C. Kloss Sparkling Tea Weiss: Fermented Celery

There is fermented celery in this bottle. Christian Kloss saves it for last, after the blackberry leaf, the nettle and the linden blossom, and calls it the secret part. It takes half a glass to understand why.

Kloss makes Sekt in Winningen on the Mosel. His great-great-grandfather co-founded, in 1856, the house now known as Rotkäppchen. But a good bottle sits on its lees for years while the bank counts in months, so he started making tea. This non-alcoholic sparkling tea Weiss is the first of five, and the one I keep going back to.

What is in it

Blackberry and nettle leaf form the base, and those two supply the bitterness and the tannin that give the drink a spine. Linden blossom sits on top as the lead note, and then the fermented celery. Christian calls it umami; what I notice is weight, a savoury floor with no vegetable you could name.

The juice is the second decision. It comes from wild orchards, small sharp apples with plenty of acid and very little sugar, the opposite of a Pink Lady, as Christian puts it. Every gram of sugar in the bottle comes from there. Sucrose tastes sweet and fructose fruity, according to Christian. My bottle lists 2.7 grams of sugar per 100 ml (Amavine gives 3.2; it shifts between batches), and there is still enough flavour to carry a full glass.

Why vegetarian kitchens buy this one

According to Christian, this bottle in particular goes to restaurants cooking vegan and vegetarian. Delicate vegetable dishes need a drink that meets them without shouting, and that is where the umami does its work.

Two things to know

This bottle is not bottle-fermented. It looks like a Champagne bottle, but the carbonation is added, slowly and over a long stretch of time, which explains the fine mousse. Christian says so himself and calls bottle-fermented versions his goal. It comes under a crown cap, not cork and cage. If you do not finish it in one go, put a Champagne stopper on it and keep it in the fridge.

And the celery is not for everyone. If you want something refreshing on a terrace, this is the wrong bottle: without food that savoury layer feels unfinished, as though something is missing. Take the Fruit Tea instead, sold as Hibiscus at Amavine. This one belongs at the table.

Where to buy

Producer

Winninger Sektmanufaktur C. Kloss

Drink

Sparkling Tea Weiss

Region

Winningen, Mosel

Base

Blackberry leaf, nettle, linden blossom, fermented celery, wild orchard apple juice

Alcohol

0.0%

Sugar

2.7 g per 100 ml (varies by batch)

Calories

11 kcal per 100 ml

Price

€14.99

Importer

Amavine

The sparkling teas that sell well in the Netherlands usually cost €20 to €35. At €14.99 this is a cheap way to learn the category, as long as you pour it with food.

This article is based on a press sample sent by Christian Kloss. No payment was made and the assessment is independent. I introduced Christian to Amavine and receive nothing for it.