Weingut P.J. Valckenberg

Worms / Rheinhessen
Internet: http://www.valckenberg.com

The grapes of this wine derive from one of the most famous vineyards of Europe named Wormser Liebfrauenstift-Kirchenstück from where German wine exports started in the early 1800s. The majority of those vineyards being cultivated since the 14th century is owned by the VALCKENBERG family since 1808. In the year 2001 wine maker Tilman Queins took over the famous vineyards of the Wormser Liebfrauenstift-Kirchenstück. He regards it as his personal challenge to achieve high quality wines adequate to this unique single vineyard. Weingut P.J. Valckenberg and its more than 500-year-old vineyards are located in the heart of the “Nibelungen Town” of Worms on the banks of the Rhine.

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Weingut Graf von Neipperg (VDP)

Schwaigern / Württemberg
Internet: http://www.neipperg.de

The counts of Neipperg have been engaged in wine-growing for over 700 years in the wine-growing area of Württemberg. Since 1984 Karl Eugen, hereditary count of Neipperg, is responsible for the wine estate. Red wines account for more than 60 % of the estate’s production. The Neipperg family also owns and operates the famous Château Canon la Gaffelière (St. Emilion).

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Weingut Baron zu Knyphausen (VDP)

Eltville / Rheingau
Internet: http://www.knyphausen.de

The Baron zu Knyphausen estate is one of the oldest Rheingau estates having been founded in 1141 by the Cistercian monks of the Abbey of Eberbach. The vineyards gently slope towards the Rhine River, which retains and reflects the warmth of the sun. The soil is loamy, contains some loess and limestone and retains water well. These are ideal conditions for the Riesling grape. The Knyphausen wines are full-bodied and robust, with a fruity Riesling bouquet. They show a pronounced acidity, which means they might need longer to develop in cask and in bottle, but it also means they have great longevity.

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Weingut Dr. von Bassermann-Jordan (VDP)

Deidesheim / Pfalz
Internet: http://www.bassermann-jordan.de

The Jordan family started Wine Growing in the 18th century. Friedrich von Bassermann-Jordan was the author of the seminal work on The History of Winegrowing. Very special is the estate’s museum of old wines, starting with vintage 1706. Today, the estate is managed by the entrepreneur Achim Niederberger, who bought the estate in 2002. Bassermann-Jordan wines have been the classic examples of traditional Palatinate Pieslings for decades. The sense for innovation in quality improvement was not lost in the process. Ulrich Mell, one of the most respected vintners, supervises the technical operations of the business. Considerable investment has enabled the Estate to carefully broaden the spectrum of aroma and taste of our rieslings. Along with the wooden vat classics, fruity wines which have matured in stainless steel vats show the range of their locations.

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Schloss Wallhausen (VDP

Wallhausen / Nahe
Internet: http://www.schloss-wallhausen.de/

Prinz zu Salm-Dalberg'sches Weingut at Schloss Wallhausen is one of Germany's oldest traditional wine estates – the oldest wine estate, which has been family-owned all the time. Michael Prinz zu Salm-Salm, the estate owner and current president of the VDP (German association of Prädikats-und Quality wine estates) can trace his family tree back to 932 and his vineyards to 1200. Nowadays the wine estate not only stands for high quality wines, but Prince Michael Salm has also implemented organically viticulture, the estate has been certified since 1995 by NATURLAND in Germany.

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Dr. C. von Schubert’sche Gutsverwaltung

Maximin Grünhaus / Mosel-Saar-Ruwer
Internet: http://www.vonSchubert.com

The Estate of Maximin Grünhaus is situated on a south facing slope on the left bank of the small Ruwer river, which shortly after flows into the Moselle about six kilometers downstream from Trier. The vineyards face the old buildings of the former monastery with its spacious cellars, dating back to the Roman era, when vines were already planted here in the first century A.D. The estate was first documented in 966. The Schubert family purchased it in 1882 and they remain the sole owners of its three vineyards: Abtsberg, Herrenberg and Brudersberg. Since 1981 Dr. Carl-Ferdinand von Schubert leads the estate together with his Winemaker and vineyard manager Stefan Kraml, who came to the estate in February 2004, Their motto is “As much handling as necessary, but as little as possible”. Despite the use of modern techniques in the cellar, the wines are still stored and aged in traditional oak barrels allowing the wines to develop their individual character. The wines display an elegant bouquet, fine acidity with a full and round body.

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Weingut Schloss Saarstein (VDP)

Serrig / Mosel-Saar-Ruwer
Internet: http://www.vinonet.com/saarstein

Around 1900 the imposing Schloss (castle) was built high above the vineyards. Dieter Ebert Purchased the estate in 1956 and established the basis for successful and continual development. The 24-acre vineyard around the castle enjoys the perfect conditions for growing the Riesling grape. It is situated on a steep hillside facing south to south-west and it has a black slaty soil. The typical character of SCHLOSS SAARSTEIN wines is elegant steeliness balanced with crisp fruit. Production is concentrated on the one vineyard surrounding the Schloss with great emphasis on strict selection when hand-picking. The wines are then carefully treated in wooden thousand-liter barrels to help maintain each wine's own character. With enthusiasm and dedication Christian and Andrea Ebert led their Estate among the top producers of the Saar region.

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Fürstlich Castell’sches Domänenamt (VDP)

Castell / Franken
Internet: http://www.castell.de

The origins of the Castell family can be traced back to the year 1057. Castell is the name of the family, the estate and the village. The family can document viticulture as early as 1224. The 65 hectares baronial vineyards are located in scenic, well climatic niches. The dark heavy soil and the continental climate of the Steigerwald create undeniable Franconian wines: full-bodied, fruity and in a rich, well balanced dry style. Especially the grape variety Silvaner, has ideal conditions to grow on the strongly mineral soil. Silvaner was planted in Castell in the 17th century, for the first time in Germany. The typical bottleshape is called Bocksbeutel, which is only allowed to be filled in Franconia

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Weingut Schloss Johannisberg (VDP)

Johannisberg / Rheingau
Internet: http://www.schloss-johannisberg.com

Schloss Johannisberg in the Rheingau is a unique meeting point of culture, countryside and vine-growing: a flourishing wine estate and a monument to the history of wine. This is the home of the quality designations for German wine, especially for Spätlese (late harvest) but also for Auslese (selected harvest) and Eiswein (wine from frozen grapes) . Their origins and initial beginnings are rooted in winemaking at Schloss Johannisberg.

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Weingut Johannishof (VDP)

Johannisberg / Rheingau
Internet: http://www.Weingut-Johannishof.de

Wine growing can be traced back in the family in old documents to the year 1685. Wine growing in the vicinity of the Elsterbach stream is mentioned in a document already in 817 by Emperor Lewis the Pious, Charlemagne´s son. The Estate is run by Johannes and Sabine Eser, who both descend from old growers’ families. In the cultivation of the wines, importance is attached to a marked Riesling character. The fruity bouquets are specific for each year and develop nobly through a careful and individual treatment of the wines. The cool and damp hillside cellar with its wooden casks ensures the best conditions for maturing and storage. Since 1994, the new Rheingau flute bottles of a deep bluishgreen colour have been used for all estate bottlings.

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Hessische Staatsweingüter (VDP)

Rheingau
Internet: http://www.staatsweingueterhessen.de

The state of Hesse operates Germany’s largest wine estate with its State Wine Domains, collectively named after the former Cistercian monastery Kloster Eberbach. It includes six domains with three wineries and a total vineyard area of ca. 200ha (nearly 500 acres). The estates are situated throughout the Rheingau from Assmannshausen to Rüdesheim, Steinberg, Rauenthal and Hochheim, and south of Frankfurt in Bensheim in the Hessische Bergstrasse region. Headquarters are located in the town of Eltville in the Rheingau. When the Cistercian monks settled in 1136 and founded the monastery, the protégés of St. Bernhard of Clairvaux could not foresee that their abbey would develop into such a renowned viticultural institution.

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Weingut Grans-Fassian (VDP)

Mosel-Saar-Ruwer
Internet: http://grans-fassian.de

The Grans-Fassian winery founded in 1624, is situated next to the bend in the river Moselle between Leiwen and Trittenheim, one of Germany's most beautiful landscapes. Here wines are produced with uncompromising measures, as only is done along the Moselle: an intensive fruit of fine elegance with not too much alcohol but also - as known from Auslese and Eiswein - high quality wines of an overpowering fullness and sensational richness. Careful selection of the grapes already in the vineyard, temperature controlled fermentation, long lees contact, individual maturation either in stainless steel or oak barrels gives the wine its clean taste which shows the harmony of terroir and grape very cleary. 10 hectares of vineyards in the best sites of Leiwen, Trittenheim, Dhron and Piesport are cultivated. Strictest selection of the grapes during harvesting, low yields, careful pressing, fermentation with natural yeasts, ageing in stainless steel tanks and in traditional Mosel-Fuder casks result in well-structured Riesling wines. Mr. Grans has been named “Winemaker of the year” and won both the Riesling Trophy and the overall White Wine Trophy at the 1997 International Wine Challenge in London.

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Weingut Joh. Jos. Prüm (VDP)

Wehlen / Mosel-Saar-Ruwer
Internet:

The Prüm family has lived in the center of the Mittelmosel region for more than 400 years. It was here that Joh. Jos. Prüm established his estate in 1911. The estate has become famous for top-quality Rieslings which are fresh and rich in taste, low in alcohol and are attractive not only when they are young, but possess the capacity to develop their character for decades. Dr. Manfred Prüm has been named “Winegrower of the Year” in 1996 by Germany’s Gault Millau Wein Guide and “Winemaker of the year” in 2002 at the International Wine Challenge in London.

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Weingut Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt (VDP)

Trier / Mosel-Saar-Ruwer
Internet: http://www.kesselstatt.com

Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt celebrated in 1999 their 650th anniversary (1349 – 1999) and is a world recognized producer of the finest German Riesling wines from the Moselle, Saar and Ruwer region. All vineyards are family-owned. The Kesselstatt estate has always managed its vineyards to emphasize quality. Strict limitations on yields, modern temperature controlled stainless steel fermentation tanks and perfect storage conditions ensure that the Kesselstatt Riesling wines show a great fruit, elegance and character - reflecting their terroir.

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Weingut Wwe. Dr. H. Thanisch (VDP)

Bernkastel/Kues / Mosel-Saar-Ruwer
Internet:

The Riesling wines of the Bernkasteler Doctor are among the most famous white wines of the world, and definitely among the most sought after of the Mosel, Saar and Ruwer. The viticultural tradition of the family dates from 1650. Dr. Hugo Thanisch and his widow Katharina are credited with having established the estate´s worldwide fame, primarily through the spectacular prices their top quality wines achieved at auctions. Today, the estate is run by a Thanisch granddaughter, Sofia Thanisch-Spier, who is the fourth generation of females at the helm. The classic Jugendstil label which is in use since 1901 depicts the estate manor (1884) and a view of Bernkastel with the Doctor vineyard.

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Weingut Salwey (VDP)

Oberrotweil am Kaiserstuhl / Baden
Internet: http://www.salwey.de

This renowned estate, in Oberrotweil in the middle of the Kaiserstuhl, was built up by Benno Salwey, the father of the current owner Wolf-Dietrich, following an inheritance and subsequent partition of land in 1950. Konrad Salwey, his oldest son now represents the next generation to enter the business. The estate is known for its elegantly fruity Rosé wines, its classical Pinot Noir and the elegant Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris wines. The wines, which grow at the vulcano soil are full-bodied and strong with lots of extracts and minerals. The wines growing at loess soil show lots of bouquet and elegance.

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Weingut Huber

Malterdingen, Baden / Baden
Internet: http://www.weingut-huber.com

700 years ago the Cistercian monks started winegrowing in the area of Malterdingen in Baden, where the estate is located. They found perfect conditions and very similar terroir like in Burgundy - the devonian chalk soil. Since then Pinot Noir is vinificated there and in some wine lexica you still find the synonym "Malterdinger" for Pinot Noir. In 1987 Bernhard Huber and his wife started their own estate, leaving the cooperative to vinificate and sell their own wines. Today, the red wines from Huber are some of the best German red wines you can find. 70 % of the vineyards are planted with Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir), the rest are white pinot varietals like Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay and Auxerrois. Bernhard Huber allows all of his wines to ferment through, which results in mainly dry wines. The red wines always ferment on the skin and lay in the oak barrel for up to 18 months before bottling.

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