Federweißer: The German New Wine
Federweißer or Federweisser translates as white-feather in the English language. It is a variety of a popular alcoholic beverage typically containing 4 percent of alcohol by volume. There are also other versions which carry 10 percent alcohol content by volume.
The Federweißer is produced by first squashing and releasing fresh grape juice called must. In principle this term encompasses all the given stages of fermentation that are required to produce the wine.
It is also otherwise known as Suser, Sauser, Neuer Süßer or Junger Wein as is in the case of Southwest Germany along with Switzerland and South Tyrol. Furthermore, in Luxembourg it is known as Fiederwäissen. In Austria, it is prepared under the name of Sturm which has a distinct cloudy appearance. Within the German regions there is a significant variation in this nomenclature. For instance in Bavaria, Palatinate and Franconia it is found as Federweißer and Neuer Wein or new wine and Bremser respectively. If you travel towards Slovakia then it becomes burčiak and it is known as vin bourru or vernache in France.
Must
Winemaking involves numerous steps, the first of which is the preparation of must. Its name can be traced back to Latin, particularly rooting from the phrase – vinum mustum which further translates as young wine. This particular formulation contains the skin along with seeds and stems of the fruit. Typically, 7 to 23 % of the must comprises of the pomace. Pomace technically is the solid remain and is usually used while referring to the remains of grapes, olives or any other fruit after it is pressed for its juice or oil content.
Must is also otherwise because of its high glucose content, generally ranging between 1- to 15 % is used in the form of natural sweetener in a variety of cuisines. The appearance of must is quite thick unlike its commercially sold grape juice counterpart which involves the juice filtration and pasteurization.
Furthermore, in the context of winemaking the final character of the wine is directly proportional to the amount of time pomace is allowed to stay in the juice. Upon reaching the passage of the appropriate time the juice has to be drained off. As far as the pomace is concerned it is then pressed again so that the matrix disintegrates releasing the remaining juices. The next step involves the addition of the yeast to the juice so that the fermentation process can begin. In the case of the pomace, under the right circumstances it returns back to the vineyard or the particular orchard and then becomes an integral part of the fertilizer. More importantly, a certain portion of this pomace is stored as Süssreserve.
Süssreserve literally means – sweet reserve. It is a kind of must which is devoid of any fermenting agent or microorganism, and it is added back to the wine before the bottling process for the purpose of sweetening the final produce. This form of a style within wine making is symptomatic with the German tradition. Through this technique the amount of sugar and alcohol content of the wine can be modulated and managed. German laws prescribe that in terms of volume, the amount of reserve juice should not go beyond 15 % of the wine.
Furthermore, winemakers in Germany particularly while creating the second batch of wine use proportionate quantities of pomace and water, in terms of the extracted juice by volume. The final mixture is then allowed to sit for the whole 24 hours and then the liquid is drained. Its usage is therefore limited and more often than not the workers of the vineyard end up consuming this produce. Also, it can be used for the production of pomace based brandies.
Usage of must is not limited to winemaking. You can also find it to be an integral ingredient of Balsamic Vinegar and also while producing meads.
Fermentation
The grapes begin to ferment at an increasing rate as soon as the yeast is added. With the fermentation process underway, the sugar molecules begin to disintegrate resulting in the creation of alcohol and carbon dioxide. This process is known as glycolysis. The aim at this point in time is to reach the required 4 % alcohol content. When that is reached the Federweißer will be ready to sell. Furthermore, the fermentation process continues and so does the disintegration of sugar which then results in the alcohol content to reach the point of 10 %.
The Beverage
The Federweißer or Federweisser has a refreshing taste primarily because of the carbonation process. Federweißer is distinct from the usual grape soda or a sweet tasting sparkling wine. The distinguishing factor between them is primarily the fermentation process. With the continued fermentation Federweißer can also attain a darker colour. Sometimes have amber like glow or appear to be settling in its light brown hues. Key ingredients also might differ, for instance, Federweißer by design are made out of white grapes. However, they can also be prepared by using red grapes which results in a certain drink which is either known as – Federroter, Roter Sauser, or Roter Rauscher. It is also important to note that the Federroter is among the lesser commonly available variety than the Federweißer.
The Federweißer also becomes difficult to store for a prolonged period of time and ideally is recommended to be consumed within a few days of the purchase. The reason behind this is carbonic acid which gets repeatedly produced. Now, if the bottle was to be permanently sealed with an airtight lock, the bottle would just burst open. The bottles at all times is required to be stored in an upright position so that the gas can escape regularly.
Transportation of Federweißer has only become possible because of the recent developments pertaining to refrigerated vehicles. Refrigeration allows the yeast’s metabolism to slowdown while the bottles are being transported. Back in the day, therefore, one could only have found Federweißer close to the wine growing areas.
Availability of Federweißer is also not round the year, it depends on the harvest season which usually falls between the months of September and late October. Federweißer is generally served along with savoury food and it has been classically combined with Federweißer and Zwiebelkuchen. Chestnuts are also popularly served with the Federweißer.