Guest Author - Holly Fox

As fall approaches with its early dusk and cool air, screw-top bottles of a funny, effervescent “new wine” start appearing on the grocery market shelves across Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic. This “new wine” called Federweisser or “feather white” is a cloudy, sweet, bubbly almost-wine still in the fermentation process. In Germany the wine can be sold as soon as it reaches at least 4% alcohol. As it continues to ferment the alcohol content increases up to 11%. Because of pressure changes during this process, bottles are not corked or fully sealed and should be stored standing up.

Federweisser is the fall wine of choice at many harvest and wine festivals across the country. Although the original idea was to be able to sample that season’s wine without having to wait for maturation, these days Federweisser is usually made with grapes unfit to produce high-quality finished wines.

Despite difficulties with transportation, the Federweisser tradition is also strong in the larger cities and, like eggnog in December, a seasonal commercial success. Many brands include a recipe for its traditional accompaniment Zwiebelkuchen on the label. These filling onion tarts are meant to temper the sneaky tendency of the new wine to actually be a lot more alcoholic than it tastes. Although it is quite difficult to find Federweisser in the US (I provide a few of possibilities at the bottom of this article) the onion tart is a rich fall indulgence made with very basic ingredients. This is the recipe my friend Natascha uses:

Dough:
1 ½ cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
5 teaspoons yeast
1 tablespoon water or milk
½ teaspoon sugar
¾ tablespoon butter at room temperature

Filling:
about 4 ½ pounds onions
1 ¼ cups Crème Fraîche, sour cream, or cream
4 eggs
½ pound bacon
salt, pepper, and caraway seed to taste


Stir the sugar and yeast into ½ cup warm water and let sit for a few minutes. Combine the flour and salt in a medium-sized bowl and then add the yeast mixture and the softened butter. Lightly knead the dough and form a ball. Let the dough rise on a floured counter for at least 30 minutes or until it has doubled in size. Prepare a baking sheet (in Germany they often use something like a deep cookie sheet but a quiche or pie pan would work as well) with parchment paper. Knead the dough once more and then roll it onto the baking sheet. Pinch along the edges to form a barrier to keep the filling from spilling over. Let the dough sit again for 10 to 15 minutes.

Peel the onions and slice thinly. In small portions sauté the onions in butter until they are soft and translucent but not at all brown. Cube the bacon and quickly sauté it. Again, try to avoid letting it get too brown and crunchy. Stir together the cream and the eggs and add the salt, pepper, and caraway seeds. Spread the cooled onions and bacon evenly over the dough and then pour the cream mixture over everything.

Bake the onion tart at 400° F for 25 to 30 minutes. Serve warm!

A grated radish salad is also a refreshing and typical side dish for a Federweisser party. Natascha’s friend Isabel prepares hers using this recipe:

2 pounds black radish (turnips or rutabagas can be used as a milder substitute)
5 tablespoons sugar
½ tablespoon salt
pepper to taste
½ cup cream
½ cup vinegar

Wash, peel, and then grate the radishes. Mix with other ingredients and adjust ingredients to taste.

I have read that Federweisser is good for digestion and is considered a health food because of its high vitamin B1 and B2 and lactic acid content. On the other hand I have been warned not to drink too much of the wine because of its rather negative effects on the digestive system. Natascha chuckled a little as she threw in extra caraway seeds which in Germany are often considered to alleviate upset stomachs.

A Federweisser and Zwiebelkuchen party is an excellent way to greet the new fall. The salad and onion tart would be good on their one but many Germans who don’t like the sweetness of Federweisser drink a young white wine instead.

Special thanks to Jörn, Natascha, and friends for the recipes and for a lovely evening of Federweisser, Zwiebelkuchen, and radish salad.

These wineries have yearly events which include Federweisser and Zwiebelkuchen:
www.anthonyroadwine.com (Finger Lakes region, New York)
www.steppecellars.com (Yakima Valley, Washington)
www.springhillcellars.com (Willamette Valley, Oregon)