Jörg Geiger Cuvée No. 11 non-alcoholic. Sparkling non-alcoholic cuvée made from unripe apples and oak leaves – lemony fresh, with a woody tannin finish.

Jörg Geiger Cuvée No. 11 non-alcoholic is a numbered cuvée from the Jörg Geiger manufactory in Schlat on the Swabian Alb: 90 percent apple juice from Swabian meadow fruit (WiesenObst), plus pear juice, an extract of oak leaves, herbs and spices, sparkling, 0.0% alcohol, 750 ml. Not an apple spritzer substitute, not a sparkling wine – a culinary companion with a woody note.

Cuvée No. 11 by Jörg Geiger belongs to the manufactory's numbered cuvées. These are independent, non-alcoholic compositions that Jörg Geiger has developed for fine dining and sophisticated food pairings. They are deliberately kept separate from the PriSecco brand. Each number represents its own concept; for No. 11, it is: unripe apple and oak leaves. Early-harvested apples provide acidity and freshness, while the oak leaves provide wood and tannin. An autumn Sunday, wild mushrooms simmering on the stove, a terrine waiting in the oven: this is exactly where a glass belongs that tastes of apple and smells of the forest.

Taste

On the nose, No. 11 reveals an intense scent of ripe apples. Combined with the woody notes of the oak leaves, spicy, herbal nuances emerge. On the palate, it tastes of rich apple, carried by a fine, lemony acidity. The tannin from the wood manifests in the long, fresh finish.

This finish is what makes this cuvée special. Although the oak leaves account for only 0.1 percent, they give it noticeable tannin, a slightly drying structure similar to a wine aged in wood. It is fitting that the manufactory uses the Boskoop for No. 11, according to their own variety list, an apple with plenty of acidity.

Usage

You should drink No. 11 well chilled at 8 to 10 °C from a champagne flute. As an aperitif, it opens the evening fresh and lemony. For the table, the manufactory recommends a rabbit terrine with sautéed wild mushrooms, truffle pasta, and pan-fried fish. These are dishes with earthy forest flavors, butter, and roasted aromas, and that is exactly where the woody note from the glass hits the mark.

Tagliatelle with a bit of truffle butter, a mushroom pan with bread dumplings, or a zander fillet pan-seared skin-side down work just as well in everyday life. For those who want to mix an alcoholic aperitif, the manufactory recommends adding four centiliters of Don't call me Gin to the glass.

Our tip: Sear the wild mushrooms in butter and add a little thyme only at the very end. The roasted aromas of the mushrooms and the wood in the glass will match perfectly.

Origin

No. 11 comes from the Jörg Geiger manufactory in Schlat at the foot of the Swabian Alb. Jörg Geiger is a trained chef and took over his parents' inn, the Lamm, in 1997. The first numbered cuvée, No. 7, was created in 2009. Since then, a whole series has been added, each with its own fruit profile and purpose at the table. The manufactory has dedicated contacts for restaurants, and the cuvées are intended exactly for this type of food pairing, according to the producer. You can bring that same approach to your own dinner table at home.

The raw material is Swabian meadow fruit (WiesenObst): old, often tart apple and pear varieties from local meadow orchards, supplied by farmers in the surrounding area. The Boskoop is among the varieties explicitly mentioned by the manufactory. All steps from delivery to bottling take place at the manufactory. Because the cuvée is based on juice, its alcohol content is 0.0 percent.

For whom

No. 11 is for everyone looking for a structured non-alcoholic drink to pair with food and who enjoys acidity. It suits autumn menus, mushroom dinners with friends, and any evening where a white wine aged in wood would be missing. If you prefer your apple with a spicy, sharp kick, opt for the PriSecco Apfelsinfonie. You can find all the cuvées on our Jörg Geiger page. No. 11 is not suitable for those expecting a sweet, rounded fruit soda – it is lean, acidic, and tart on the finish.

Unripe apple and oak leaves – the non-alcoholic cuvée from Schlat for mushrooms, terrine, and pan-fried fish.