PriSecco Bio Cuvée Nr. 29

Jörg Geiger works out of Schlat, a village on the edge of the Swabian Alb, and his whole business rests on the Streuobstwiesen. These are centuries-old meadow orchards where towering old fruit trees stand over herbs, shrubs and wildflowers, and they are among the richest biotopes in Germany. Geiger buys from more than 370 farmers within a 100 kilometre radius and deliberately pays above market rates, because those prices are what keep the orchards standing instead of being cleared. PriSecco is his alcohol-free answer to sparkling wine, built from meadow fruit and regional herbs rather than grapes. This organic cuvée leans on wild rosehips gathered from steep orchard slopes, a deliberate nod to Hägenmark, the tart rosehip preserve Swabian households have made for generations. There is no alcohol in it at all. Chill it well and pour it into a wine glass rather than a flute. It suits an aperitif, a cheese course, or any table where the food wants real acidity alongside it.