Slip, slurp, savor - Bavaria produces beverages to suit every taste
This month, we conclude our two-part series on Bavarian brands with a look at some of the region's local beverage producers. And what better way to start than with the drink that practically defines Munich—if not Germany as a whole: beer?The pungent scent of hops that drifts along the Marsstrasse betrays Munich’s status as the beer capital of the world. Located in the center of the city, Spaten (www.spatenbraeu.com) traces its origins back to brewer Hans Welser in 1397. The company has changed hands several times over the centuries and has been run by some of the most prominent families in the region, including the Starnbergers. In 1622 the Spatt family bestowed upon the company the name that would acquire renown throughout the world. The city’s smallest brewery when Gabriel Sedlmayr purchased it in 1807, the outfit grew to be the largest within 60 years (ceding this distinction to Löwenbräu in the 1890s). It was the only German beer to win a gold medal at the Paris World Exhibition in 1867 and further international recognition followed. The company opened a subsidiary in London in 1891 and began exporting beer to the United States in 1909.
In 1894 Spaten set itself apart from its competitors by introducing “helles” beer onto the market. Based on Czech Pilsener, the amber-colored lager was intended for export to northern Germany, but quickly caught on when it was sold in Munich a year later. Soon other local brewers were producing their own lagers. Helles is the brewery’s most popular beer today. Indeed even Munich's mayor kicks off the Oktoberfest every year by tapping a keg of the foamy draught in Spaten’s Schottenhamel beer tent. A series of mergers—first with the Franziskaner-Leist brewery in 1922 and then with Löwenbräu in 1997—has made Spaten a formidable presence among world beer producers.
If beer is not really your libation of choice, Bavaria boasts an impressive variety of other beverages. Nymphenburger Sekt (www.nymphenburgsekt.de) has enjoyed immense popularity throughout the region since 1955. The company’s product line includes seven varieties of Sekt, approximately twenty wines, two Proseccos and a grappa. Crystal Cabinet (dry), Nymphenburger Gold (medium) and Magic Blue (extra dry) are a few of the most popular products. Made from cuvées, or wine blends, from Germany, France and Italy, the Sekt is produced in large, stainless-steel tanks and later transferred to bottles. Sales Director Andreas Mayer adds that while Bavaria represents the largest market for Nymphenburger Sekt, its Proseccos and wines (including those imported from Romania) are popular throughout Germany.
Just as beer is brewed according to the stringent purity laws of 1516, German sparkling wines (Schaumweine) must meet specific quality criteria to carry the Sekt name: they must contain at least 10 percent alcohol and go through two fermentations. During the second fermentation, yeast is added to the wine, resulting in the characteristic effervescence. Several months later, the yeast is extracted from the wine; then the Sekt is bottled and ready for consumption.
But what exactly is the difference between Sekt, champagne and other sparkling wines? To begin with, the term “champagne” is reserved exclusively for the sparkling wines made in the Champagne region of France. This distinction was affirmed in the Treaty of Versailles at the end of World War I. (Interestingly, CNN writer Sue Hoye explains that American sparkling wines get away with using the Champagne name because the US never signed the 1919 Treaty.) The true difference, however, lies in the production method. With the méthode tradionelle, or méthode champenoise, the wine is fermented directly in the bottle. The méthode charmat, on the other hand, uses large tanks to process and ferment the wine before bottling.
Hannelore Weiss of the Bocksbeutel wine shop on Marienplatz 8 (entrance on Dienerstrasse; Tel. [089] 21 99 89 24) explains that the wine region of Franconia (Franken) in northern Bavaria produces single-grape Sekts that, like Champagne, are made by the méthode traditionelle. These wines, however, are made only in certain years, when the grapes are of top quality, most recently in 1999.
Compared with other German wine regions, such as Rheingau and Pfalz, Franconia is small—but its wines stand up when compared to more famous rivals. Predominately a white wine area because of its soil and climate, Franconia’s grape varieties (Rebsorten) include Sylvaner, Riesling, Pinot Blanc (Weissburgunder) and Müller-Thurgau.
Weiss traces the Franconian wine tradition back to the Roman occupation of the region nearly 2,000 years ago. “The Romans brought their wine traditions with them to Germany and identified the areas that were best for cultivating them: the Rhine, the Mosel and the Main,” she explains. Today, three major producers along the banks of the Main dominate the market: the Staatliche Hofkellerei, the Bürgerspital zum Heiligen Geist and, the producer Weiss carries in her shop, the Juliusspital (www.juliusspital.de) in Würzburg.
German wine labels can be a bit intimidating but Weiss does an admirable job of simplifying the information. The QbA (Qualitätswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete) notation identifies the origin of so-called quality wines. Juliusspital, for example, has five highly regarded vineyards along with several smaller ones that also produce high-quality wines. These locations, such as Würzburger Stein or Rödelseer Küchenmeister, appear on the label, accompanied by the year of the vintage. Next comes the grape variety and Prädikat level. Rather complicated, the Prädikat system classifies each wine based largely upon the amount of residual sugar contained in the wine must. (Must is alcohol-free grape juice. It contains the fungal yeast that triggers the fermentation process that eventually results in wine. It appears in stores as Federweisser in late September.) Must with low levels of residual sugar (Restzucker, specified in wine descriptions as “RS”) is labeled Kabinett. The Prädikat changes as the RS- level increases, ascending from Kabinett to Spätlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese, Eiswein and Trockenbeerenauslese. The last three are strictly dessert wines, whereas the others can be incredibly diverse. For example, an Auslese wine may be further classified as dry (trocken), or a Kabinett may actually taste sweet (lieblich). Weiss attributes this to the “art of the winemaker.”
So where does one begin demystifying the world of German wines? Weiss encourages consumers to approach professionals like herself. She says that finding out what a customer likes enables her to make a suitable recommendation.
While it may be tempting to linger over a glass of wine or a mug of Spaten, the time to sober up inevitably presents itself. Munich's famous Dallmayr coffee is the local remedy of choice. According to the company, the average German drinks 178 liters—or about 1,000 cups—of the black elixir annually. Once a supplier to Bavaria’s royal family, Dallmayr (www.dallmayr.de) dates back to 1700. From the popular Prodomo blend of Ethiopian beans, available in grocery stores everywhere, to its line of Selection coffees, the company places a strong emphasis on quality and service. Beans are carefully selected from the world's prime coffee-producing areas and then roasted at Dallmayr’s facility in Giesing. At the eponymous gourmet shop (Dienerstrasse 14–15; Tel. [089] 213 50) knowledgeable salespeople will gladly help you choose from the enticing selection of aromatic coffees. Noteworthy varieties include the Sigri Estate arabica roast from Papua New Guinea and San Sebastian from the highlands of Guatemala.
A longtime favorite among children and adults alike is juice maker Wolfra (www.wolfra.de), founded by Andreas Stumpf in Wolfratshausen in the 1920s. Stumpf’s first challenge was to figure out how to produce alcohol-free fruit juices. Working with chemists, doctors and homeopaths, he eventually devised a process, in 1930, that prevented the fermentation of the fruit. That year, the company sold about 7,700 liters of its Süssmost (sweet must) and by 1939 the figure was close to two million liters. Wolfra’s production was eventually moved from its hometown to the big city and new premises were established in southern Munich. Bought in 1975 by the Riemerschmid Group (known in its own right for its spirits and syrups), Wolfra then relocated to the Praterinsel in the heart of the city. Now based in Erding, the company is owned by the Underberg Group.
Throughout its history, Wolfra has maintained a strong commitment to quality. Executive Director of Marketing Siegfried Bauer explains that only the best fruits—many of them grown in Bavaria or neighboring Baden-Württemberg—go into Wolfra juices and absolutely no sugar, preservatives or artificial ingredients are added. The company also offers seasonal products such as Sommer-Apfel, a blend of apple, orange and lime juice that is on supermarket shelves for only three months of the year. For the holiday season, Wolfra has reintroduced its version of Glühwein and alcohol-free Kinderpunsch. Wolfra products are available in shops, supermarkets and restaurants throughout Munich.
Finally, Bavaria's rich agricultural heritage is well represented by the region's many dairies. Andechser Molkerei Scheitz (www.andechser-molkerei.de) near the Ammersee was founded in 1900. Modernized in the 1970s it began producing organic milk and cheeses in 1980. After moving to its current location a few years later, the dairy added goat’s milk, butter, yogurt and cheeses to its line of products. Today Andechser Molkerei processes more than 276,000 kilos of milk every day, making it Europe’s largest organic dairy. Despite its size, the company remains committed to traditional production methods and follows environmentally sound practices. In fact, Andechser Molkerei was the first organic dairy to use refillable milk bottles. The company’s products are carried by health-food stores and at the dairy’s own shop in Andechs (www.andechser-hofladen.de).
From the pastures and vineyards of the countryside to the gleaming copper vats of its capital's breweries, Bavaria’s beverage industry thrives as it has done for centuries.
