The visit of Weingut Kaufmann took place during the 2019 Rheingauer Schlemmerwochen/ Gourmet Weeks. The winery was packed with wine and food lovers who had come for the Schlemmerwochen. Urban Kaufmann and Eva Raps had reserved a special table for us for the tasting and dinner. We did not see much of Eva as she was in the kitchen most of the time. Also, there was no way of giving us a cellar tour. But Urban gave us a wonderful tasting of his stunning wines and Eva joined us for part of the dinner.
Weingut Kaufmann
Weingut Kaufmann/ VDP: Can’t we all imagine the unbridled joy of bringing our closest-held dream to life? Swiss-born Urban Kaufmann, who long dreamed of owning his own winegrowing estate, knows that feeling better than most. Up through 2013, even as he served as owner of one of the most successful Appenzeller cheese dairies, he also traveled to Europe’s finest wine regions, scouting out the ideal spot to turn his dream into reality. The Rheingau, it turns out, was just that sort of place. He joined up with Eva Raps, the former long-standing director of the VDP, in acquiring Weingut Hans Lang, an organically certified estate. They then began a diligent, step-by-step pursuit of their vision of what a Rheingau wine can be. The estate, which now also bears the Kaufmann name, produces traditional Rheingau Rieslings, alongside a range of Pinot wines (Blanc, Gris and especially Pinot Noir). That latter variety has long been the estate’s calling card, drawing admirers throughout Germany for over twenty years.
Urban Kaufmann and Eva Raps
I quote Urban:”To produce top cheeses was important to me, today Riesling, white Burgundy grapes and Pinot-Noir are the focus in my life. There are magic moments to take care of these grapes in the vineyard and in the cellar from the fermentation phase until bottling.”
And Eva: “For me, it’s wonderful to finally be able to implement the quality philosophy of the VDP at a wine estate of my own. Fortunately, we have just the right sites in our portfolio to do so.”
Profile: Weingut Kaufmann
Owner Urban Kaufmann
Winemaker Urban Kaufmann
VDP member since 1994
Hectares of vineyards 20
Bottle production 120 000
Grape varieties 75% Riesling, 15% Spätburgunder, 10% Weiss- & Grauburgunder and Chardonnay
Vineyards
HASSEL, Hattenheim | VDP.GROSSE LAGE®
SCHÖNHELL, Hallgarten | VDP.GROSSE LAGE®
WISSELBRUNNEN, Hattenheim | VDP.GROSSE LAGE®
Schützenhaus, Hattenheim | VDP.ERSTE LAGE®
Hendelberg, Hallgarten | VDP.ERSTE LAGE®
Memberships
Demeter
Deutsches Barrique Forum
Slow Food
Vinissima
Eco Certification
Demeter
Aperitif in the Courtyard
We started with an aperitif in the courtyard.
Tasting and Home-cooked Dinner
We then moved to a large table right in the front-room of the winery for the tasting and dinner.
The Wines
We tasted 9 wines.
2018 Weingut Kaufmann weissburgunder
2017 Weingut Kaufmann uno
2017 Weingut Kaufmann rheingau riesling
Urban Kaufmann: Gutswein - Radiant, dynamic, and elegant, these wines form the foundation of our estate. Grown in the sandy, mineral-rich soils of the region, they reflect our year-round commitment to sustainable practices in our vineyards, as well as our diligence and experience in the cellar.
2017 Weingut Kaufmann hattenheimer riesling
2017 Weingut Kaufmann tell riesling
Urban Kaufmann: Tell - A truly special wine with a very speical place in our hearts. Made from the best fruit selected from our best vineyards and blended into a liquid representation of the Kaufmann philosophy.
2016 Weingut Kaufmann wisselbrunnen riesling GG
Urban Kaufmann: Single vineyard - vibrant, focused and complex, each of our single-site wines delivers a story of origin unlike any other. Patience in the vineyard and the cellar is rewarded in their supple richness and unmistakable sense of place.
2017 Weingut Kaufmann pinot noir
Urban Kaufmann: Pinot Noir - Our estate proudly flies the flag for Rheingau reds. The legenday line is built on a firm foundation of clarity, precision, and sustainable farming.
2016 Weingut Kaufmann riesling kabinett feinherb
2017 Weingut Kaufmann wisselbrunnen spätlese
Looking Back: Weingut Hans Lang - Kaufmann
Two years ago, when we visited Urban Kaufmann and Eva Raps, we were in the middle of a construction site and the winery was still called Weingut Hans Lang - Kaufmann. And we also had a family-style dinner.
You have achieved a lot, Urban and Eva. Congratulations!
Looking Back: Weingut Hans Lang
Weingut Hans Lang was always been a top producer in Germany with holdings in top Rheingau vineyard sites. Hans Lang was always open to new ideas, be it the production of dry Rieslings, his pioneer work in the German Barrique Forum or his uncompromising pursuit of quality. By the early 1990s, he had already banished mash pumps from his cellar and had reverted to labor-intensive harvesting by hand to continually improve wine quality.
See:
A Wine Feast in the Rheingau, Germany: The Grand Wine Convention 2010
Weingut Hans Lang, Hattenheim in the Rheingau: Eva Raps, Managing Director of VDP, and Urban Kaufmann, Swiss Cheese Producer, Take Over, Germany
Picture: Christian Schiller at Weingut Hans Lang with Hans LangBye-bye
Thanks Eva and Urban for a great evening.
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