Ancestral – Apple with Hops

von Wiesen Ancestral – Apple with Hops – Cider from Sekthaus Griesel

The von Wiesen Ancestral Apple with Hops 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 roasted flavors of meat, fish, vegetables, or bread.

In terms of taste, the von Wiesen Ancestral is fundamentally designed for freshness, the alcohol content is moderate at 6.5% vol. alcohol, the acidity is pronounced (7.7g/l), and the taste profile is absolutely dry, even if the label, in our opinion, does not suggest this. Precisely this dryness was the goal of Niko Brandner, who found too much residual sweetness in commercially available, lower-alcohol sparkling wines. Thus, the von Wiesen Ancestral is bone-dry with notes of green and yellow apple, the hops bring floral notes, such as you might know from Pale Ale, and the slight yeasty character, like fresh yeast bread, is also undeniable.

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 if you want to remain true to your promise of quality, you cannot simply increase production volume. The sparkling wines mature for at least three years before they come to market, and there is always a corresponding time lag.

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

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

The Méthode Ancestral

The Méthode Ancestral is a traditional, almost forgotten method of sparkling wine production, originating in France, for example, in the Rhône region or Languedoc and Roussillon. This process does not require a second fermentation in the bottle or tank, as is usually the case, but only a single one. Nico Brandner first allows the apple must to spontaneously ferment, adds Citra hops, 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 semi-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.