Monday, March 2, 2026

Wines of the Year - HENRIS WeinGuide Deutschland/ Germany 2026

Pictures: With Christian Stahl - Exotic Whites – Wine of the Year: Winzerhof Stahl – 2024 Steinmauer Chenin Blanc

The HENRIS WeinGuide Germany 2026 was released recently.

HENRIS WeinGuide Germany 2026

The HENRIS WeinGuide Germany 2026 was released recently by HENRIS, a publishing house based in Munich. This is the first HENRIS WeinGuide Germany. Until very recently, the HENRIS publishing house was in charge of the Gault&Millau Guides for Germany, both for restaurants and wine. Basically, the HENRIS WineGuide Germany is the old Gault&Millau WeinGuide Germany with a new name. The team of tasters remained the same, with Otto Geisel heading the team.

Wines of the Year 2026

The HENRIS WeinGuide Deutschland/ Germany 2026 provides a list of its wines of the year, in 20 different categories. We have visited many of the selected producers on a recent Germany Tour by ombiasy WineTours.

Riesling of the Year: Van Volxem – 2024 Scharzhofberger P Riesling GG

Picture: With Roman Niewodniczanski at Weingut Van Volxem. See. Lunch, Tasting and Vineyard Walk at Weingut Van Volxem with Owner Roman Niewodniczanski – Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Mature Riesling of the Year: Nikolaus Köwerich – 2009 Leiwener Laurentiuslay Riesling Beerenauslese

Riesling Kabinett of the Year: Wwe. Dr. H. Thanisch, Erben Thanisch – 2024 Berncasteler Doctor Riesling Kabinett

Riesling Beerenauslese of the Year: Von Hövel – 2024 Scharzhofberger Riesling Beerenauslese

Picture: Tasting with Max von Kunow during the Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2014)

Silvaner of the Year: Horst Sauer – 2023 Hütte Silvaner

Pictures: Vinyard Tour and Tasting at Weingut Horst Sauer in Eschendorf, Franken, with Horst Sauer - Germany-East Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours

Sauvignon Blanc of the Year: Rainer Schnaitmann – 2023 Rèserve Sauvignon Blanc

Picture: At Weingut Rainer Schnaitmann with Rainer Schnaitmann. See: Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting with Rainer Schnaitmann at Weingut Rainer Schnaitmann in Fellbach, Württemberg – Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), Germany

Pinot Blanc of the Year: Weingut Dr. Heger – 2023 Ihringer Winklerberg Hinter Winklen Gras im Ofen Pinot Blanc GG2013.

Picture: At Weingut Dr. Heger in Ihringen, Kaiserstuhl, Baden

Pinot Gris of the Year: Martin Waßmer – 2023 Dottinger Castellberg GC Pinot Gris

Picture: Cellar Tour and Tasting at Pinot Noir Star Producer Weingut Martin Waßmer in Bad Krozingen, Markgräfler Land, Baden - Germany-South and Alsace 2018 Tour by ombiasy WineTours: Baden, Alsace, Pfalz and Rheinhessen

Chardonnay of the Year: Bernhard Huber – 2023 Hecklinger Schlossberg Chardonnay GG

Picture: Tasting at Weingut Bernhard Huber in Baden, with Yquem Viehauser and Julian Huber – Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

White Wine Composition of the Year: Weedenborn Winery – 2022 Grande Réserve

Picture: Stuart Pigott, Wilhelm Weil (Weingut Robert Weil) and Gesine Roll (Weingut Weedenborn) with Annette and Christian Schiller (ombiasy WineTours) at Gut Hermannsberg in the Nahe Region. See also: Tour and Tasting at Weingut Gut Hermannsberg in Niederhausen, Nahe – Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Exotic Whites – Wine of the Year: Winzerhof Stahl – 2024 Steinmauer Chenin Blanc

Picture: Christian L. and Simone Stahl at Cleveland Park Fine Wines and Liquor Store in Washington DC, with Importer Chris Bartha, General Manager Anthony Quinn and Christian Schiller.

Local Hero White: Weingut Ziereisen – 2022 Jaspis 10⁴ Unfiltered Gutedel

Picture: Massive Tasting at Weingut Ziereisen, with Hanspeter and Edeltraud Ziereisen. See: 2 Cellar Tours and 1 Tasting at Weingut Ziereisen in Efringen, Markgräfler Land, Baden, with Hanspeter and Edel Ziereisen - Germany-South and Alsace 2018 Tour by ombiasy WineTours: Baden, Alsace, Pfalz and Rheinhessen

Best Rosé of the Year: Weingut Aldinger – 2023 Untertürkheimer Gips Trollinger 1st Growth

Picture: Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Aldinger in Fellbach (Stuttgart), with Matthias Aldinger - Germany-East Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Art, Culture, History - Berlin, Saale-Unstrut, Sachsen, Württemberg, Franken

Pinot Noir of the Year: Rudolf Fürst – 2023 Centgrafenberg Pinot Noir GG

Picture: Winemaker Dinner at Restaurant Medici in Frankfurt, Germany, with the #worldclass Pinot Noirs of Sebastian Fuerst, Weingut Rudolf Fuerst, Franken, Germany and the High-end Food of Chefs/ Owners Stamatios and Christos Simiakos (October 2025)

Lemberger of the Year: Aldinger Winery – 2023 Lämmler Fellbach Lemberger GG

Red wine composition of the year: Knipser Winery – 2020 XR Cuvée

Exotic reds – Wine of the Year: Fritz Waßmer – 2022 Kaiserberg Herbolzheim Cabernet Franc

Local Hero Red: Hofmann Winery – 2022 Röttinger Feuerstein RR Tauberschwarz

Sparkling wine brut nature of the year: Clauß Winery – 2020 Grande Cuvée brut nature

Sparkling wine brut of the year: Raumland sparkling wine house – 2016 XVI. Triumvirat Grande Cuvée brut

Picture: Tasting at Sekthaus Raumland in Flörsheim-Dalsheim, Rheinhessen, with Heide-Rose and Volker Raumland. See: See: Tasting at Sekthaus Raumland in Flörsheim-Dalsheim, Rheinhessen, with Heide-Rose and Volker Raumland - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours

schiller-wine: Related Postings

Announcement: Small Group (12 people) Wine Tours to Europe (Italy and Germany) this Year (2026) by ombiasy WineTours with Annette Schiller

Overview: Rhône Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours led by Annette Schiller - Facebook Day-by-day Postings
Overview: Germany Rhein-Mosel-Nahe 2024 by Ombiasy Public Relations and Wine Tours led by Annette Schiller - Facebook Day-by-day Postings
Summary of Loire Valley 2025 by ombiasy WineTours, led by Annette Schiller: Wine, Food, History, Culture
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
The 2025 American Wine Society National Conference in Chantilly/ Virginia/ USA, with Annette and Christian Schiller: Seen Through Christian Schiller's Camera Lens

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
The New German Wine Law of 2021 - Tasting at the German Wine Society (Washington DC Chapter), presented 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)
Hans Rebholz, Weingut Oekonomierat Rebholz, Pfalz, Presenting his Wines at the German Embassy in Washington DC, USA (January 2025)

2025 Rieslingfeier Gala Dinner in New York City, Sky Loft, 32nd Floor of 50 Hudson Yard, with 15 #worldclass Winemakers from Germany + Austria and Estimated 300 Wines, many 20, 30, 40 Years old, many Larger Format and almost all Ultra-premium

Christian Schiller: Re-elected to the Board of the "Weinfeder", the Association of German Wine Journalists (January 2025)

Annette and Christian Schiller Awarded German Wine Society Silver Medallion for their Superior Knowledge of German Wine (USA, Washington DC, December 12, 2025)

Visit of Château de Chambord: "An Epitome of what Human Art can Produce" said Charles V. (Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire of German Nations) - Loire Valley 2026 by ombiasy WineTours

With a Large Cheese Cart and Soufflé Flambé au Cognac: 5-course Menu Inspiration - Leisurely Sunday Lunch at Restaurant La Croix Blanche on the Banks of the Loire between Amboise and Blois, with Owner/ Chef Jean-François Beauduin (Bib Gourmand Michelin) - Loire Valley 2025 by ombiasy WineTours

Annette Schiller Elected Director of Education and Christian Schiller Re-elected Vice-president at the Membership Meeting of the Washington DC Chapter of the German Wine Society USA (via Zoom), February 21, 2026

Saturday, February 28, 2026

Rheingau: The Top Winemakers - Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland/ Germany 2026

The Vinum Weinguide Deutschland is a leading German wine guide. The Vinum Weinguide Deutschland 2026 was released recently, presenting Vinum's choice of Germany’s best 1,000 wine producers and reviewing more than 13,500 wines on 1,080 pages.

5 out of 5 stars („world class“) were awarded to 27 estates.

Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland/ Germany 2026

In the Rheingau, there are 3 producers with 5 stars and 7 producers with 4.5 stars.

Annette Schiller and I have visited all 3 producers with 5 stars and 4 of the 7 producers with 4.5 stars over the past years during a Germany wine tour by ombiasy WineTours, which is owned and run by Annette Schiller and based in Washington DC, USA.

Rheingau

(London Wine Competition)

Rheingau is one of the 13 German wine-growing regions, notable primarily for its superior Riesling wines. Overall, Rheingau is the German wine-growing region that has the highest proportion of Riesling production (78.8%) as a percentage of all wine produced. Other wines play only a minimal role in the region’s wine culture, including Spatburgunder (12.2%) and Müller-Thurgau (1.6%).

In addition to being such a prominent Riesling producer, Rheingau is also known for being the birthplace of many German winemaking traditions and innovations. It is the home to famous winemakers such as Schloss Johannisberg, as well as the original site where the German form of the “noble rot” was discovered.

In terms of total area, Rheingau extends for a 50-kilometer stretch along the Rhine River. The region is officially located in the German state of Hesse. Despite the region’s prominence in German wine-making lore, Rheingau only accounts for less than 5% of all German vineyard acreage under cultivation. Vineyards are primarily located on the river’s right bank. Leading wine-producing villages of the Rheingau include Hochheim am Main, Walluf, Eltville, Rauenthal, Kiedrich, Hattenheim, Oestrich, Winkel, Johannisberg, and Rudesheim.

The history of winemaking in Rheingau extends back to the 900s and the reign of Charlemagne, who ordered vineyards to be planted in the region. Recently, there has been new evidence discovered of a winemaking tradition stretching all the way back to the Roman era. Given the long history of winemaking in Rheingau, it has acquired a special place in the overall tradition of German winemaking.

Visiting Rheingau Producers

Weingut Schloss Johannisberg - 5/5 Stars

Pictures: Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Schloss Johannisberg (VDP), the Iconic Rheingau Estate, with Dieter Salomon - Germany Rhein-Mosel-Nahe 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Pictures: Lunch at the Weingut Schloss Johannisberg Gutsrestaurant - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Picture: Annette Schiller and Stefan Doctor, Director of Weingut Schloss Johannisberg, at the Weinbörse in Mainz. See: Attending the 2019 VDP.Weinbörse - Vintage 2018 - in Mainz - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Pictures: Tour and Tasting at Schloss Johannisberg, Rheingau, with Christian Witte, Domaine Director – Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), Germany

Peter Jakob Kühn - 5/5 Stars

Pictures: Tasting at Weingut Peter Jakob Kühn (VDP) in Oestrich-Winkel, Rheingau, with Peter Bernhard Kühn - Germany Rhein-Mosel-Nahe 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Pictures: Salons des Vins - all with a Focus on Natural, Organic, Biodynamic and Low-intervention Producers in the Loire Valley and elsewhere in France and Europe - in February in Angers and Samour, Loire Valley, France (February 2024)

Picture: Christian Schiller and Peter Jakob Kühn in Kiedrich, Rheingau, see: Extraordinary Views of the Rheingau Vineyards - A Spectecular Helicopter Flight over the Rheingau with Rheingau Winemakers, Germany

Picture: Annette Schiller with Peter Jakob Kühn in Berlin

Pictures: Kühn Peter Jakob, Oestrich (Rheingau) - One of the Bio-dynamic Stars in Germany: Weingut Peter Jakob Kühn in Östrich, Winkel – Germany-North Wine Tour by ombiasy (2014)

Robert Weil

Picture: Bollinger (Champagne) and Weil (Rheingau): Spectacular Winemaker Dinner at Steins Traube (1 Star Michelin) in Mainz, with Cyril Delarue (Bollinger Family), Wilhelm Weil, Sommelière Maria Vizsnyai and Chef Philipp Stein, Germany (October 2024)