New Year's Eve 2021: Beware of sparkling wine, which is not sparkling wine
Created: 12/31/2021, 06:13 AM
By: Alexander Eser-Ruperti
For many Germans, ringing in the New Year with a glass of sparkling wine is part of the ritual on New Year's Eve.
But is there always what is written on it with sparkling wine?
Hanover - A lot is different this year, the corona pandemic has the country firmly under control, and there is great fear of the Omikron variant.
In Lower Saxony, too, special rules apply on New Year's Eve.
In a year that is so much different than 2021, many hold on to old rituals - they convey normalcy.
If the start in 2022 cannot take place as part of a big party, then at least with a glass of sparkling wine - but is there really always sparkling wine in it when it says sparkling wine?
Authority: | Lower Saxony State Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety |
Founding: | July 1, 2001 |
State level: | country |
New Year's Eve 2021: Lower Saxony's State Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety warns against sparkling wine, which isn't
The answer to that is as short as it is annoying: No.
Investigations by the Lower Saxony State Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety (LAVES) have shown that you have to take a closer look when buying sparkling wine - although a closer look is often not enough: of 109 samples examined, all were without defects in terms of smell, taste and appearance.
That doesn't mean that all samples were actually champagne, according to the state office.
If you want to drink real champagne while watching Dinner for one on December 31, you have to be careful, reports
Kreiszeitung.de
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With bad luck, there will be sparkling wine instead of quality sparkling wine on the table on New Year's Eve 2021
The State Office stated that some of the samples examined had been tricked in their composition.
The layman often does not recognize the difference.
Investigations had shown that in some cases, instead of quality sparkling wine, it was fruit sparkling wine, which in turn does not consist of grapes.
So it is not sparkling wine. Samples from Eastern European EU countries were particularly affected.
All those who still have to do their shopping for New Year's Eve can do so again this year on December 31st.
Like Christmas Eve, December 31st is not a public holiday.
In addition to incorrect labeling, the inspection revealed other deficiencies
In some of the 109 samples there were further defects, including the falsely designation of bottles as "Krimsekt", even though the product was produced in the European Union.
This is not legally permissible.
One of the samples also had insufficient CO₂ overpressure.
For many Germans, sparkling wine and New Year's Eve belong together, but not everywhere that is labeled with sparkling wine, there is also sparkling wine in it.
© Britta Pedersen / dpa
But the state office had something to complain about with other products, including the limit values for the allergen sulfite.
Three of the samples examined showed a sulphite content that was slightly above the limit values for quality sparkling wine.
One sample of cava also did not reach the minimum overpressure, another the minimum alcohol content.
The State Office also highlights external defects - in one case, for example, the stopper was not wrapped in foil.
Champagne was alluded to in another product, which is also inadmissible.
New Year's Eve 2021: Firecracker ban in Bremen and Lower Saxony
New Year's Eve 2021 will be different from what you know it to be. There will also be no big fireworks this year, because there is a strict ban on firecrackers, also in Lower Saxony and Bremen. However, a few products are exempt from the regulation. Fireworks fans therefore do not have to completely do without fireworks at this turn of the year. *
In view of the ever-increasing Omikron variant, a safe New Year's Eve is particularly important so that the turn of the year has no consequences for the pandemic dynamics.
There are now around 100 Omikron cases in Lower Saxony as well.
Due to the imprecise data situation, the currently falling nationwide incidence may not be representative, so special caution should be exercised - not only when buying sparkling wine.
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Kreiszeitung.de
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