Pictures: Annette Schiller with Dr. Franz Werner Michel in Hochheim in 2010 and Dr. Christian Schiller with a Bottle of Weingut Domdechant Werner in Washington DC in 2026
The Domdechant Werner Estate cultivates about 14 ha/35 acres of vines, 98% of which are planted with Riesling and 2% Spätburgunder. It produces wines of all styles, ranging from dry to lusciously sweet wines. The finest dry Riesling wines are designated Erstes Gewächs, while the finest sweet wines bear the traditional Prädikat Auslese. The red Spätburgunder wines are carefully aged in mature oak casks. Some 60-70% of the wines are exported to about 25 countries around the world, making the estate a "global player" on a small scale. Domestically, the wines are sold to leading hotels and restaurants, as well as upscale wine shops.
In 1780, the father of Dr. Franz Werner Michel, the renowned Domdechant (dean) of the Cathedral of Mainz, acquired from the Count York the Hochheim wine estate.
Domdechant Werner is credited with having saved the Cathedral from being demolished during the French Revolution and was responsible for its reconstruction.
VDP: What is so special about your winery?
Dr. Franz Michel: Our classicist manor house under old chestnut trees is listed as a protected historic monument! We are an owner-operated family business in the seventh and eighth generations – dedicated to the memory of Deacon Franz Werner, who saved Mainz Cathedral from demolition during the French Revolution. Our focus is on exports: two thirds of the harvest goes to about 25 countries around the globe.
VDP: What is your winery philosophy?
Dr. Franz Michel:
Tradition meets innovation. Tradition means 100 percent of the grapes
we vinify come from our own vineyards in Hochheim with no additional
purchases of fruit or commercial wine. Innovation means sustainability
in the vineyard and modern production methods in the cellar.
VDP: For what wine style do you strive?
Catharina Mauritz: Our passion is Riesling in all its facets, from dry to fruity, from light to concentrated and long-lasting.
VDP: Which of your wines would you recommend to someone who does not yet know your winery – as an introduction, so to speak?
Catharina Mauritz: Our VDP.GUTSWEIN Riesling dry, or for those who don’t know Riesling yet, also our Classic.
VDP: Of which wine are you particularly proud?
Dr. Franz Michel: Of the dry Riesling from the VDP classified VDP.ERSTEN LAGEN®.
VDP: Why did you become a vintner?
Dr. Franz Michel: We winegrowers have three exciting professions: farmers outside in nature, oenologists in the cellar, and merchants in sales and distribution. After I retired, I had the chance to make a dream come true by continuing the Hochheim winery as a family heir!
Catharina Mauritz:
That we have everything in our hands, from planting the vineyard to
selling the finished wine, is incredibly fascinating. On the one hand,
we are lone fighters with our company; on the other hand, we move in the
large world-wide wine family with friendly contacts among colleagues,
partners and customers. To lead a company with seven generations of
history into the future for the next generations in times of great
change is an additional inspiration.
VDP: Do you have role models?
Dr. Franz Michel: At the Geisenheim Research Station in 1953, my teacher was Gerhard Troost, a pioneer of modern cellar management.
VDP: What are your next goals?
Dr. Franz Michel: The handover of the business with healthy vineyards and future-oriented marketing in Germany and worldwide.
Catharina Mauritz:
To drive forward the constant change in viticulture with a good portion
of courage and still remain true to the tradition of our history.
VDP: How do you combine tradition and innovation?
Dr. Franz Michel: The numerous family members easily account for that: all the children and grandchildren are involved in important events!
VDP: Why should people visit your winery?
Dr. Franz Michel: My tip: The panoramic hiking trail from my estate through the top vineyard, DOMDECHANEY VDP.GROSSE LAGE®, to the late baroque castle and the proud parish church – best after a wine tasting with us. Here you have a wonderful view over the landscape during a walk to the west over the Rhine and to the east up to the Odenwald.
Catharina Mauritz: And here you can experience our passion for wine in general and Riesling in particular!
Pictures: Annette Schiller with Dr. Werner Michel in Hochheim and the Domdechant Werner Vineyard in 2010. See: Wine tasting: 30th Anniversary of the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, Rheingau, Germany
Picture: Werner Michel from Weingut Domdechant Werner in Hochheim. See: Impressions from the 2011 VDP Rheingau Open at Schloss Johannisberg, Germany
Overview: Germany Rhein-Mosel-Nahe 2024 by Ombiasy Public Relations and Wine Tours led by Annette Schiller - Facebook Day-by-day Postings
Summary: Loire 2024 - Châteaux and Wine - by ombiasy WineTours, led by Annette Schiller
Summary: Germany "From Berlin to Frankfurt" 2023 (Saale Unstrut, Sachsen, Franken, Württemberg) by ombiasy WineTours
Summary: From Lyon to Paris - Total Immersion in Burgundy and Champagne 2023 by ombiasy WineTours (July 02 - 13, 2023)
Summary: Austria 2023 by ombiasy WineTours - 12 Days: May 28 - June 08, 2023
Christian Schiller`s SCHILLER-WINE Blog on Corking Wines` Top 101 Wine Writers of 2020 List
2022 Annual Riesling Party at the Schiller Residence in McLean, Virginia, USA
Massive Tasting of Bordeaux 1982 - the Vintage that made Robert Parker a Star, USA/ France
Kékfrankos - Blaufränkisch - Lemberger: A Grape’s Immigration Story From Central Europe To The US West Coast - Seminar at the 2023 American Wine Society National Conference in St. Louis/ Missouri/ USA led by Annette Schiller
schiller-wine Blog of Christian Schiller Top Washington DC Alcohol Blog (December, 2024)
2024 Annual Meeting of the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, a 45 Years Old Wine Brotherhood in the Famous Wine Village Hochheim, Rheingau, Germany, with Annette Schiller, Founding Member, and Christian Schiller
Masterclass - The Wines of Germany: Presentation by Annette Schiller at the German Embassy in Washington DC/ Consular Conference March 2024
The New German Wine Law of 2021 - Shifting from the Sugar Level at Harvest to the Wine's Geographic Origin
Dinner at JAN in Munich, Germany, with Jan Hartwig, one of the ten German 3-star Michelin Chefs (September 2024)
No comments:
Post a Comment