Ancestral – Apple & Redcurrant

von Wiesen Ancestral – Apple & Red Currant – Cider from Sekthaus Griesel

The von Wiesen Ancestral Apple & Red Currant is an apple-based sparkling wine, a cider from Sekthaus Griesel. With a fine perlage and bone-dry taste profile, it is a wonderful refresher when well chilled and a good accompaniment to fried foods, fried chicken, or Wiener Schnitzel, and the food can be salty.

In terms of taste, the von Wiesen Ancestral is fundamentally designed for freshness, the alcohol content is moderate at 6.6% vol. alcohol, the acidity is pronounced (12g/l) and the taste profile is absolutely dry, even if the label, in our opinion, does not suggest this. Precisely this dryness was Niko Brandner's goal, as he found too much residual sweetness in commercially available, lower-alcohol sparkling wines. Thus, the von Wiesen Ancestral, with 0.0g/l residual sugar, is bone dry with notes of yellow apple; the red currant brings an incredibly vibrant acidity and red fruit notes, and the slight yeasty character, like fresh yeast bread, is undeniable. The von Wiesen Ancestral consists of 85% apple and 15% red currant.

von Wiesen – Niko Brandner's new project

That Niko Brandner can make sparkling wine is undisputed; for several years now, he has been one of Germany's top sparkling wine producers. The quantities of Griesel sparkling wine production are never enough to satisfy the high demand. But whoever wants to stay true to their quality promise simply cannot just increase production volume. The sparkling wines mature for at least three years before they come onto the market, and there is always a corresponding time lag.

So why not try another sparkling wine method with a different base ingredient? With a clear taste goal in mind, Niko experimented with local apples with the same great care as he usually does with grapes for sparkling wine. Thus, the von Wiesen apple wine ferments spontaneously in old and new barriques with the help of naturally occurring yeast flora, just like the base wines in sparkling wine production. The result is four ancestral-style apple-based sparkling wines with hops, quince, red or black currant. Spontaneously fermented, it is ready to drink after about three months. Find your favorite von Wiesen Ancestral variety.

Please open the Ancestral carefully, as the pressure in the bottle varies.

The Méthode Ancestral

The Méthode Ancestral is a traditional method of sparkling wine production, originating in France, for example in the Rhône region or in Languedoc or Roussillon, almost forgotten. With this approach, there is no need for a second fermentation in the bottle or tank, as is otherwise common, but only a single one. Niko Brandner first allows the apple must to spontaneously ferment, adds red currant juice, and then bottles it in the classic sparkling wine bottle. Sealed with a crown cap, the carbon dioxide produced by the continuous fermentation now remains in the bottle. The carbon dioxide combines with the must, creating a fine, well-integrated perlage. The resulting sparkling wine, also known as Ancestral, Pétillant Naturel, or Pét Nat, is unfiltered, still contains slight yeast residues, and is therefore somewhat cloudy, like naturally cloudy apple juice.