for fruit-forward styles. Slightly bulbous glasses that narrow towards the top are ideal for aged sparkling wines with complex secondary and tertiary aromas. The ideal glass depends on the style of sparkling wine being served.

Storage of Sekt Bottles

Sparkling wine bottles should ideally be stored upright, in a dark place, and at a constant cool temperature. Special surface treatments allow the bottles to withstand high internal pressure. Avoid storing them in stone or clay racks, as sharp edges can damage the bottle coating. Once released from the winery, sparkling wine is ready for consumption and will maintain its quality for about one to three years if stored properly. Bottles sealed with natural cork generally keep longer than those with plastic closures.

Opened bottles should be resealed with a special sparkling wine stopper and refrigerated. This retains carbonation and freshness for another one to two days.

Vegan Sparkling Wine

Gelatin is permitted in the manufacturing process and used as required. It helps to bind any insoluble matter in the wine and is filtered out to the highest degree possible following clarification. If gelatin has been used, the Sekt cannot be labelled a vegan product.

Vintage Sparkling Wine

A sparkling wine made from at least 85% grapes harvested in a single year, capturing the unique characteristics of that vintage.