Germany "From Berlin to Frankfurt" 2023 (Saale Unstrut, Sachsen, Franken, Württemberg) by ombiasy WineTours took place from Monday, June 19, 2023 to Thursday, June 29, 2023.
In Franken, we visited 5 wineries.
Weingut Seufert in Iphofen, Franken. See: Tasting at Weingut Seufert in Iphofen, Franken, a Niche Producer of "Natural Wines", with Laura Seufert - Germany "From Berlin to Frankfurt" 2023 (Saale Unstrut, Sachsen, Franken, Württemberg) by ombiasy WineTours
Weingut Wirsching (VDP) in Iphofen, Franken. See: Tour and Tasting at Weingut Wirsching (VDP) in Iphofen, Franken, with Dr. Uwe Matheus - Germany "From Berlin to Frankfurt" 2023 (Saale Unstrut, Sachsen, Franken, Württemberg) by ombiasy
Weingut Weltner (VDP) in Rödelsee, Franken
Weingut Juliusspital (VDP) in Würzburg, Franken
Weingut Rudolf May (VDP) in Retzstadt, Franken
This was a tasting-only event. Paul Weltner was our host. When we arrived we also met Wolfgang Weltner, tha father of Paul.
Franken
Franken, located in the northern part of Bavaria, boasts a long winemaking tradition and some fine terroirs (mostly shell limestone and Keuper, a kind of marl). Its two leading grape varieties are Riesling and Silvaner.
Typically, Franken wine comes in the distinctive, dumpily-rounded Franken “Bocksbeutel” wine bottle. The bottle’s unusual shape dates back to at least the 16th century. The Bocksbeutel can only be used for Franken wines.
With delicate vegetal aromas and moderate acidity, wines made from the Silvaner grape are the perfect pairing for the white asparagus that emerges from the earth to fill German grocery stores and market stalls annually between April and June and graces lunch and dinner tables literally every day during that period. There is a young generation of winemakers that consider Silvaner as a national counterpoint to Burgundian Chardonnay or Saumur Chenin Blanc.
Weingut Weltner (VDP) in Rödelsee, Franken
The
Weltner family can trace back its roots as winemakers to 1553; for four
generation in Rödelsee. Since 2005 Paul Weltner is at the helm of the
wine estate of 28 acres. He was well prepared when he took over the
responsibility: after an apprenticeship as a cooper and a training in
Burgundy and at Weingut Ökonimierat Rebholz, one of the best of the best
wine estates in Germany, he graduated as viticultural technician from
the renowned Weinsberg school of viticulture. He produces wines that are
demanding. They are individualistic and challenging. The focus is on
Silvaner. The unique vineyard site ‘Rödelseer Küchenmeister’ is the
perfect location for this grape: it has such a geological variety. There
are different layers of gypsum keuper, clay, slate, shell-limestone,
sandstone.
I quote the Vinum Weinguide November 2022: “For a
while already Paul Weltner is at the very top in Germany’s wine
landscape, and that's a good thing. It's hard to imagine life without
him up there, with reliable calm and serenity, he delivers wines that
show such brilliance, minerality and depth that you actually want to buy
everything without tasting. And we know how well his wines can mature,
so feel free to put it away. Above all, his Silvaner, grown on the
gypsum keuper typical of Rödelsee, makes it clear that he always has to
be on the list when it comes to the best of this kind in Germany.”
PAUL WELTNER SPEAKS ABOUT HIS WINES AND WINE ESTATE IN RÖDELSEE
VDP: What is so special about your winery?
Paul Weltner: We are the oldest winery in Rödelsee, now in its 4th generation. And we manage to create an inimitable classic from a special climatic niche of the Schwanberg in the VDP.ERSTE LAGE® KÜCHENMEISTER. Savoury-spicy, expressive and elegant wines grow here in a south-westerly aspect on the Gipskeuper formation with estheria and myophoria fossil layers. Particularly Sylvaner, which occupies 60 % of our estate’s vineyard area, produces inimitable, fine wines with tremendous ageing potential.
VDP: What is your winery philosophy?
Paul Weltner: Environmentally
friendly cultivation with attentive handcraft and sensitivity for the
vines and healthy, vital soils. For us, this is the foundation for
lively, unique wines.
VDP: To what wine style do you aspire?
Paul Weltner: Fine wines that distinctly reflect their origins – finesse and intrinsic concentration are united in the wines of the Schwanberg. Of course, our favourite variety is Sylvaner.
VDP: Which of your wines would you recommend to someone who does not yet know your winery – as an introduction, so to speak?
Paul Weltner:
The Silvaner VDP.GUTSWEIN is a great demonstration of how much fun a
fully fermented wine can be. A wine that excels with extract and shows
how much is already found in a Sylvaner of this category.
VDP: Of which wine are you particularly proud?
Paul Weltner: KITCHENMEISTER Sylvaner GG is such an icon wine that you can only inherit in such a family. This wonderful multi-layered, ever-changing, vibrant wine fascinates again each year with new fine facets.
VDP: Why did you become a vintner?
Paul Weltner: After
a gradual introduction to the profession, everything outside Franken
appeared more interesting. I discovered juicy and fruity wines and
wanted to break with the local style at a young age. And then, from a
distance I began to appreciate the unique attributes of the Franken
style!
VDP: Do you have role models or mentors?
Paul Weltner:
People who are open to new things and interested in life have always
been inspiring. I’m quickly bored with thinking inside the box.
VDP: What are your next goals?
Paul Weltner: To retire. :)
VDP: How do you combine tradition and innovation?
Paul Weltner: I
find traditions exciting – to see how our fathers and grandfathers, who
had a completely different view of nature, dealt with things. Still,
you have to take a close look at these traditions and translate them
into the new times. Just like we did with the Bocksbeutel. With a narrow
label we don’t accentuate the curves, but instead stretch them out.
VDP: Why should people visit your winery?
Paul Weltner:
From Schwanberg, the highest elevation in the Franken wine region, you
have a marvellous, expansive view. You can experience sensational
sunsets in the southwest orientation of the Küchenmeister vineyard –
preferably with a glass of Küchenmeister Sylvaner at hand.
VDP: If your wine were music, what would it be?
Paul Weltner: The VDP.GUTSWEIN Sylvaner is like a Ramones song - it grabs you, spins you around for 1.20 minutes, and then you just look for the repeat button! The single-vineyard Sylvaner is then more like a jazz piece - finer, quieter, more playful. He improvises in the middle section and drifts down in quiet tones - but at the end he always comes back to the point.
Arriving
Father Wolfgang Weltner
Tasting
Bye-bye
Germany "From Berlin to Frankfurt" 2023 (Saale Unstrut, Sachsen, Franken, Württemberg) by ombiasy WineTours (Released and Forthcoming Postings)
Announcement: Exciting ombiasy Wine Tours in 2023
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