🍷 Perlwein
German semi-sparkling wine, often with added gas.
Perlwein is a German and Austrian semi-sparkling wine with gentle bubbles. The word means pearl wine, as the bubbles in the glass look like tiny pearls. The gas pressure in the bottle is low, from 1 to 2.5 bar, which is clearly less than in Sekt.
Perlwein is often made simply by adding carbon dioxide to still wine. In that case the label must say the gas was added. There is also Perlwein whose bubbles come from fermentation. It is usually a light, fresh, inexpensive wine, white or rosé, often slightly sweet.
In Germany Perlwein has a practical advantage: because of its low pressure it is not subject to the sparkling wine tax, so it costs less than Sekt. Perlwein is the German counterpart of what Italy calls frizzante.
Links
- Part of
- 🍷 Semi-sparkling wine
- Where it is made
- 🗺️ German wine, 🗺️ Austrian wine
- Similar and different
- 🍷 Semi-sparkling wine, 🍷 Sekt
Frequently asked questions
What is Perlwein?
It is a German or Austrian semi-sparkling wine with 1–2.5 bar of pressure. It has fewer bubbles than Sekt.
How is Perlwein different from Sekt?
Sekt has at least 3.5 bar and gas only from fermentation. Perlwein has lower pressure, and its gas is often added.
Why is Perlwein cheaper than sparkling wine?
Its low pressure keeps it outside Germany's sparkling wine tax. It is also simpler to make.
Similar
🍷 Aerated semi-sparkling wine · 🍷 Agulha · 🍷 Pétillant · 🍷 Frizzante · 🍷 Perlant · 🍷 Lambrusco
⚠️ Wine contains alcohol: adults only, drink in moderation. Wine usually contains sulphites; egg white or milk proteins are sometimes used for fining — important for allergies and for vegans.