When is it finally time again?

Some people can hardly wait for it every summer: When will it finally be available again, the wonderful, refreshing Federweißer? The answer is actually quite simple: as soon as the first grapes are ripe, the first Federweisser is also available. The first ripe grapes of the year are generally not suitable for producing high-quality wines that can be stored for a long time, which is why they are used for young wines that are often even sold directly on the street in open bottles or plastic canisters.

Explosive young wine

The new wine, also known in some places as Bitzler, Bremser or Sauser, is therefore not an inferior product. In fact, filling it into glass bottles and sealing it with a cork would be extremely dangerous. It is important to know that Federweißer is not a finished wine, but is still in the middle of fermentation. During this process, the sweet sugar from the grape juice is gradually converted into alcohol and carbon dioxide. If you were to close the bottle now, it could even burst under the high pressure of the carbon dioxide.

Don't put Federweißer down!

Depending on how long you store a bottle of Federweisser, the alcohol content increases while the sugar content decreases. The wine therefore becomes more bitter, more alcoholic and less sweet over time. Depending on your taste, you may need to keep a bottle of Federweisser in the fridge for another week or two. - But wait! Of course, you shouldn't put the bottle down, as its lid is leaking. Putting the bottle upright is probably a better idea.

A celebration of Federweißer

Special attention is paid to Federweißer in Landau in the Palatinate. Every year on the second weekend in October, the "Fest des Federweißen" takes place here, which is one of the largest German wine festivals and attracts over 100,000 visitors. This is a time for celebrating with music, Palatinate onion tart and, of course, the Federweißer itself.

Storing for the right taste

In addition to Federweißer, there is also Federroter, a red young wine that is naturally made from red grapes. It usually tastes a little more bitter than its white brother right from the start, but is still sweet and refreshingly fine-sparkling compared to finished wine. But no matter which color you choose, you should still be careful with how much you drink. Due to the sweetness, you often only realize too late that there is also alcohol involved. Normally this is at least 4%, but over time it can rise to over 10%.

Federweißer with stimulating ingredients

Apart from alcohol, young wine also contains a number of other interesting substances, such as lactic acid bacteria in addition to the very healthy vitamins B1 and B2. The young wine also owes some of its nicknames to them. The Austrian name Sauser gives you a rough idea of what can happen if you drink too much. The lactic acid bacteria have an extremely stimulating effect on intestinal activity.

For the more sensitive stomach

Enjoyed in moderation, Federweißer naturally poses no great danger to a healthy stomach. However, if you are a little more sensitive, you might prefer the mature wines. These no longer contain any lactic acid bacteria and, with their healthy tannins, have a soothing effect on digestion. And the best thing about the finished wine is that it is not only available from September to October, but all year round. For example at vinoa!

Image sources:

Cover picture: © Felix Montino - www.flickr.com/photos/felixmontino/3954806591
Image 1: © Hardo Müller - www.flickr.com/photos/hardo/6493565255