Food & Occasion

In Hesse and the Rheingau, Sekt pairs well even with hearty food, and there's a reason for that: carbon dioxide and acidity cut through fat. Handkäse mit Musik, the sour-milk cheese served with onions in vinegar and oil, is a classic example. A dry Riesling Sekt holds its own against the marinade's acidity.

Frankfurt Green Sauce, made from herbs with egg and potatoes, needs freshness. A Sekt with little dosage, such as a Brut, works well here. The same principle applies to Rippchen mit Kraut: fat and acidity on the plate call for a sip with fine bubbles to refresh the palate.

In Biebrich, Sekt has always marked an occasion too. Söhnlein's Rheingold served as the christening Sekt for the Imperial German Navy, and to this day a bottle is smashed against the bow at ship christenings. For those who prefer not to drink, alcohol-free alternatives are available—the German Sekt producers' association put the 2025 figure at 19.1 million bottles.

The Sekt brand here is also a piece of cultural history. In 1904, Henkell spent 100,000 marks advertising Henkell Trocken, employing illustrators such as Thomas Theodor Heine and Olaf Gulbransson, who worked for the magazines Simplicissimus and Jugend. Their large-format advertisements shaped the public image of Sekt as a drink for special occasions.

In 1935, Henkell launched the small quarter-bottle known as the Pikkolo, and in 1936 the silhouette of the "Schwarzer Herr" (Black Gentleman) appeared on the Henkell Trocken label, remaining there for many years. Looking at old labels and advertisements reveals how a product became a symbol of celebration.