Sparkling wine from apples and pears, cider and dessert wine

Sparkling wine is a wine with enough dissolved carbon dioxide to create a pressure of at least 3 bar in a sealed bottle. In this category, it is usually made from fruit: from old apple and pear varieties from the Swabian Alb, fermented like wine and partly aged in the bottle on the lees. In addition, there is cider and semi-sparkling wine with low alcohol, ice apple wine as a dessert wine, and three fruit wines in the port wine style.

Sale only to persons aged 16 and over. The dessert wines in the port wine style are fortified with spirits and are only sold to persons aged 18 and over.

From light to liqueur-like: an overview of the styles

Cider and semi-sparkling wine

Cider is sparkling apple wine, often with pear. The ciders from Jörg Geiger are partially fermented: the fermentation is stopped before all the fruit sugar has turned into alcohol. This keeps them light and fruity at 3.0 to 3.5% vol. A semi-sparkling wine has less pressure than a sparkling wine at 1 to 2.5 bar and has a gentler fizz, such as the Sommernachtstraum (Summer Night's Dream) made from apple wine with elderflower.

Bottle fermentation

In traditional bottle fermentation, the base wine undergoes a second fermentation in the bottle, during which the carbon dioxide is produced naturally. The longer it rests on the lees, the finer and creamier the perlage becomes. Jörg Geiger uses this method with old, single-varietal fruits like the Haux apple or the Champagne Bratbirne (pear). Sekt is made from grapes; when made from fruit, the result is called fruit sparkling wine, apple sparkling wine, or pear sparkling wine.

Ice apple wine and dessert wine in the port wine style

For the ice apple wine, night frosts on the northern escarpment of the Swabian Alb concentrate the apples, resulting in a honey-sweet wine with vibrant acidity. Port wine itself is a protected designation of origin from the Douro Valley in Portugal. The fruit wines in the port wine style follow this method: fermentation is stopped with apple, pear, or cherry spirit, after which they are aged in wooden barrels.

Our producers

Almost all the bottles come from the Manufaktur Jörg Geiger in Schlat on the Swabian Alb. Very popular is the Swabian cider mild made from meadow apples and culinary pears with 3.0% vol, as well as the sweet Cuvée of culinary pears in organic quality with 2.0% vol. The meadow fruit cider is off-dry and contains no added sugar.

For sparkling wine made via bottle fermentation, we offer the dry Champagner Bratbirne with present tannins and the Haux apple sparkling wine, aged for at least 15 months on the lees, both at 7.5% vol. The ice apple wine made from Bittenfelder seedlings has around 220 g of residual sugar per liter at 5% vol, also available in a wooden box. In the port wine style, we have AP Apple aged in chestnut barrels, BP Pear in acacia and Sauternes barrels, and KP Cherry in used Banyuls barrels, each at 18% vol. The Sommernachtstraum is lighter and floral.

Our top seller comes from Hesse: The Pomp Klassik Cuvée by DR. HÖHL'S from Maintal combines 65% Riesling Sekt with 35% apple wine, inspired by the Frankfurt "Herrschafts-Gespritzten", zesty and dry-fruity with 10% vol.

Serving and pairing

Sparkling wine and cider should be served well-chilled, dessert wines slightly warmer: KP Cherry, for example, at 14°C. The mild cider works well as an aperitif with herb cream cheese, while the meadow fruit cider is great for a snack with medium-aged cheese. The Champagner Bratbirne accompanies wild game terrine or crispy fried pike-perch, the Haux apple sparkling wine goes with cured salmon or roast beef. Blue cheese or berry cake pair well with the culinary pear cuvée. Ice apple wine is served with warm apple tart or to finish a meal, BP Pear with aged Parmesan, and KP Cherry with a chocolate dessert.

Good to know

• Alcohol content: from 2.0% vol for the culinary pear cuvée to 18% vol for the dessert wines in the port wine style; the information is provided for each product.
• Sweetness: Dry sparkling wines like the Bratbirne have around 18 g of residual sugar per liter, the mild cider around 65 g, and the ice apple wine around 220 g.
• Bottle sizes: 750 ml for sparkling wine and mild cider, 330 ml for the meadow fruit cider, 375 ml for the ice apple wine, 700 ml in a gift box for the dessert wines in the port wine style.
• Storage: cool, dark, and quiet; chill sparkling wines for a few hours before opening. You can find information about sulfites on the label.

Other drinks

These bottles belong to our drinks collection. If you prefer to toast without alcohol: under non-alcoholic drinks you will find PriSecco, dealcoholized wines, and cider under 0.5% vol, also from Jörg Geiger. You can find a digestif glass for spirits and liqueurs under Glassware & Bar Accessories.

Order sparkling wine and cider online

Whether for a birthday, a fall game dinner, or as a gift in a wooden box: at Leni & Hans, you can order sparkling wine, cider, and dessert wine online, and your package will be with you in 1–3 days.