Sekt [ZEHKT]
A German term that’s the popular shortened substitute for Qualitätschaumwein—“quality sparkling wine.” It’s the top-quality category for sparkling wine, the lowest being Schaumwein. The term Deutscher Sekt may be used for sparkling wine made entirely from grapes cultivated in Germany, whereas other countries simply use Sekt in their German-speaking regions. If a wine is from one of Germany’s thirteen anbaugebiete (official growing regions), its label can state “Deutscher Sekt bA” and may contain the name of a Bereich (district) and Grosslage (general site). The label may also include the Einzellage (individual site or vineyard) if 85 percent of the grapes are from the named vineyard and the rest of the grapes are from the Anbaugebiet. If a Sekt is made from a single variety (usually Riesling), the label may include the name of the variety and would read Rieslingsekt. Sekt is fruity and traditionally somewhat sweeter than the better sparkling wines from France, Spain, and the United States.
The New Wine Lovers Companion, 2nd Edition, by Ron Herbst and Sharon Tyler Herbst. Copyright © (1) 2003, 1995 by Ron Herbst and Sharon Tyler Herbst. Reprinted by arrangement with Barron's Educational Series, Inc.