Pictures: Dresden is the New Unlikely Place for Fine Barolo Wine: Weingut Martin Schwarz – Germany-East Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours
The VDP, Verband deutscher Prädikatsweingüter, is the association of currently 202 elite winemakers in Germany. Admission is by invitation only. Earlier this year, 2 winemakers in Sachsen and in Saale-Unstut, in the area of the former GDR, were invited to join the VDP, Weingut Martin Schwarz in Sachsen and Weingut Böhme und Töchter in Saale Unstrut.
We plan to visit both of them on the forthcoming Germany-East Tour 2023 by ombiasy WineTours.
See: ombiasy WineTours: Wine Tour Schedule 2023 - Austria, Germany/East, Burgundy/ Champagne, Germany/ North
We have already visited Weingut Martin Schwartz on the Germany-East Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours.
See: Dresden is the New Unlikely Place for Fine Barolo Wine: Weingut Martin Schwarz – Germany-East Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours
Weingut Martin Schwarz (Sachsen)
Owner: Martin Schwarz
Cellarmaster:Martin Schwarz
Member: Since 2022
Wine Area: 6,00 acres
Grape Varieties: 27% Pinot Noir, 19% Blaufränkisch, 19% Riesling, 11% Pinot Blanc & Pinot Gris, 7% Chardonnay, 6% Müller Thurgau, 5% Traminer
Geology: Granite and syenite weathered rock
Growing Area: Sachsen
Interview: Site, Terroir, Quality, Wooden Barrel. It is Worth the Effort to Push the Envelope in the Steep Sites
Martin Schwarz about his wines ans his wine estate in Meissen
VDP: What is so special about your winery?
Martin Schwarz: We are lateral entrants and the 1st generation as winemakers. Without family tradition, but unbound and free of conventions, we see ourselves as wine pioneers of the East. We began very enthusiastically 20 years ago with just under half a hectare of steep slopes in the MEISSNER KAPITELBERG. After the first few years, we were disillusioned: no vineyards to lease, no affordable building, we had almost emigrated... Then a stroke of luck: we were able to revive a historic vineyard, clear trees, put up dry stone walls and finally plant Chardonnay, Pinot, Riesling and a little Nebbiolo. Today it is our most important and also most beautiful vineyard, the FRIEDSTEIN in Radebeul, where our great growths will be produced in the future. In the meantime, we have been able to expand to 6 hectares and vinify in our own winery, a historic 18th century vineyard in Meißen, beautifully situated directly on the Elbe.
VDP: What is your winery philosophy?
Martin Schwarz: Everything needs time to develop, not only the wine. You have to endure that and still remain in suspense.
VDP: For what wine style do you strive?
Martin Schwarz: Site, terroir, quality, wooden barrel. It is worth the effort to keep pushing the limits of what is possible in the steep sites. Then come finesse, elegance and character. Our favourite grape varieties are the Rieslings, which wonderfully reflect the site characteristics of our granite weathered soils. The Burgundies, which are endowed with minerality and animating freshness in our climate zone.
VDP: Which of your wines would you recommend to someone who does not yet know your winery – as an introduction, so to speak?
Martin Schwarz: Due to the initially small vineyard area with many different grape varieties, we started with Cuveés back then, Weiß & Grauburgunder, Riesling & Traminer, Spätburgunder & Portugieser. To this day, they are one of our trademarks, as they show that by combining two grape varieties, independent wines full of character and complexity can be created.
VDP: Of which wine are you particularly proud?
Martin Schwarz: We are particularly proud of our Pinot Noir FRIEDSTEIN, which shows that great red wines can also be produced in Saxony. This is repeatedly confirmed by blind tastings in which we were able to achieve very good rankings.
VDP: Why did you become a vintner?
Martin Schwarz: The beginning was probably the Château Margaux 1975, which I preferred to Latin back in my school days and drank with a good friend in the Karlsaue in Kassel. Since then, I have been intensively involved with everything concerning winemaking and the wine world. Then, when I read about Geisenheim in "All about Wine" during my electrical engineering studies, it was clear to me that I only wanted to become a winegrower.
VDP: Do you have role models or mentors?
Martin Schwarz: In the 80s, the big wineries in Bordeaux and especially in Burgundy were the icons. That changed in the 90s when I discovered the top Rieslings and top Burgundies of German winemakers. My mentor was undoubtedly Joachim Heger, who had a lasting influence on me.
VDP: What are your next goals?
Martin Schwarz: They are very demanding and essential. To put the business, in which we have invested a lot, on stable feet. To fully exploit the high potential of viticulture in Saxony and to make it better known to the outside world.
VDP: How do you combine tradition and innovation?
Martin Schwarz: "Tradition
is yesterday's innovation" hit the nail on the head by a well-known
winemaker. However, tradition also contains a lot of well-selected
experience that needs to be preserved. And the wheel is always being
reinvented anyway... The core elements remain unchanged for us:
Steillage, manual labour, low yields, selection, wooden barrel, long
yeast storage.
VDP: Why should people still visit your winery?
Martin Schwarz: Here, in our region, there is so much to discover: the old town of Meissen with the porcelain manufactory and Albrechtsburg Castle, Moritzburg Castle and Park, of course the baroque city of Dresden, the slopes of the Elbe in Dresden and Saxon Switzerland and much much more...
Weingut Böhme und Töchter
Owner: Familie Böhme
Cellarmaster: Marika & Sandro Sperk
Member: Since 2022
Wine Area:6,56 acres
Grape Varieties:Riesling (17 %), Pinot Blanc (12.5 %), Pinot Noir (7 %), Chardonnay (7 %), Müller-Thurgau (14 %)
Geology: Freyburger Edelacker: The mild microclimate of the south-facing and partly heavily terraced steep slopes is determined by the Unstrut. The overlying shell limestone, which often meets grown limestone after only 50 centimetres, serves as an ideal heat reservoir. Mediterranean plants such as wild thyme and rock sorrel grow here. The wines are characterised by a recognisable minerality and filigree fruitiness, with a small but distinct herbal component. Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
Growing Area: Saale Unstrut
Interview: A Great Wine doesn´t grow just Anywhere
Marika & Sandro Sperk about their wines and their wine estate in Gleina
VDP: What is so special about your winery?
Sandro Sperk: "A great wine does not grow just anywhere". – At the end of our years of wandering, we realised: It's still best at home - that's where we belong, that's where we are needed. Our family has been making wine in Gleina since 1986 - and that is why Gleina remains the centre of our work. This is where we live, this is where we press our wine. But the place where our greatest growths mature is the Freyburger Schweigenberg (single vineyard site Freyburger Edelacker). With soils of mineral-rich shell limestone and its steep southern exposure, this mountain is made for the grape varieties that are close to our hearts: Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Riesling and Pinot Noir. Here they are at their best.
VDP: What is your winery philosophy?
Sandro Sperk: "The region is in the nature of our wines." – We are curious and want to explore the potential of the Saale-Unstrut region and our vineyards. Because great things can be created through respectful treatment of our nature and manual labour. Böhme & Töchter stands for honest character wines from classic grape varieties and a down-to-earth approach to the craft. The small winery always has its finger on the pulse of the times and leads the way in the community.
VDP: For what wine style do you strive?
Marika Sperk: We value tradition. In addition to working with steel tanks, in the cellar we rely more and more on long maceration periods, spontaneous fermentation, oak barrels - and on our gut feeling. This is rewarded with wines that tell of the microclimate and the soils of our vineyards, and which are a pleasure to drink again. Saale-Unstrut stands for grape variety diversity. Personally, however, we are particularly fond of Burgundy, especially Chardonnay.
VDP: Which of your wines would you recommend to someone who does not yet know your winery – as an introduction, so to speak?
Marika Sperk: Our Weißburgunder Ortswein is the perfect "Böhme & Töchter for beginners". A classic Burgundy from Saale-Unstrut: dry, taut and straightforward, paired with fresh chalky minerality and lots of drinking pleasure.
VDP: Of which wine are you particularly proud?
Sandro Sperk: To our Chardonnay from the Freyburger Schweigenberg. With determination and pioneering spirit, we planted the grape variety for the first time in this challenging steep slope in 2008. Since then, we have enjoyed the potential and positive development of the vines with each new vintage. The wine brings the complexity of the site and the terroir to the glass in a special way.
VDP: Why did you become a vintner?
Marika & Sandro Sperk: In principle, wine has always been a family affair and thus a formative part of our lives. We also feel a strong connection to our homeland. During our professional training in Geisenheim, we recognised the high value of the Saale-Unstrut wine region and our small family winery. Gleina is a diamond in the rough and we see it as our task to further develop the winery and the vineyards through new ideas - with family ties that support us in the process.
VDP: Do you have role models or mentors?
Marika & Sandro Sperk: By nature, we are very curious and enjoy moving forward. However, for every innovation of our own, we also need inspiration. Through the cooperation and constructive exchange with our colleagues from Breitengrad51 over the past years, we have received many impulses and have been able to further sharpen our profile.
VDP: What are your next goals?
Marika Sperk: The careful further development of the winery. In the next few years, this will primarily involve the renovation of the 4-side farm in Gleina and the preservation and promotion of the steep terrace culture in the Saale-Unstrut region.
VDP: Why should people still visit your winery?
Sandro Sperk: Viticulture, culture and history are certainly the most formative building blocks of the Saale-Unstrut region. They are very multifaceted and tangible everywhere. But it is not only that. For us, it is rather the small things that make this region an exciting place. These include, among other things, the special punch of people, the diverse winegrowing businesses or the varied nature, which you should definitely get to know.
VDP: How do you combine tradition and innovation?
Marika Sperk: For us, both belong inseparably together. We like to rely on the tried and tested and experience of the two previous generations and combine these with new ideas and technologies.
schiller-wine: Related Postings
ombiasy WineTours: Wine Tour Schedule 2023 - Austria, Germany/East, Burgundy/ Champagne, Germany/ North
Maison Guigal in Ampuis, Côte Rôtie, Northern Rhône: Cellar Tour, Tasting and Vineyard Tour - Rhône Valley Tour 2022 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France
Tour and Tasting at
Château Haut-Bailly, Graves, Appellation Pessac-Léognan, Grand Cru Classé, with Cellar Master Jean Christoph - Bordeaux Tour 2022 by
ombiasy WineTours, France
Cellar Tour and Tasting with Daniel Wagner at Weingut Wagner-Stempel (VDP) in Siefersheim, Rheinhessen - Germany-South and Alsace 2022 by
ombiasy WineTours
Tasting with Helmut Dönnhoff and Sascha Johannes Schömel at Weingut Dönnhoff (VDP) in Oberhausen, Nahe - Germany-South and Alsace 2022 by ombiasy WineTours
2022 Annual Riesling Party at the Schiller Residence in McLean, Virginia, USA
Christian Schiller`s SCHILLER-WINE Blog on Corking Wines` Top 101 Wine Writers of 2020 List
The Wines of Germany: Presentation by Annette Schiller at the German Embassy in Washington DC/ Consular Conference December 2021
Massive Tasting of Bordeaux 1982 - the Vintage that made Robert Parker a Star, USA/ France
Carl Willner, Christian Schiller and Ken Bensley of the German Wine Society/ Washington DC Chapter (Re-)elected to the National Board, USA, Germany
The American Wine Society National Conference 2022 in Bellevue/ Seattle, Washington State - Seen through Christian Schiller`s Camera Lens
The End of the "Grosslage" in Germany - Seminar about the new German Wine Law of 2022 at the 2022 American Wine Society National Conference in Bellevue/ Seattle, Washington State, led by Annette Schiller
Christian Schiller: Re-elected to the Board of the "Weinfeder", the Association of German Wine Journalists
2022 Holiday Party of the German Wine Society (Washington DC Chapter) at the Cosmos Club in Washington DC Downtown, USA/ Germany
Announcement: Annette Schiller Presenting "All Sorts of Sparklers: How do the Bubbles get into that Bottle" at the Northern Virginia Chapter of the AWS on Friday, January 6, 2023
Nicolas Quillé (MW): Overview of German Wine - Regions, Grape Varieties and New Labeling Rules
No comments:
Post a Comment