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Excellent sparkling wines and a good dose of cheerfulness

Champagne glasses
From: Ulrich van Stipriaan
190 years of sparkling wine tradition at Schloss Wackerbarth - top sparkling wines, expertise and award-winning bottle fermentation at Sekt im Park

You have to celebrate the festivities as they fall! 190 years of sparkling wine tradition in Saxony are  a good reason to invite some of Germany's best sparkling wine houses to celebrate sparkling wine in the park at Schloss Wackerbarth over Whitsun. At twelve stations, there were sparkling wines that could stand comparison with the Bøbbles from Champagne. Coincidence? No: knowledge and skill - and it was no coincidence that only sparkling wine makers from the Association of Traditional Sparkling Wine Makers - to which Schloss Wackerbarth also belongs - were on site.

The postcard-perfect backdrop of Schloss Wackerbarth exudes a certain amount of cheerfulness in the glorious sunny weather. The sparkling wine makers on site knew how to support this well - they only had to pass when asked about non-alcoholic or sweet sparkling wine - even those who had such things in their portfolio had left them at home and then also referred to the normal Wackerbarth pagodas: they had it all there, as always. But what they all had with them: a small spectrum of the respective range - including top sparkling wines.

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Since most of the winemakers/sparkling wine producers were on site, there was appropriate first-hand information ("straight from the horse's mouth", as the English say, which is very close). Why the winemakers already have the end product in mind when selecting the base wines (only excellent, gently pressed grapes are considered - and the right timing of the harvest plays an enormous role in achieving a balance of ripeness and freshness). Why only the traditional second fermentation in the bottle comes into question (Traditional, classic bottle fermentation is the irrefutable method when it comes to conjuring up the finest perlage and an unmistakable aroma in the wine). It is precision work with a sure instinct and, with its very special requirements, is pretty much the most complex discipline in winemaking). Why a long yeast ageing period is good for sparkling wines (the wine law stipulates a 9-month ageing period in the bottle - in the association, the standard is usually 24 months or more, sometimes even much more than that...).

This was a fabulous opportunity to taste what is otherwise difficult to obtain by the glass at a flat rate (you could buy 5, 8 or 10 samples for around 2.60/glass). Wackerbarth's Bussard Royal Reserve (at least 42 months on the lees) or the 2019 Blanc de Noir brut (54 months), for example, 2019 l'Artiste brut from Schloss Vaux (60 months), 2019 Chardonnay Cuvée Tradition brut (with 13% reserve wines from 2018) from Sektgut St. Laurentius, 2016 Rosé Reserve (over 120 months on the lees, Sekthaus Raumland), 2018 Riesling brut 50 (Frank John - disgorged after 71 months on the lees) - in total there were over 50 sparkling wines to choose from, and it was a good thing that Whitsun is celebrated on Sunday and Monday, so you could take your time...

A little icing on the cake of great sparkling wines was the fact that excellent (in the literal sense of the word...) sparkling wines could be tasted at the Belvedere: the winners of Meininger's German Sparkling Wine Award 2026! The expert jury had blind tasted 430 sparkling wines in seven categories in advance, and now the winning bottles were in the ice cooler. Once again among the winners: a sparkling wine from Schloss Wackerbarth. The Cuvée Tradition brut, a cuvée of Riesling, Scheurebe and Pinot Blanc, won in the "Variety of sparkling wines" category. And at €16, it also represents an absolute price-pleasure ratio - there are sometimes worse things for more money...

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Ulrich van Stipriaan
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Ulrich van Stipriaan

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