HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Federweisser (also Federweißer) is an alcoholic
beverage A drink or beverage is a liquid intended for human consumption. In addition to their basic function of satisfying thirst, drinks play important roles in human culture. Common types of drinks include plain drinking water, milk, juice, smoothie ...
commonly made in continental
Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
. It is the product of
fermented Fermentation is a type of anaerobic metabolism which harnesses the redox potential of the reactants to make adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and organic end products. Organic compound, Organic molecules, such as glucose or other sugars, are Catabo ...
freshly pressed
grape A grape is a fruit, botanically a berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus ''Vitis''. Grapes are a non- climacteric type of fruit, generally occurring in clusters. The cultivation of grapes began approximately 8,0 ...
juice, known as
must Must is freshly crushed Juice, fruit juice (usually grape juice) that contains the skins, seeds, and stems of the fruit. The solid portion of the must is called pomace and typically makes up 7–23% of the total weight of the must. Making must ...
. The term ''Federweisser'' in principle includes all stages of fermentation, from must to finished wine. It is typically 9% alcohol by volume, although versions of up to 13.5% alcohol by volume are not uncommon. In contrast to all other alcoholic beverages, the alcohol content stated on a bottle of Federweisser is inconclusive, and presents an uppermost limit, not the actual content at any given time. Across Europe, it is known as ''Suser'', ''Sauser'', ''Neuer Süßer'' ('sweet' or 'new sweet'), or ''Junger Wein'' ('young wine') in Southwest
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
,
Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
and
South Tyrol South Tyrol ( , ; ; ), officially the Autonomous Province of Bolzano – South Tyrol, is an autonomous administrative division, autonomous provinces of Italy, province in northern Italy. Together with Trentino, South Tyrol forms the autonomo ...
, ''Fiederwäissen'' in
Luxembourg Luxembourg, officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is a landlocked country in Western Europe. It is bordered by Belgium to the west and north, Germany to the east, and France on the south. Its capital and most populous city, Luxembour ...
, ''Sturm'' ('storm') in
Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
, ''Federweißer'' in
Bavaria Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total l ...
, ''Neuer Wein'' ('new wine') in the Palatinate, ''Federweißer'' in
Franconia Franconia ( ; ; ) is a geographical region of Germany, characterised by its culture and East Franconian dialect (). Franconia is made up of the three (governmental districts) of Lower Franconia, Lower, Middle Franconia, Middle and Upper Franco ...
, ''burčiak'' in
Slovakia Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's m ...
, ''burčák'' in
Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...
, or in
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
, or in
Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...
, "მაჭარი" (machari) in
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...
, and "մաճառ" (machar) in
Armenia Armenia, officially the Republic of Armenia, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of West Asia. It is a part of the Caucasus region and is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia (country), Georgia to the north and Azerbaijan to ...
. In Switzerland, the term ''Federweisser'' has a different meaning. There, it refers to a white wine made from red grapes, typically
pinot noir Pinot noir (), also known as Pinot nero, is a red-wine grape variety of the species ''Vitis vinifera''. The name also refers to wines created predominantly from Pinot noir grapes. The name is derived from the French language, French words fo ...
.


Differences in the German-speaking world


Germany

In
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
, Federweißer, Neuer Wein and Bitzler are the most common generic terms. Federweißer is made from white grape must, and the Federroter variant is from red grape must. The next stage before the finished fermented wine is called young wine for all grape varieties. Around the middle of the 19th century, the German Dictionary of the
Brothers Grimm The Brothers Grimm ( or ), Jacob Grimm, Jacob (1785–1863) and Wilhelm Grimm, Wilhelm (1786–1859), were Germans, German academics who together collected and published folklore. The brothers are among the best-known storytellers of Oral tradit ...
suggested that the name ''Federweißer'' was derived from the old term ''Federweiß'' for
alum An alum () is a type of chemical compound, usually a hydrated double salt, double sulfate salt (chemistry), salt of aluminium with the general chemical formula, formula , such that is a valence (chemistry), monovalent cation such as potassium ...
, which was previously added to wine as a preservative. However, as such agents are only added at later stages of maturation, it is now assumed that the yeast cells, which ''Federweißer'' contains as a suspended matter as any partially fermented grape must, gave it its name due to its feather(''Feder'')-white(''Weiss'') colour. In German, the word is declined like "der Weiße", i.e. “man trinkt den Federweißen”.


Austria

In
Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
, the terms ''Federweißer, Federroter, Neuer Wein'' and ''Bitzler'' are not used. According to Austrian wine law, partially fermented grape must, regardless of colour, be called ''Sturm'' and there are several regional specialities with their own names: In
Styria Styria ( ; ; ; ) is an Austrian Federal states of Austria, state in the southeast of the country. With an area of approximately , Styria is Austria's second largest state, after Lower Austria. It is bordered to the south by Slovenia, and cloc ...
, the cloudy pink to violet-coloured ''Schilchersturm'' is produced. This partially fermented grape must is made from the ''Blauer Wildbacher'' grape variety, which is traditionally used to make the rosé wine ''Schilcher''. In eastern Austria, a distinction is also made between ''Staubigen'' or ''Gestaubten'', which represents the next stage of maturity from ''Sturm'' to ''Heurigen''. In southern ''
Burgenland Burgenland (; ; ; Bavarian language, Austro-Bavarian: ''Burgnland''; Slovene language, Slovene: ''Gradiščanska''; ) is the easternmost and least populous Bundesland (Austria), state of Austria. It consists of two statutory city (Austria), statut ...
'', ''
Uhudler Uhudler is a wine from Südburgenland, Austria, (see Burgenland). In appearance it is often a Rosé, rosé colour, but is also made as a white wine. It has intense flavours of strawberry and black currants, a characteristic taste often called "foxy" ...
'', a light red to rosé-coloured blended wine made from certain grape varieties, is also offered in its early stages as (white, red or rosé) ''Uhudlersturm''. In Austria, it is customary not to say "''Prost''" when drinking the "''Sturm''". If the grape juice has not yet fermented, "''Mahlzeit''" or "''Krixikraxi''" is said instead. Anyone who disregards this must "buy a round" as a punishment. The glasses of the "unbaptised" storm are held in the left hand and not clinked. Only when the grape juice has fully fermented and the wine has been "baptised", which is the case from St Martin's Day (11 November) onwards, may "''Prost''" be said.


Switzerland

In
Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
, both the white and red versions of partially fermented grape must are usually called ''Sauser''. ''Federweisser'' does not refer to partially fermented grape must, but to
white wine White wine is a wine that is Fermentation in winemaking, fermented without undergoing the process of Maceration (wine), maceration, which involves prolonged contact between the juice with the grape skins, seeds, and pulp. The wine color, colou ...
or
sparkling wine Sparkling wine is a wine with significant levels of carbon dioxide in it, making it fizzy. While it is common to refer to this as champagne, European Union countries legally reserve that word for products exclusively produced in the Champagne ( ...
made from red grapes, i.e.
Blanc de Noirs Champagne (; ) is a sparkling wine originated and produced in the Champagne wine region of France under the rules of the appellation, which demand specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from designated places within it, spe ...
.


Production


Grape Varieties

In early autumn in particular, some fermented grape must is produced from early-ripening grape varieties such as
Bacchus In ancient Greek religion and myth, Dionysus (; ) is the god of wine-making, orchards and fruit, vegetation, fertility, festivity, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, and theatre. He was also known as Bacchus ( or ; ) by the Gre ...
, Ortega or Siegerrebe specifically for consumption at this stage; large-scale producers sometimes also use must from southern Europe, which is delivered in tankers. As autumn approaches and grapes ripen, any grape variety can be used. Red varieties are mainly produced in classic red wine regions such as the
Ahr Ahr () is a river in Germany, a left tributary of the Rhine. Its source is at an elevation of approximately above sea level in Blankenheim in the Eifel, in the cellar of a timber-frame house near the castle of Blankenheim. After it crosses f ...
, but also in other wine-growing regions. Early-ripening red varieties such as Pinot Noir Précoce or
Dornfelder Dornfelder () is a dark-skinned variety of grape of Germany, German origin used for red wine.
are particularly suitable.


Fermentation

Once
yeast Yeasts are eukaryotic, single-celled microorganisms classified as members of the fungus kingdom (biology), kingdom. The first yeast originated hundreds of millions of years ago, and at least 1,500 species are currently recognized. They are est ...
has been added, grapes begin to ferment rapidly. The sugar contained in the grapes is broken down into
alcohol Alcohol may refer to: Common uses * Alcohol (chemistry), a class of compounds * Ethanol, one of several alcohols, commonly known as alcohol in everyday life ** Alcohol (drug), intoxicant found in alcoholic beverages ** Alcoholic beverage, an alco ...
and
carbon dioxide Carbon dioxide is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . It is made up of molecules that each have one carbon atom covalent bond, covalently double bonded to two oxygen atoms. It is found in a gas state at room temperature and at norma ...
(
glycolysis Glycolysis is the metabolic pathway that converts glucose () into pyruvic acid, pyruvate and, in most organisms, occurs in the liquid part of cells (the cytosol). The Thermodynamic free energy, free energy released in this process is used to form ...
). As soon as an alcohol content of four percent has been reached, Federweißer may be sold. It continues to ferment until all the sugar has been broken down and an alcohol content of about ten percent has been reached.


Marketing

Partially fermented grape must can be sold from an
alcohol content Alcohol by volume (abbreviated as alc/vol or ABV) is a common measure of the amount of Alcohol (drug), alcohol contained in a given alcoholic beverage. It is defined as the volume the ethanol in the liquid would take if separated from the rest ...
of around 4%. It continues to ferment until most of the sugar it contains has been converted into alcohol and then has an alcohol content of around 11%. Due to the rapid progression of fermentation, partially fermented grape must can only be stored for a short time, even when refrigerated and should be used up after a few days. Because new carbon dioxide is constantly being produced, the containers must not be sealed airtight, otherwise they would burst. As the open containers could only be stored upright and fermentation could not be delayed due to a lack of effective cooling, transport over longer distances was not possible in the past. Partially fermented grape must was therefore known almost exclusively in the wine-growing regions. This is where it is still sold directly by winegrowers on the street today, as well as where most of the early wine festivals took place, some of which are known as "Bitzlerfeste" in the Palatinate, for example. The two largest German events of this kind, at which the partially fermented grape must plays a role alongside the matured grape must and which attract hundreds of thousands of visitors, are the German Grape Harvest Festival in
Neustadt an der Weinstraße Neustadt (German for ''new town'' or ''new city'') may refer to: Places * Neustadt (urban district) Czech Republic *Neustadt an der Mettau, Nové Město nad Metují *Neustadt an der Tafelfichte, Nové Město pod Smrkem * Nové Město na Mo ...
with the election of the German Wine Queen and the Federweißen Festival in
Landau in der Pfalz Landau (), officially Landau in der Pfalz (, ), is an autonomous (''kreisfrei'') town surrounded by the Südliche Weinstraße ("Southern Wine Route") district of southern Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is a university town (since 1990), a long ...
, at which the new vintage is christened. Depending on the start of the grape harvest, partially fermented grape must is available in shops and restaurants from the beginning of September to the end of October. By storing harvested grapes in a cool place and processing them later, some winegrowers extend the sales period into November or even December. In Austria, the
wine law Wine laws are legislation regulating various aspects of production and sales of wine. The purpose of wine laws includes combating wine fraud, by means of regulated protected designations of origin, labelling practices and classification of wine, ...
states that Sturm may be sold from 1 August to 31 December and must have an alcohol content of at least 1%.


As a beverage

Due to the carbonation, Federweißer tastes quite refreshing, not unlike a light grape soda or a sweet
sparkling wine Sparkling wine is a wine with significant levels of carbon dioxide in it, making it fizzy. While it is common to refer to this as champagne, European Union countries legally reserve that word for products exclusively produced in the Champagne ( ...
. As fermentation progresses, however, Federweißer may increasingly assume a darker, often
amber Amber is fossilized tree resin. Examples of it have been appreciated for its color and natural beauty since the Neolithic times, and worked as a gemstone since antiquity."Amber" (2004). In Maxine N. Lurie and Marc Mappen (eds.) ''Encyclopedia ...
-like or light brown hue. In general, Federweißer is made from white grapes; when made from red grapes, the drink is called ''Federroter'', ''Roter Sauser'', or ''Roter Rauscher''. Federroter is less common than Federweißer. Because of rapid fermentation, Federweißer can not be stored for long and should be consumed within a few days of purchase. As carbonic acid is constantly produced, the bottles can not be sealed airtight and have a permeable lid (they would burst otherwise). They must be stored in an upright position to allow the gas to continuously escape from the bottle and to prevent spilling. Federweißer also contains lactic acid bacteria and a high proportion of vitamins B1 and B2. It has a strong effect on the function of the intestine, especially on its peristalsis. Depending on the date of the grape harvest, it is available from early September to late October, and is generally served together with savoury food. The classic combination is Federweißer and
Zwiebelkuchen (, ) is a savory German onion cake made of steamed onions, diced bacon, cream, and caraway seeds on either a yeast or leavened dough. It is not to be confused with Flammkuchen, a similar dish that is dryer. History Most of Zwiebelkuchen's ...
, although Federweißer and
chestnut The chestnuts are the deciduous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Castanea'', in the beech family Fagaceae. The name also refers to the edible nuts they produce. They are native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Description ...
s is also popular. . In the south-western part of Germany and neighboring Alsace, it is accompanied by Flammkuchen. Federweißer contains yeast,
lactic acid bacteria Lactobacillales are an order of gram-positive, low-GC, acid-tolerant, generally nonsporulating, nonrespiring, either rod-shaped (bacilli) or spherical ( cocci) bacteria that share common metabolic and physiological characteristics. These bact ...
, and a large amount of
vitamin Vitamins are Organic compound, organic molecules (or a set of closely related molecules called vitamer, vitamers) that are essential to an organism in small quantities for proper metabolism, metabolic function. Nutrient#Essential nutrients, ...
B1 and B2.


See also

*
Nouveau A ''nouveau'' ( ), or ''vin (de) primeur'', is a wine which may be sold in the same year in which it was harvested. The most widely exported ''nouveau'' wine is French wine Beaujolais ''nouveau'' which is released on the third Thursday of ...


Notes

:A.From
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
''Feder'', "
feather Feathers are epidermal growths that form a distinctive outer covering, or plumage, on both avian (bird) and some non-avian dinosaurs and other archosaurs. They are the most complex integumentary structures found in vertebrates and an exa ...
", and ''weiß'', "white"; from the appearance of the suspended yeast.


References

{{Authority control German wine Wine styles