Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller with Manfred Pruem, Weingut JJ Pruem. I met Manfred's daughter Katharina Pruem in Washington DC recently and wrote about Weingut JJ Pruem: JJ Pruem Goes Supermarket: Meeting Katharina Pruem and Tasting the Incredible JJ Pruem Wines at Wegmans
The Gault Millau WineGuide Deutschland 2012 includes the 1029 top winemakers of Germany, according to the American-borne Joel B. Payne and his team. This is really the crème de la crème. To put the Gault Millau selection perspective, the German wine industry consists of many small wine producers, totaling about 70.000. If you exclude the about 40.000 operators of less than 0.5 hectares, who should probably be classified as hobby winemakers, you are down to 30.000 winemakers. The wine makers included in the Gault Millau WineGuide Deutschland 2012 account for 1/3 of 1 percent of the German wine makers.
The Gault Millau uses a scale of 1 to 5 Grapes. Here are those winemakers who got in the 2012 Gault Millau WineGuide Deutschland the maximum number of 5 grapes, grouped by wine region. This is a small group of 9 winemakers.
On the 2010 GaultMillau 5 Grapes Winemakers see:
Germany’s Top 9 Winemakers - the 2010 Gault Millau Wine Guide
Each year, the Gault Millau also selects a winemaker of the year, a discovery of the year, etc. I have already report about these awards:
2012: Best German Wines (Awards) – Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland 2012
2011: Gault Millau WeinGuide Germany 2011 – Ratings
Ahr
None
(4 Grapes: J.J. Adeneuer, Deutzerhof, Meyer-Naekel, Jean Stodden)
Baden
Bernhard Huber
One of the winemakers leading the German red wine revolution. He also produces outstanding white wines. Does not have any sweet or noble-sweet wines in his portfolio. 26.5 hectares.
Franken
None
(4 Grapes: Rudolf Fuerst, Horst Sauer, Castell’sches Domaenenamt, Juliusspital Wuerzburg)
Hessische Bergstrasse
None
(4 Grapes: None)
Mittelrhein
None
(4 Grapes: Matthias Mueller, Weingart)
Mosel
Fritz Haag
Fritz’s son Oliver Haag produces a broad range of styles, from dry to lusciously noble sweet wines. 15 hectares.
Egon Mueller
The legendary Scharzhof lies on the Saar river. Egon Mueller’s fruity sweet and noble sweet, low alcohol wines are a legend. 16 hectares.
Joh. Jos. Pruem
For decades now, one of the really exceptional wine makers in Germany. The aging potential of the Weingut J.J. Pruem wines is legendary. 21 hectares.
Nahe
Herrmann Doenhoff
Owner and winemaker Helmut Doennhoff is a Grand Seigneur of German wine. 25 hectares.
Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller with Helmut Doennhoff, Weingut Hermann Doennhoff, Winner of the 2011 Feinschmecker Riesling Cup
Emrich-Schoenleber
Werner Schoenleber was Gault Millau winemaker of the year 2006. Only white wines, mainly Riesling. 16 hectares.
Pfalz
Knipser
A world class producer of both dry white and red wines. Werner Knipser has been experimenting with international red grape varieties for some years. Virtually all wines are fermented in a dry style. 40 hectares.
Oekonomierat Rebholz
A broad wine portfolio with international grapes, including Chardonnay and 25% Spaetburgunder. 19 hectares.
Rheingau
Robert Weil
A top producer of Riesling wines, in particular fruity sweet and noble sweet wines, which is well presented in the major wine markets in the world. By far the largest winery among the Feinschmecker top wine makers and one of the largest wineries in Germany. Owned by the Japanese Suntory company and Wilhelm Weil, the fourth generation of the founding family. 80 hectares.
Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller and Wilhelm Weil. Visiting Wilhelm Weil at his Weingut Robert Weil in Kiedrich, Germany and Tasting with Wilhelm Weil the 2010 Weingut Weil Wines in Kiedrich, Germany and German Riesling and International Grape Varieties – Top Wine Makers Wilhelm Weil and Markus Schneider at Kai Buhrfeindt’s Grand Cru in Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Rheinhessen
Keller
Leader of the Rheinhessen wine renaissance. Has a broad wine portfolio with 60 % accounted for by Riesling and also including the lesser known autochthon Silvaner as well as Spaetburgunder. 15 hectares.
Saale-Unstrut
None
(4 Grapes: None)
Sachsen
None
(4 Grapes: None)
Wuerttemberg
None
(4 Grapes: Gerhard Aldinger, Rainer Schnaitmann)
schiller-wine - Related Postings
German Spaetlese Wines Can Come in Different Versions. I Have Counted Five.
Phil Bernstein’s Third Annual German Riesling Tasting with the German Wine Society, Washington DC Chapter - Rieslings With a Touch of Sweetness
Visiting Weingut Josef Leitz in Ruedesheim – Johannes Leitz is Germany’s Winemaker of the Year, Gault Millau WeinGuide 2011
When Americans Drink German Wine - What They Choose
Impressions from the Riesling and Co World Tour 2010 in New York
German Wine Basics: Sugar in the Grape - Alcohol and Sweetness in the Wine
JJ Pruem Goes Supermarket: Meeting Katharina Pruem and Tasting the Incredible JJ Pruem Wines at Wegmans
1st International Riesling Symposium, Rheingau, Germany
The Wines of the Roter Hang (Red Slope) in Nierstein, Rheinhessen, Germany
Germany’s Best Dry Rieslings – Feinschmecker Riesling Cup 2011
Germany’s Top 100 Winemakers – Handelsblatt online and Vinum 2011
The Doctor Made a House Call - A Tasting with Ernst Loosen, Weingut Dr. Loosen, at MacArthur Beverages in Washington DC, USA
One of the Fathers of the German Red Wine Revolution: Weingut Huber in Baden
German Riesling and International Grape Varieties – Top Wine Makers Wilhelm Weil and Markus Schneider at Kai Buhrfeindt’s Grand Cru in Frankfurt am Main, Germany
The Wines of Franz Kuenstler from Hochheim, Rheingau, Germany
Best German Wine and Winemakers – Stuart Pigott’s Favorites (2011)
Germany’s Top 9 Winemakers - the 2010 Gault Millau Wine Guide
Best German Wines (Awards) – Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland 2012
Gault Millau WeinGuide Germany 2011 – Ratings
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