The autumn dish of the Moselle – when young wine meets old cuisine
Combining wine and food means onion tart with bacon and Federweißer: wine is the season in a bottle. Federweißer – the still fermenting, cloudy golden young wine that flows for a few weeks every fall in the Moselle villages – is no ordinary wine. It’s the rhythm of the grape harvest in liquid form: crisp, yeasty, sweet and tangy at the same time, with a lively carbonic acid that still carries the buzz of fermentation. Together with a hearty onion tart – the dark, bacon-infused, onion-soft counterpart to the Alsatian tarte flambée – it makes one of the most harmonious seasonal meals of all.
The Moselle onion tart is more rustic than its Alsatian counterpart: more bacon, more onions, more time in the oven, a filling of sour cream and eggs that sets and turns golden brown during baking. It is not a light dish – it is harvest, autumn sunshine and the smell of freshly pressed must all rolled into one. To drink it, you need a wine that brings the same season with it: the semi-dry Mosel Riesling QbA, which preserves the freshness of autumn without drowning out the hearty, spicy character of the cake.
Ideal wine accompaniment: Mosel Riesling QbA semi-dry (Mosel, Germany)
A hint of residual sweetness of barely 10 to 15 grams per liter, including the classic Mosel freshness with green apple, peach and a mineral slate note on the finish – this semi-dry Riesling QbA is the seasonal wine par excellence. It is not a Federweißer – it has already completed its youth and carries the result of the harvest in an orderly fashion in the glass. And that is precisely why it works so well alongside onion tart: It brings freshness where the cake is rich, it brings fruit where the bacon dominates spicy and smoked, and it brings a slight sweetness that picks up and doubles the caramelization of the onions in the dough.
The acidity is the decisive element: it cuts through the fat of the bacon and the sour cream, making every bite of the rich cake light and fresh again. At the same time, the residual sweetness of the semi-dry QbA is high enough to absorb the sharpness of the onions and smooth out the pairing. This is the balance that makes the onion tart so harmonious with this wine – it doesn’t polarize, it unites. Semi-dry QbA Rieslings are available from the Mosel villages of Bernkastel-Kues, Traben-Trarbach and Cochem, which authentically convey this autumnal mood in the bottle.
Further wine recommendations for this dish
Pfalz Riesling Kabinett QmP feinherb (Pfalz, Germany)
A step up the quality pyramid, but with a similar concept: the feinherb Kabinett from the Palatinate brings a little more depth than the simple Mosel QbA – more body thanks to the warmer Palatinate climate, a riper fruit with ripe peach and a hint of apricot, and an acidity that is livelier than a more southern white wine, but not as delicate as on the Mosel. It works particularly well with onion tart when the tart has been spiced up – with smoked bacon, black pepper and caraway. The Pfalz-Kabinett feinherb stands up to this spice profile and at the same time adds a fruity counter note that enlivens the pairing. This is the ideal choice for anyone who wants to create a Palatinate comparison to accompany their Moselle autumn menu.
Alsace Pinot Gris AOC (Alsace, France)
The Alsatian equivalent – and the wine recommendation that is most closely related to the onion tart theme in terms of origin. Tarte Flambée comes from Alsace, and Pinot Gris from the same vineyards has been the classic accompaniment for generations. In its off-dry Alsatian expression, it brings creamy textures, ripe pears, a hint of honey and a spiciness that comes from the Vosges terroir – all characteristics that make an immediate impact with the onion tart. The residual sweetness of the Alsace Pinot Gris harmonizes particularly well with the slowly braised onions, which caramelize during baking and develop a subtly sweetish edge. If you want to surprise guests with a touch of internationality at onion tart dinners, serve the Pinot Gris d’Alsace – and you will rightly receive astonished looks.
Franconia Silvaner QbA dry (Franconia, Germany)
Dry, mineral, with the earthy herbal spice of Franconia’s shell limestone soils – Silvaner is the most sober and objective recommendation on this list. It goes particularly well with onion tart when the filling contains less sour cream and relies more heavily on roasted onions and smoked bacon. The dry structure of the Silvaner QbA does not provide a fruity counterpoint to the spiciness of the cake, but rather a mineral harmony: both the dish and the wine are down-to-earth, honest and without flattery. If you serve the onion tart as part of a Franconian-Moselle comparison meal, the Silvaner Franconia is a contrast to the Moselle Riesling, demonstrating how differently the German wine regions perform the same basic task – accompanying rustic cuisine.
Mosel Riesling Kabinett QmP feinherb (Middle Mosel, Germany)
The more elegant Mosel option for those who find the simple QbA too uncomplicated – the Kabinett feinherb brings more minerality from the same slate soils, more filigree fruit and a precision in the acidity that gives the onion tart a special depth. The residual sweetness is slightly lower than in the semi-dry QbA, which means that this wine hits the spice of the bacon a little more directly – and with a slate mineral tone that lingers on the finish. For a more festive version of onion tart, when the tart is the centerpiece of an autumn dinner with guests, the Kabinett feinherb is the stylish choice – a wine that respects the modesty of the dish while pointing to the highest level of the Mosel.
Rheinhessen Pinot Gris QbA dry (Rheinhessen, Germany)
Full-bodied, smooth and with a nutty texture reminiscent of toasted almonds and ripe pears, Pinot Gris from Rheinhessen is the most flattering option on this list. Its body is big enough to keep up with the rich sour cream of the filling, its moderate acidity doesn’t overwhelm the dish, and the light spice of Pinot Gris – a trait that comes from the grape’s Burgundian-German heritage – combines with the braised onions to create a warm, autumnal aroma. For anyone who doesn’t want a Riesling at an onion tart evening and would rather have a more accessible, less acidic white wine on the table, the Rheinhessen Pinot Gris QbA dry is the most honest recommendation.
All other recipes and wine recommendations from the Moselle region can be found in the Moselle wine region category.
The recipe:
Onion tart with bacon & Federweißer
Cooking utensils
- 1 Springform pan 26 cm or baking tray
- 1 Large pan for the onions
- 1 Mixing bowl
- 1 Kitchen knife and chopping board
- 1 Hand mixer or food processor
Ingredients
FOR THE YEAST DOUGH:
- 300 g Flour Type 550
- 1 Packet of dry yeast 7 g
- 150 ml lukewarm milk
- 1 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tsp sugar
FOR THE ONION FILLING:
- 800 g Onions cut into fine rings
- 150 g Smoked pancetta diced
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
- Salt black pepper
FOR CASTING:
- 3 Eggs
- 250 g Sour cream or sour cream
- 1 Pinch of nutmeg
- Salt white pepper
Preparation
PREPARATION:
- Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm milk with the sugar and leave to stand for 10 minutes until it foams.
- Knead the flour, salt, oil and yeast milk into a smooth dough.
- Cover the dough and leave it to rise in a warm place for 45 minutes until it has doubled in size.
- Peel the onions and cut into fine rings.
- Cut the bacon into small cubes.
COOKING STEPS:
- Fry the bacon in a pan over a medium heat without fat until crispy.
- Add the butter and stir in the onions.
- Braise slowly over a medium heat for 20-25 minutes until the onions are golden brown and soft.
- Season with caraway, salt and pepper and leave to cool.
- Preheat the oven to 200 °C top/bottom heat.
- Roll out the yeast dough on the floured surface and place in the greased tin, making a rim.
- Whisk the eggs with the sour cream, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
- Spread the cooled onion mixture evenly over the dough.
- Pour the sour cream glaze over the top.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes until the icing is set and golden brown.
DIRECTIONS:
- Remove the onion tart from the oven and leave to rest for 10 minutes.
- Cut into pieces and serve on a wooden board or directly from the mold.
- Sprinkle with fresh chives.
SUPPLEMENTS:
- Federweißer or Mosel Riesling QbA semi-dry
- Green salad with wine vinegar vinaigrette
- Pickled gherkins or cranberries
