Jörg Geiger Cuvée No. 7 non-alcoholic. Non-alcoholic cuvée made from Gelbmöstler pear and Damson plum – with lemon verbena and wintery spices.

Jörg Geiger Cuvée No. 7 non-alcoholic is a sparkling, non-alcoholic cuvée from Schlat at the Swabian Alb: pear juice from Swabian meadow fruit and plum juice with herbs, lemon verbena, and spices, 0.0% ABV, 750 ml. Not a sparkling wine, not a Federweißer – a juice-based food companion for game and sweet dishes.

Cuvée No. 7 by Jörg Geiger is the first of the manufacturer’s numbered cuvées, bottled in 2009. These cuvées are unique compositions that Jörg Geiger developed for fine dining and menu accompaniment; for this reason, he keeps them separate from his PriSecco brand. It refers to a non-alcoholic cuvée: juices of various fruits, blended with herbs and spices and carbonated, with 0.0% alcohol according to the manufacturer. No. 7 combines two fruits that ripen at the same time in late summer – and that is exactly where its character comes from.

Taste

The nose reveals a sensual scent of ripe Damson plums, accompanied by fresh notes of lemon verbena and spicy, wintery aromas. The glass smells of autumn, with a hint of the Advent season. The pear remains subtle on the nose and only reveals itself on the palate.

On the palate, the cuvée begins with the fine fruit sweetness of pear and Damson plum. This is followed by a refreshing herbal aroma and a fine acidity. The finish is soft and accompanied by wintery spices. The acidity has a specific reason: the Damson plums are harvested early, when they still have less sweetness and more acidity.

Usage

Jörg Geiger recommends his first cuvée for game terrine with a fruit component, such as cranberries or plums. The plum in the glass picks up on the fruit on the plate, while the spices pair well with the game. It is even better suited to autumnal desserts: plum crumble, Kaiserschmarrn (shredded pancake) with stewed plums, or quark dumplings. Here, plum meets plum, and the acidity keeps the sweetness in check. Sweet flour-based dishes need a glass with acidity, and the early-harvested Damson plum provides exactly that.

The serving temperature is 8 to 10 °C. The manufacturer suggests a sparkling wine glass or a Burgundy glass – in the bulbous Burgundy glass, the spices come out more strongly, while the perlage is more prominent in the sparkling wine glass.

Our tip: Pour No. 7 into a Burgundy glass to accompany your Kaiserschmarrn and serve a spoonful of stewed plums on the plate right next to the glass. Tasted alternately, it becomes clear how precisely the acidity of the early-harvested Damson plum is matched to the dessert.

Origin

The Jörg Geiger manufactory is located in Schlat on the edge of the Swabian Alb. Jörg Geiger is a trained chef; he took over his parents' inn, "Lamm," in 1997 at the age of 22 and began working with the "Champagner Bratbirne" pear in 1998. The raw material is Swabian meadow fruit: old, often tart apple and pear varieties from local orchards, supplied by farmers from the surrounding area.

Here, this is the Gelbmöstler pear, a fragrant perry pear that ripens in mid-September. At the same time, the manufactory harvests the Damson plums – deliberately a little too early. Pear juice makes up 55 percent of the bottle, plum juice 40 percent, and the rest consists of herbs, lemon verbena, and spices. All steps, from delivery and composition to bottling, take place at the manufactory. The fact that pear and plum come together here is due to the harvest time: both fruits are harvested in mid-September, the pear fully ripe and the plum intentionally still tart.

For whom

This cuvée is the bottle for people planning an autumn menu who want a suitable drink for every guest, including those remaining alcohol-free. It goes well with game dinners in October, Sunday coffee with plum cake, and an evening where the dessert is the main event.

For those who prefer something fresher and tart, try the Cuvée No. 8 with gooseberry. For cheese and chocolate, there is the Cuvée No. 29 with rosehip pulp; you can find all bottles on our Jörg Geiger page. Cuvée No. 7 is not suitable for those looking for a light, summery aperitif – it is autumnal and spicy.

Gelbmöstler pear, Damson plum, and lemon verbena – the first non-alcoholic cuvée from Schlat, made for game, crumble, and Kaiserschmarrn.