Jörg Geiger Champagner Bratbirne dry. Pear sparkling wine from an ancient Swabian pear variety – bottle-fermented, dry and with a distinct tannic note.
Jörg Geiger Champagner Bratbirne dry is a sparkling pear wine made from the ancient Champagner Bratbirne variety, produced using the traditional bottle-fermentation method in Schlat on the Albtrauf of the Swabian Jura. Dry with approx. 18 g/l residual sugar, 7.5% ABV, 750 ml. Not champagne, not grape sparkling wine – a sparkling wine made from pears with over 250 years of history.
Champagner Bratbirne dry by Jörg Geiger is a sparkling wine created from pear wine. After the harvest, the pears are washed, sorted by hand according to ripeness, and then left to "sweat" to allow the aroma to develop fully. They are then milled and pressed at low pressure. The tannins in the pear immediately precipitate the suspended particles, and the juice rests overnight in a settling tank. The slow cold fermentation lasts almost three months. The company compiles the cuvées around the turn of the year. After bottling, secondary fermentation begins in the bottle using champagne yeast. The sparkling wine remains on the lees for at least nine months before it is riddled and disgorged.
Taste
The nose is powerfully pear-forward, with vegetal hints of meadow herbs and white blossoms. In the glass, it is pale straw yellow with greenish reflections and fine effervescence.
On the palate, the Champagner Bratbirne is harmoniously dry. The pear fruit is linear, the tannic note is present, and the finish is nutty and aromatic. These tannins are typical for the variety: the medium-sized, yellow-green fruit provides astringent tannins that give the sparkling wine backbone. Anyone expecting a fruity-sweet sparkling pear wine will find it too tart – it is a sparkling wine for the dining table.
Usage
The Champagner Bratbirne should be served well chilled at 8 to 10 °C in a sparkling wine glass. The producer recommends it solo, as an aperitif, and with sweet-tart appetizers. Specifically, they suggest a game terrine with a mild fruit component and zander fillet fried crispy on the skin. Goose liver with pear and Asian dishes with sweet-spicy components also pair well with its linear fruit profile.
The sparkling pear wine has 7.5% ABV and is sold to persons aged 16 and older. It contains sulfites.
Our tip: For the zander with crispy skin, briefly sauté a few pear slices in butter and add them to the plate. The fruit on the plate brings out the pear in the glass.
Origin
The Jörg Geiger factory is located in Schlat on the Albtrauf of the Swabian Jura. Jörg Geiger is a trained chef and took over his parents' inn, the Lamm, in 1997 at the age of 22. In 1998, he began harvesting from five Champagner Bratbirne trees; the first trials yielded around 200 bottles. His work with ancient varieties began with this pear.
The variety was described by Christ in 1797. Sparkling wine made from it has been documented in Swabia since 1760, at the court of Duke Carl Eugen. Ancient trees still stand in Schlat today; the main stock is between 90 and 120 years old. The pear is ripe from mid-September to mid-October. Since 2005, it has been listed in the Slow Food "Ark of Taste." In the same year, the Federal Court of Justice determined that the name has been used for this pear variety in Württemberg for over 150 years. Since a court-confirmed settlement with the Champagne trade association in 2007, the variety name has appeared on the back label.
For whom
The Champagner Bratbirne is the bottle for people who enjoy drinking sparkling wine with food and are curious about history in their glass. It is suitable for a festive menu, game dinners in autumn, and as a gift for wine lovers who like to experience sparkling wine from a different perspective.
Those who want to try sparkling wine from apples should reach for the Hauxapfel apple sparkling wine. For guests who remain alcohol-free, there is the Blanc de Blanc non-alcoholic. The entire range can be found on our Jörg Geiger page. The Champagner Bratbirne is not suitable for those looking for a sweet, mild semi-sparkling wine.
An ancient pear variety, nine months on the lees, dry and with tannins – Jörg Geiger's sparkling pear wine for the festive menu.
