Annual White Wine Presentation of the VDP Wine Makers from the Nahe, Ahr and Rheinhessen Regions in Mainz, Germany

Picture: Christian G.E.Schiller and Tim Froehlich, Gault Millau Wine Maker of the Year, at the VDP Presentation of the Regions Ahr, Nahe and Rheinhessen

Annual White Wine Presentation of the VDP Wine Makers from the Nahe, Ahr and Rheinhessen Regions in Mainz, Germany

I participated in a presentation of the VDP winemakers from the Nahe, Ahr and Rheinhessen regions in Mainz, Germany.

Picture: Cathedral of Mainz

VDP

The Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter (VDP, the Association of German Prädikat Wine Estates), founded in 1910, is the world’s oldest association of top-quality wine estates.

Nearly 200 wine estates from all German wine-growing regions belong to the VDP today. They cultivate about four percent of Germany’s vineyard area. Membership in the VDP requires voluntary adherence to “in-house” quality criteria that exceed the minimums prescribed by the German wine law of 1971, including: yields are limited and vineyards are planted primarily with traditional grape varieties. Since 1990, 104 estates have become new members in the VDP and 67 winemakers have left the VDP.

One of its major undertaking in recent years has been a new classification of its members' vineyard sites, using Burgundy as a model:

• Gutsweine (house wines), labeled with a proprietary, village or regional name.
• klassifizierte Lagenweine (wines from a classified/superior site), labeled with a vineyard site name.
• Erste Lage (wines from a top site), labeled with a vineyard site name and the logo, a numeral “one” next to a stylized cluster of grapes. Only a Erste Lage wine can be a Grosses Gewaechs wine.

Ahr

The Ahr is one of Germany’s northernmost and smallest wine regions, with vineyards extending only 25 km along the Ahr River as it flows toward the Rhine just south of Bonn. The Ahr region has about 500 hectares under vine. Four out of every five bottles of Ahr wine are red wine, mainly Spatburgunder wines. Already since the 17th century the Ahr has been known as a red wine area.

J.J. ADENEUER
Marc Adeneuer
Max-Planck-Str. 8
53474 Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler
www.adeneuer.de
The brothers Frank and Marc Adeneuer produce about 80.000 bottle per year, almost exclusively red wine.

DEUTZERHOF
Wolfgang Hehle
Deutzerwiese 2
53508 Mayschoß
www.weingut-deutzerhof.de
Wine maker and owner Wolfgang Hehle produces about 60.000 bottles per year, almost exclusively red wine.

H.J. KREUZBERG
Ludwig Kreuzberg
Schmittmann Str. 30
53507 Dernau
www.weingut-kreuzberg.de
I like Ludwig Kreuzberg’s “unplugged” red wine.

Picture: Ludwig Kreuzberg

MEYER-NÄKEL
Werner Näkel
Friedensstr. 15
53507 Dernau
www.meyer-naekel.de
Werner Naekel was the Gault Millau winemaker of the year in 2004; he is considered to be one of the fathers of the German red wine revolution.

Picture: At the Tasting

NELLES
Thomas Nelles
Göppinger Straße 13 a
53474 Bad Neuenahr-Heimersheim / Ahrtal
www.weingut-nelles.de
The 1479 on the label indicates that wine has been made by Nelles for over 500 years.

Jean Stodden, Das Rotweingut
Gerd und Alexander Stodden
Rotweinstr. 7-9
53506 Rech
www.stodden.de
A Bourgogne inspired producer of red wine, with an annual output of 45.000 bottles.

Picture: Gerhard Stodden, Weingut Jean Stodden

Nahe

The Nahe region is named after the river that traverses the valleys of the forested Hunsrück Hills as it flows toward Bingen on the Rhine . The vines grow along the Nahe River and its tributaries Glan and Alsenz. Although the Nahe is one of the smaller German wine regions, its extraordinary range of soil types is second to none. It has about 4400 hectares under vine. Almost 2000 years ago the Romans brought wine-growing to the Nahe.

DR. CRUSIUS
Dr. Peter Crusius
Hauptstraße 2
55595 Traisen
www.weingut-crusius.de
Dr. Peter Crusius produces about 100.000 bottles per year, of which 2/3 is Riesling and 1/3 Weissburgunder

Picture: Dr. Peter Crusius and Spouse

DÖNNHOFF
Helmut Dönnhoff
Bahnhofstr. 11
55585 Oberhausen/Nahe
www.weingut.doennhoff.de
One of the Grand Seigneurs of German wine; very popular in the US.

Picture: Werner Schoenleber (left) and Helmut Doennhoff (right).

SCHLOSSGUT DIEL
Armin und Caroline Diel
Burg Layen 16
55452 Rümmelsheim
www.schlossgut-diel.com
Armin Diehl also produces Riesling and Pinot Noir wines in Washington State in the US.

EMRICH-SCHÖNLEBER
Werner und Frank Schönleber
Soonwaldstr. 10a
55569 Monzingen
www.emrich-schoenleber.com
Another winemaker who is in the 5 grapes Gault and Millau category; Gault and Millau winemaker of the year 2006.

GUT HERMANNSBERG
Jens Reidel
Ehemalige Weinbaudomäne
55585 Niederhausen
Deutschland
www.gut-hermannsberg.de
A newcomer with a long tradition.

KRUGER-RUMPF GbR
Stefan und Georg Rumpf
Rheinstraße 47
55424 Münster-Sarmsheim
www.kruger-rumpf.com
Stephan and son Georg Rumpf produce 140.000 bottles of wine annually, almost exclusively white wine.

Picture: Georg Rumpf

PRINZ SALM
Constantin Prinz zu Salm-Salm
Schloss Wallhausen
55595 Wallhausen
www.prinzsalm.de
Germany’s oldest family-owned and -managed winery, now by Constantin zu Salm-Salm (32. Generation).

SCHÄFER-FRÖHLICH
Tim Fröhlich
Schulstraße 6
55595 Bockenau
www.weingut-schaefer-Froehlich.de
The reigning Gault and Millau wine maker of the year.

TESCH
Dr. Martin Tesch
Naheweinstraße 99
55450 Langenlonsheim
Dr. Martin Tesch’s motto is: dry Riesling and RocknRoll.
www.weingut-Tesch.de

Picture: Dr. Martin Tesch

Rheinhessen

Rheinhessen is an area that used to be known for winemakers often focusing on quantity and not quality. Rheinhessen is the largest viticultural region in Germany. Every fourth bottle of German wine comes from Rheinhessen. The high-yielder Mueller-Thurgau accounts for about 1/5 of the vineyards. Unlike in other German wine regions, where monoculture of the vine is the norm, here the many rolling hills are host to a wide variety of crops grown alongside the grape. Rheinhessen also has the rather dubious honor of being considered the birthplace of Liebfraumilch. At the same time, Rheinhessen is among Germany’s most interesting wine regions. A lot is happening there. This is not because of the terroir, but because of the people. There is an increasing group of mostly young and ambitious winemakers who want to produce and indeed do produce outstanding wine and not wines in large quantities.

ST. ANTONY
Felix Peters
Wilhelmstr. 4
55283 Nierstein
www.st-antony.de
Relative newcomer; the Estate with a long history was bought by the Meyer family a few years ago.

BATTENFELD SPANIER
H.O. Spanier
Weingut Carolin Spanier-Gillot und H.O. Spanier
Bahnhofstrasse 33 67591 Hohen-Sülzen
www.battenfeld-spanier.de
Ecovin member Battenfeld Spanier focuses on natural winemaking.

Picture: Christian G.E.Schiller and H.O.Spanier

BRÜDER DR. BECKER
Lotte Pfeffer-Müller und Hans Müller
Mainzer Straße 3-7
55278 Ludwigshöhe
Ecovin President Lotte Pfeffer-Mueller focuses on natural winemaking.
www.brueder-dr-becker.de

Picture: Lotte Pfeffer-Müller und Hans Müller

K.F. GROEBE
Friedrich Groebe
Mainzer Straße 18
67593 Westhofen
www.weingut-k-f-groebe.de
Friedrich Groebe is a traditionalist.

Picture: K.F. Groebe and Spouse

GUNDERLOCH
Agnes Hasselbach
Carl-Gunderloch Platz 1
55299 Nackenheim
www.gunderloch.de
Well-known in the US market, with over half of the production being exported.

GUTZLER
Gerhard und Michael Gutzler
Roßgasse 19
67599 Gundheim
www.gutzler.de
Gerhard and son Michael are great barrique fans.

KÜHLING-GILLOT
Carolin Spanier-Gillot
Weingut Carolin Spanier-Gillot und H.O. Spanier
Ölmühlstraße 25 55294 Bodenheim
www.kuehling-gillot.de
Kuehling-Gillot is managed by Carolin Spanier-Gillot, wife of H.O. Spanier; she is also a proponent of natural winemaking principles.

KELLER
Klaus Peter Keller
Bahnhofstraße 1
67592 Flörsheim-Dalsheim
www.keller-wein.de
Rheinhessen’s reigning king: 5 grapes Gault and Millau Wein Guide producer Klaus Peter Keller.

J. NEUS
Ulrich Burchards
Bahnhofstraße 96
55218 Ingelheim/Rh.
www.weingut-neus.de
A red wine producer from Ingelheim.

RAPPENHOF
Klaus Muth
Bachstraße 47-49
67577 Alsheim
www.weingut-rappenhof.de

RHEINGRAF - WEINGUT VILLA SACHSEN
Felix Prinz zu Salm-Salm
Mainzer Straße 184
55411 Bingen
www.rheingraf.de

STAATLICHE WEINBAUDOMÄNE OPPENHEIM
Otto Schätzel
Wormser Straße 162
55276 Oppenheim
www.domaene-oppenheim.de

WAGNER-STEMPEL
Familie Wagner
Wöllsteiner Str. 10
55599 Siefersheim
www.wagner-stempel.de
One of the two 4 Grapes Gault Millau producers in Rheinhesse; exports to the US via Terry Theise

Picture: Christian G.E.Schiller and Daniel Wagner

SCHLOSS WESTERHAUS
Johannes Graf von Schönburg-Glauchau
Westerhaus
55218 Ingelheim
www.schloss-westerhaus.de
Schloss Westerhaus is situated above Ingelheim with a gorgeous view of the Rheingau on the other side of the Rhein river; in the 1 Grape Gault and Millau category since 2010.

WITTMANN
Philipp und Günter Wittmann
Mainzer Straße 19
67593 Westhofen
www.wittmannweingut.com
Wittmann’s Grosses Gewaechs is the only German top wine in the current Wine Spectator list of 100 (of 2009).

Pictures: Christian G.E.Schiller and Philipp Wittmann


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