Jörg Geiger AP Apfel fortified apple wine. Dessert wine in port style made from old apple varieties, matured in chestnut barrels – 18% ABV, in a decorative box.

Jörg Geiger AP Apfel fortified apple wine is a dessert wine in port style from Schlat on the Albtrauf of the Swabian Alb: partially fermented apple wine from Roter Berlepsch, Goldparmäne, and Gewürzluiken, the fermentation of which was stopped with apple brandy. It has 18% ABV, 700 ml, in a decorative box. Not a port wine made from grapes, not a liqueur, not a brandy – a fruit wine with the sweetness of the fruit.

AP Apfel by Jörg Geiger is a fortified fruit wine in port style. You know the principle from port wine: the must begins to ferment, and before the yeasts have turned all the sugar into alcohol, high-proof brandy is added. Fermentation stops, and the sweetness remains in the glass. Jörg Geiger does this with apples instead of grapes and with his own apple brandy. The abbreviation AP stands for "Apfel im Portweinstil" (apple in port style). For these dessert wines, the manufactory hand-picks highly ripened fruits that have been partially dried on the tree. Before pressing, the apples are allowed to "sweat" so that the fragrance and aroma can fully develop.

Taste: ripe apple, caramel, macadamia, and vanilla from the wood

In the glass, the AP shows a deep amber with golden reflections. The nose is ripe and dense: apple, concentrated caramel notes, with hints of macadamia nut and a little vanilla. According to the producer, the chestnut barrel contributes a nutty fragrance.

On the palate, it begins with a full-bodied sweetness. The acidity of the apple and the powerful alcohol provide counterpoint and ensure balance. Soft, round wood notes reminiscent of vanilla envelop the fruit of fully ripe apples, candied fruits, and a little honey. The finish is long and fruit-driven.

AP is an alcoholic dessert wine with 18% ABV; sale only to persons 18 years and older.

Use: with warm apple pie, duck, and chocolate desserts

The most obvious combination is named by Jörg Geiger himself: warm apple pie with vanilla ice cream. Apple meets apple, the vanilla in the ice cream meets the vanilla from the barrel. He likewise recommends AP with Asian-spiced duck or poultry and with chocolate desserts, from white to dark. It also works solo or as an aperitif.

Like a port wine, AP belongs in small glasses. We pour it cellar-cool into a dessert wine glass; five centiliters per glass is sufficient. Once opened, store the bottle sealed and in a cool place.

Our tip: Bake the apple pie with an heirloom variety like Goldparmäne and serve it while still warm. The same variety on the plate and in the glass shows where the AP comes from.

Origin: apples from old trees, apple brandy from the Gasthof Lamm

The Jörg Geiger manufactory is based in Schlat on the Albtrauf of the Swabian Alb. Jörg Geiger is a trained chef and took over his parents' inn, Gasthof Lamm, at age 22 in 1997. His father already distilled there in the vaulted cellar, and distillation continues in the Lamm to this day. The dessert wines combine fruit from meadow orchards with house-distilled fruit brandies.

The raw material is called "Swabian Meadow Fruit": old, often tart apple and pear varieties from local meadow orchards, supplied by local farmers. For the AP, the producer lists Roter Berlepsch, Goldparmäne, and Gewürzluiken from old trees. According to the manufacturer, each variety of their dessert wines is aged for more than three years in the appropriate wooden barrel—in the case of the AP, a chestnut barrel.

For whom: dessert wine lovers, fruit brandy connoisseurs, and everyone looking for a special gift

AP is the bottle for people who enjoy port, sherry, or dessert wines and are curious about how that tastes with Swabian apples. In its decorative box, it is a gift for the host who already has everything on their shelf. If you prefer pear, try the BP Birne from the acacia barrel; it gets darker with the KP Kirsche. All dessert wines are on our Jörg Geiger page. The AP is not suitable for those looking for a dry wine for a main course.

Heirloom apple varieties, apple brandy, and chestnut barrel – the dessert wine in port style for apple pie, duck, and chocolate.