Grape Varieties

What grape variety is in sparkling wine from Baden? There's no fixed rule, since German law doesn't prescribe specific varieties for Sekt b.A. The three Pinot varieties are typical: Spätburgunder, Weißburgunder, and Grauburgunder. In Champagne, they're known as Pinot noir, Pinot blanc, and Pinot gris.

All three belong to the same family. Grauburgunder and Weißburgunder are mutations of Spätburgunder — essentially the same vine with a different berry color. This explains why their wines are similar: they have some body, little tannin, and an acidity that doesn't fully disappear even in warm years.

Spätburgunder is the region's most important grape, both on the Kaiserstuhl and in the rest of Baden. For sparkling wine, it is pressed as a white wine, since its juice is colorless — only the skins contain the red pigment. It gives the sparkling wine body, structure, and a fruitiness reminiscent of red berries.

Weißburgunder is its counterpart. It brings freshness, mild acidity, and aromas of apple and pear. On the other side of the Rhine in Alsace, Pinot blanc also forms the base of Crémant d'Alsace, so the variety has a long tradition in sparkling wine along the Upper Rhine.

Chardonnay, Riesling, or Muskateller also appear in Baden cuvées. Chardonnay is the classic partner to Pinot noir in Champagne and lends the sparkling wine delicacy and creaminess. Schwarzriesling is the grape known as Meunier in Champagne. It shares the same kinship with the Pinot family.