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 22nd of October is celebrated in Austria as the Day of Austrian Sekt. This year it was slightly different with the introduction of the three-tier quality pyramid for Austrian Sekt with Protected Designation of Origin (Sekt g.U.) The g.U. stands for ‘mit geschützter Ursprungsbezeichnung’ and is not necessary to comprehend so long as you understand it is a PDO bubbly- the new system in the EU that means roughly an AOC wine in the past or DOC in Italy.
Cava vs. Sekt g.U.
The PDO system has been created so that the Austrian Sekt (sparkling wine in Germany and Austria) producers communicate clear information to consumers purchasing sparkling wine defining the point of origin as well as a style of certified quality to be anticipated. Klassik, Reserve & Grosse Reserve (Grand Reserve) indicate varying lengths of time spent maturing on the lees-9, 18 and 30 months respectively. Although there are other differences between Cava and Sekt g.U., their Classification defines similar age on lees for the 3 styles (except Sekt g.U. Reserve which must be aged for 18 months). Cava has the maturing period of 9, 15 and 30 months on the lees for the second fermentation in the bottle, for the classification of Classic, Reserve and Grand Reserve. For details, please visit IWINETC 2016: Cava –The ‘Champagne’ of Spain .
The Cava Regulatory Council has also introduced this year the top level Cava de Paraje Calificado where the maturing is for a minimum of 36 months, along with more stringent quality restrictions. For details, visit Cava de Paraje Calificado: Top Quality Certification for Cava
The regular Austrian Sekt will continue to exist. The label need only to mention’ Osterreichischer Qualitätsschaumwein’ or Sekt and obviously it will be much simpler and affordable.
Levels of Classification of Sekt PDO
According to the Austrian Wine Marketing Board (AWMB), the official body to promote export of Austrian wines, following are the highlights of the difference in quality for the PDO Sekt (Sekt g.U.):
Level 1 – Klassik (Classic)
Grapes are harvested in one of the Austrian federal States. Second fermentation may be conducted anywhere in Austria. It may not be released to the consumer before 22 October of the following year. Alcohol level must be limited to 12.5% and indicated on the label. Although minimum 9 months of maturation on the lees are allowed, it allows all methods suitable for sparkling wine production. All styles with dosage levels, colours (white, rose or red) are permitted. There may not be any indication of origin than the Austrian federal state. Vintage designation is permitted. Of course the grapes must be processed according to the Austrian Wine Laws.
Level 2 – Reserve
Grapes must be hand harvested and pressed in whole-clusters in a single Austrian federal state and use traditional bottle fermentation for a minimum of 18 months in the bottle. It allows 60% extraction of juice. There may be no indication of origin other than Austrian federal state, with no vineyard/commune designation permitted. Vintage may be printed on the label. Interestingly this classification must be only brut, extra brut or brut nature- meaning that the sugar level may be between 12-0 gm/liter. Unlike in Champagne, one may not produce a Rose Brut by blending red & white wines.
Level 3 – Grosse Reserve (Grand Reserve)
Grapes are hand harvested and put in baskets not higher than 35 cms to avoid bruising and pressed in whole clusters in a single municipality and using traditional bottle fermentation, maturing a minimum of 30 months on the lees. Only 50% juice is allowed to be extracted. If one uses grapes from registered sites, vineyard designation (like Langenlois, Gols or Gamlitz) is permitted (think Monopole in Burgundy); so is Vintage designation. It must also be dry styled with a maximum residual sugar of 12 gms/liter- just like the ‘Reserve’. Grapes must be pressed in their district of origin, though grape-must may be transported as in Champagne. There are currently no upper or lower limits regarding the alcohol levels in the bottle. Sekt in this category may first be released to the market three years after the harvest.
 There are minor issues still to be tackled by the Austrian Sekt Committee which works closely with the Austrian Wine Marketing Board but the small country of Austria is very serious about raising quality standards of all its wines and now sparkling wines are the focus. Although the Austrian Sekt g.U. (Protected Designation of Origin- PDO) has different levels of quality which shall vie for a place next to champagne soon, it would not be looking to be compared to Cava where the grapes are totally different and the price much more affordable due to the quantity.
As an extra layer of protection for the consumer, Sekt g.U. (PDO) may be offered for sale only after their marketability has been officially determined by the Federal Office for Viticulture or the Higher Federal Technical College and the Federal Agency for Production of Wine and Fruit (something which would raise eyebrows in India if applicable, due to various reasons not relevant to the Article) but Austrians are making efforts to ensure that the best quality sparkling wines (Sekt) leave the country or the wineries.
Day of Australian Sekt
One day before the Day of Austrian Sekt (October 22), the Austrian Sekt Committee provided a tasteful prelude for the third year in a row. Over 30 first-class Austrian Sekt producers offered around 100 labels of Sekt for tasting in Vienna’s Museums Quartier. They also invited visitors to ask questions concerning the cellars.
In order to continue this enthusiasm and to firmly anchor the sparkling concept of Austrian Sekt g.U. throughout the year, the Sekt Committee appointed a Sekt Ambassador for the first time. Dr. Ferdinand Maier, president of the board of trustees of the organisation Kulinarisches Erbe (Culinary Heritage) will represent the Sekt g.U. and promote it in the Austrian culinary scene. He will also encourage the matching of Austrian culinary delicacies with Sekt.
It would be an interesting bubbly to try matching with the spicy Indian food, a lot of which may overpower the flavours in the Sekt but some of the dishes would be a perfect match.
Subhash Arora |