Trial Package

von Wiesen tasting pack with three bottles to get to know the range

The von Wiesen tasting pack is a set of three 0.75-liter bottles, totaling 2.25 liters. It includes the Ancestral Apple with Hops, the Ancestral Apple and Red Currant, and the non-alcoholic Verbena with Quince.

Tasting pack is the term von Wiesen from Bensheim uses for the box that presents three of the producer’s different beverages side-by-side, instead of forcing you to commit to a single bottle. Two of them are fermented fruit sparkling wines, while the third is completely alcohol-free. All three come from the same cellar and share the same signature.

Apple with Hops and Apple with Red Currant

The Ancestral Apple with Hops is bone-dry and leans into green and yellow apple notes, while the Citra hops contribute the floral side familiar from a pale ale. It also carries the scent of freshly baked yeast bread.

The Ancestral Apple and Red Currant has 0.0 grams of residual sugar per liter, making it even more austere in structure. The berry provides noticeable acidity and tart red fruit notes, complemented by the yeasty character of a fresh braided loaf.

Both bottles are made without a second fermentation, which is why their carbonation is softer than that of a disgorged sparkling wine, and a light veil of yeast remains in the bottle until the end. If you want to hear the difference between blossom and berry in the same apple, you have it here twice in the glass. Together, the two show just how far a single raw ingredient can be interpreted.

The non-alcoholic version is created entirely without fermentation

The third bottle is not fermented and then dealcoholized; instead, it is built from the start using extracts, infusions, and juices. This means no alcohol is produced in the first place that would need to be removed later. Herbs, fruits, and even vegetables provide the foundation for the finished drink.

This sets it apart from almost everything else on the non-alcoholic shelf, because when dealcoholizing, a good portion of the aroma is always lost along with the alcohol. Here, everything that belongs in the glass from the start remains there, and the bottle does not have to chase after an original.

The aroma is defined by verbena (also known as lemon verbena), while it remains fine-bubbled and dry on the palate. Quince adds a restrained fruit sweetness, hops provide a salivary-inducing bitterness, and fermented celeriac contributes that savory depth usually found only in a broth.

Three glasses side-by-side on a table

The appeal of this box lies in the comparison, because only side-by-side does it become audible how differently the same apple can sound. In one case, hops are added; in another, red currant; and in the third glass, the alcohol is entirely absent.

Having all three glasses ready at once allows you to taste the difference in minutes rather than over the course of weeks. The set is perfect for a round at the table, as well as a gift for someone who has previously only known fruit as juice.

Smoked almonds, pickled vegetables, and a buttered radish sandwich are sufficient as accompaniments, as the bottles themselves have plenty to say. The two Ancestral bottles should be opened slowly, as their bottle pressure varies and the yeast might otherwise disperse throughout the glass. They are also available individually, namely the Ancestral Apple with Hops, the Ancestral Apple and Red Currant, and the non-alcoholic Verbena and Quince.