Wuerttemberg is one of the wine regions in Germany that sells a relatively low share of its output outside the region in other parts of Germany or even exports its wines. So, I was very happy when I heard that Count of Bentzel-Sturmfeder, Weingut Graf von Bentzel-Sturmfeder came to Frankfurt am Main to present his wines at Claudia Vechiatto’s Number one wine.
Number one wine
Number one wine is a wine store, owned and run by Claudia Vechiatto, in Sachsenhausen, Mörfelder Landstrasse 116. I like very much the very personal selection of the wines of Number one wine. Claudia is also always able to generate a very welcoming atmosphere at her store when she organizes little events, like the wine tasting with Count Bentzel-Sturmfeder.
History
The winery was founded in 1396, when Count Eberhard von Wuerttemberg gave Knight Friedrich Sturmfeder a piece of land for his services to him. For many centuries, the winery was owned by the Sturmfeder family. The Sturmfeder family is of German origin and is mentioned for the first time in 987 at the Neudenau Abbey in Wuerttemberg.
Until the mid-19th Century, wine was only made for family consumption. When the Sturmfeder family decided to buy the remaining parts of the Schozacher Roter Berg, it laid the foundations for commecial winemaking. Through a marriage of the Sturmfeder with the Bentzel families, the name Bentzel-Sturmfeder-Horneck came about.
The history of the Counts of Bentzel started in Sweden in the middle of the first millenium. They entered Germany in the context of the 30 Years War.
Kilian Graf von Bentzel-Sturmfeder
Kilian Graf von Bentzel-Sturmfeder is a winemaker by training. Between 1889 and 1991, he did an apprenticeship at the winery. Since 1995, he has been the General Manager of Weingut Graf von Bentzel Sturmfeder and since 2001 also its owner. Today, he runs the operation jointly with Holger Matz who is responsible for the wine cellar.
Weingut Graf von Bentzel-Sturmfeder
Weingut Graf von Bentzel Sturmfeder is in Schozach, which is part of the town of Ilsfeld in Württemberg. The winery is a member of VDP.
Weingut Graf von Bentzel Sturmfeder is the sole owner of the Einzellage (single vineyard) Schozacher Roter Berg (15 Hektar). The Red Mountain is a south-facing slope with a gradient of 45 percent. It is situated at an altitude of 280 meters above sea level. The soil consists of limestone and Keuper and has a reddish colour, which gave it its name.
The following varieties are grown there: 26 percent Pinot Noir, 25 percent Riesling, 17 percent Samtrot, 17 percent Lemberger. The rest are other varieties such as Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Meunier, St. Laurent, Dornfelder, Cabernet Dorsa and Acolon.
Wine Portfolio
Weingut Graf von Bentzel-Sturmfeder has almost 50 wines in its portfolio. In terms of prices, the wines start at a bit above Euro 5 per liter for entry-level wine in the liter bottle. Most wines are in the Euro 6 to Euro 11 range.
There are 3 Erste Lage wines in the wine list – a Spaetburgunder, a Lemberger and a Riesling – for around Euro 20.
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