Generation Riesling

Earlier this year I was taken on a brief trip to Germany by Generation Riesling where we visited a number of member wineries. It was a great visit, and I tasted plenty of very high-quality wines.

Generation Riesling was set up in 2006 as a means of making German wine more accessible to younger consumers. The 540 wine producers are all under thirty-six years old – apparently you receive a thirty-sixth birthday card bidding you farewell – and part of a new generation making fresh, modern, dry wines, marketing themselves using innovative methods, including lots of social media.

People who know me will be aware that I have always been a big fan of German wines, Riesling and Spätburgunder in particular. The trip certainly reinforced that and reminded of how good German Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc) and Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris) can be too. Several smaller importers import some of the finest German wines into Ireland, while the multiples also offer some very good less expensive wines. Obviously German wines sell.

None of the wineries are available in Ireland, although I understand one will shortly arrive and others are in discussion with distributors. So, this article may, for the moment, be of greater interest to our wine importers. However, I do believe that German wines will soon become an important part of every wine importers portfolio.

WEINGUT BARON KNYPHAUSEN, RHEINGAU

My first visit was to Baron Knyphausen in the Rheingau. Founded by the monks in Kloster Eberbach back in 1141, the estate has some fine vineyards including Grosse Lagen in Eberbacher Macrobrun and Hohenrain. It is currently owned and run by Frederik Baron Knyphausen. The estate has been organic for some time and will gain certification next year. They have sixteen hectares of vineyards planted with 75% Riesling, 10% Pinot Noir, as well a small amount of Red Riesling, a mutation of Rhein Riesling.

There is a very good modern visitor centre, restaurant and shop with an Enomatic tasting machine. The estate also has a ten-bed hotel with several apartments and outdoor concerts are held throughout the summer.

I met and tasted with cellarmaster Arne Wilken. I started with a very good alcohol-free Riesling, a sparkling Riesling and several other wines. The highlight was an excellent rich and full-bodied Hattenheimer Nussbrunnen Riesling Grosses Gewachs 2020. This a very good estate.

www.knyphausen.de wein@baron-knyphausen.de

WEINGUT EGERT & WEINGUT RUSSLER

The next visit was a more relaxed affair, chatting and tasting with two female winemakers in the sunshine followed by a leisurely walk in the vineyards.

Sophie Egert runs Weingut Egert with brother Max and her parents. The nine-hectare estate is in Hattenheim, one of the famous wine villages of the Rheingau. The estate has an impressive portfolio, with holdings in 8 Große Lagen and three 3 Erste Lagen, including vineyards in Oestricher Lenchen and Hattenheimer Nussbrunnen. It is made up of 90% Riesling, 7% Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir), and 3% Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc). Tastings can be arranged, along with food, and there even a couple of guest rooms available to rent.

We started with “Viel Gebubble Riesling Sekt” a very stylish sparkling wine made by friends Sophie and Tatjana together, before moving on to two very good Rieslings, the best of which was the Nattenheimer Nussbrunnen 2020 GG. This is obviously a star estate making very high quality wines.

Tatjana Russler works in the family owned and run Friedel Russler estate. They farm 10 hectares planted with 7 different grape varieties, mainly Riesling. They are certified organic as of last month. Instead of a Riesling I tried an unusual but very good Chardonnay Grauburgunder blend, made Tatjana told me, ‘because I’m special!” The wine was pretty special too.

Incidentally Grauburgunder aka Pinot Gris is having something of a moment in Germany at present. While in the past some were quite sweet, most these days are fresh and dry, more North of Italy than Alsace.

www.weingut-egert.de egert@weingut-egert.de

www.friedelrullser.de mail@friedelrussler.de

WEINGUT STEITZ

Fritz Steitz is one of the rising stars of his generation. From a modest winery and house in the Rheinhessen, he fashions a range of wines, all good and some exceptional.

This is a family business, with 15 hectares of vines in the Rheinhessen and Nahe regions. Steitz did a degree in Business & Economics, and then a masters in Sports Management (when he worked for the Bundesliga) before studying winemaking in Geisenheim. He took over from his father. who he told me, had worked long and hard to build up the business. Much of the sales are still direct to the public. Steitz loved growing up here and loves working in the winery. He wants to offer the same opportunity to his daughter, now two years old.

Here I tasted a range of wines including a Grauburgunder, Sauvignon Blanc, Spätburgunder, St. Laurent, and two Kabinett style Riesling. However, the standouts for me were a delicious fresh crisp Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc) Quarzit and two single vineyard dry Rieslings; the Paradis 2021 from the Nahe and the Mandelbaum 2020 from the Rheinhessen.

I also tried a sweet red, made from the Regent grape, a throwback to earlier times and still popular with some of their private customers.

www.steiz-badenheim.de infor@steitz-vom-donnersberg.de

WEINGUT BRETZ

Viktoria Bretz is a lively, dynamic winemaker. She is the tenth generation of her family to make wine in Bretz. Prior to that the winery in the village of Bechtolsheim, was part of a monastery. The estate is relatively large, forty hectares and they buy in grapes too and produces a large range of wines.

“We are your winery next door”, Viktoria tells me, “with something for all the family. We are down to earth, our wines are well-made and well-priced.” I would have to agree. I tasted a very good sparkling wine, and a number of clean fresh well-made white wines that would work very well on the Irish market.

WEINGUT STENNER

I had a dinner and tasting with Malenka Stenner of Weingut Stenner that evening. Very much a family affair. Malenka works with her father and brother Niklas. This is a go-ahead winery making very good wines, but also using some very innovative marketing ideas.

Stenner have developed a unique wine mosaic they use on their labels, explaining the flavours and style of each wine. Based near the city of Mainz, they produce a bewildering array of wines, covering all styles and price points. As well as wine, they make a range of spritzers, Norbert Nuss – a hazelnut flavoured liqueur, and Heidi Himbeer, a raspberry liqueur. They are also part of the Twin Wineries project that twins producers in Haifa and Mainz. They work with the Israeli Vortman winery distributing their wines in Germany.

While the Rieslings were good here, my favourites included the excellent 2021 Bodenheimer Mönchspfad Pinot Blanc and the spicy opulent Bodenheimer Grauburgunder 2021.

www.weingut-stenner.de info@weingut-stenner.de

WEINGUT GRÖHL

This is another star producer. Brother Johannes and sister Franziska Gröhl run a small estate from their winery in Weinolsheim with their parents. The family has been here since 1625. Franziska explains that her grandfather had eleven siblings, so the estate became very fragmented. Her parents inherited two hectares which they have now built up to 25. They have vineyards here and in Nierstein and Oppenheim, two better-known nearby sites. Their holdings include sought-after plots in Pettenhal, Hölle, Herrenberg and others. Johannes makes the wine (he was awarded Young Winemaker of the Year by Falstaff last year). They will be certified organic next year.

I tasted a range of excellent wines here, including the sparkling Cuvée Brut Nature, some classic Riesling Trockens and Kabinetts, and a Sauvignon Blanc. However, the highlights were three single vineyard wines, the Weissburgunder Hölle 2021, the Riesling Pettenthal 2021 and the Riesling Trocken Roter Hang 2021.

The Roter Hang, or ‘red hillside’, is a steep vineyard that runs back from the Rhine between Nierstein and Nackenheim, The exposure changes and the iron rich red soils vary as you move along. As a result, there are seven different single vineyards within the Roter Hang, all highly regarded and very much sought-after.

The Gröhl wines are now imported into Ireland by Carrington Wines.

www.weingut-groehl.de info@weingut-groehl.de

WEINGUT GEHRING

Gina Gehring is the fourth generation of Gehring involved in the wine business, but her father was the first to concentrate solely on wine. Previous generations were coopers providing barrels to wine producers. Her father moved out of the family premises in old Nierstein in 2001, and built an impressive winery, visitor centre, restaurant and caravan park out amongst the vines. He also bought vineyards, including parcels in Ölberg, Hipping and Pettenthal in the Roter Hang. The estate is 80% white and 60% Riesling. They also grow Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Frühburgunder. They hope to be certified organic in two years’ time.

I tasted a range of wines (with some very good food) and enjoyed all. Highlights included a very good sparkling wine, a Riesling Roter Hang 2022, and a Grauburgunder Bildstock 2020.

www.weinget-gehring.de info@weingut-gehring.com