Jörg Geiger Cuvée No. 25 non-alcoholic. Organic non-alcoholic cuvée made from apple, pear, sloe, and aronia – dark berry, tart, for game and lamb.

Jörg Geiger Cuvée No. 25 is a non-alcoholic, sparkling organic cuvée from Schlat at the Swabian Alb: 50% apple juice and 25% pear juice from Swabian meadow fruit, plus 8% sloe, aronia, black currant, and spices. It has 0.0% vol, 750 ml. Not a sparkling wine, not a red wine, not a berry spritzer – a dark cuvée for the meat course.

Cuvée No. 25 by Jörg Geiger belongs to the numbered cuvées that the manufactory intentionally maintains alongside its PriSeccos. According to the manufacturer, the cuvées are independent compositions for fine dining and sophisticated menu pairings. Like all cuvées, Number 25 is based on juice, which is why it contains 0.0% alcohol; the perlage comes from added carbonation. Its character is derived from fruit and wild berries: old apple and pear varieties meet tart sloe, accompanied by aronia and black currant. In the glass, it appears a dark violet-red, signaling by its color alone that it was made for hearty plates.

Taste: red berries, almost banana-like apple, tart forest notes

The nose is surprising. First comes red berry fruit, then a full-bodied apple, which Jörg Geiger describes as almost banana-like. This is the side of the meadow orchard: ripe, round, and soft.

On the palate, Cuvée No. 25 turns in the other direction. Tart berries take over; sloe and aronia provide tannins and depth. Added to this are citrusy, ethereal forest notes that keep the sip fresh. This tension between the soft nose and tart palate makes it a food companion. The sweetness comes from the juices; according to the manufacturer, it contains 8.9 g of sugar per 100 ml.

Those looking for a light, floral cuvée for a summer evening are looking in the wrong place with Number 25 – it is dark, tart, and demands a plate of food to go with it.

Usage: for quick-seared game, lamb, bacon, and chicken teriyaki

Jörg Geiger recommends Cuvée No. 25 for quick-seared game and game birds, for lamb, and for smoked bacon. He also mentions chicken teriyaki. This shows what the cuvée can do: the tart berries keep pace with roasted aromas and smoke, while the fruit sweetness catches the sweet-and-salty glaze.

Serve it at 8 to 10 °C. The manufacturer suggests using a champagne flute or a Burgundy glass. For a game dish, we recommend the Burgundy glass, as the dark berry fragrance collects well in it.

Our tip: Quickly sear a duck breast or a venison medallion until pink, and serve with a few slices of crispy bacon. The sloe in the glass then gets two partners at once: the game and the smoke.

Origin: fruit from the meadow orchard, organic sloe

The Jörg Geiger manufactory is located in Schlat on the Albtrauf of the Swabian Alb. 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 working with the "Champagne Bratbirne" (pear), and in 2003, he bottled his first PriSecco. The chef's influence is clear in the cuvées: for each one, the manufactory names specific dishes.

The apple and pear juice come from "Swabian meadow fruit": old, often tart varieties from the region’s meadow orchards, supplied by local farmers. Sloe, aronia, black currant, and spices come from controlled organic cultivation (DE-ÖKO-006), and the cuvée is EU-organic certified. All steps from delivery to bottling take place at the manufactory.

For whom: hosts who serve a dark, non-alcoholic glass with a game dinner

This cuvée is the bottle for autumn and winter evenings with hearty food. A game dinner with guests who are still driving, the Sunday roast lamb, the menu where each course gets its own glass. Those who like juniper should try Cuvée No. 20 with cider pear, sloe, and juniper; all cuvées can be found on our Jörg Geiger page. Number 25 is not suitable as a sweet aperitif for toasting – it is too tart for that.

Apple, pear, sloe, and aronia in organic quality – the dark, non-alcoholic cuvée for game, lamb, and bacon.