A journey through Rheinhessen's excellent Wine shopsFor me, that doesn't just mean a journey through the different facets of wine. It is also a chance to talk to a wide variety of people. Above all, however, it is an opportunity to talk to the winemakers personally about their work in the vineyard, in the cellar and about their passion.
Wine experience Gerharz: wine from Rheinhessen and the world
My journey starts in the northern Rheinhessen in the Vinotheque "Gerharz Wine Experience in Gau-Algesheim, the most unusual vinotheque on my way, as it will turn out later. The rather spacious vinotheque is located in a Tuscan-style courtyard and is very stylishly furnished with a combination of antique patterned tiles and modern wood and metal elements.
With a cheeky saying on the lips welcomes me here Peter Gerharz, the owner. He is not behind the counter himself every day, with the continuous opening hours, this is hardly possible. But he is always always looking forward to being able to talk to people. Over a glass of of "Sir Henri," a fruity secco named after his son, we talk for a long time about his work as a sommelier. about his work as a sommelier.
I learn that his activity takes place only in the cellar and he spends no time at all in the vineyard. This gives him the opportunity to use all his time to create the wine exactly as he imagines the taste and design. In addition to his own Rhine-Hessian classics, wines from all over the world can be found in this vinotheque, because Peter Gerharz is a "wine traveler". In keeping with our long conversation, Peter Gerharz pulls a bottle of "Subbelsupp" from the shelf. Born from a fixed idea, it is, along with the "Drecksack", a popular wine from the fun cuvée line of the sommelier who likes to experiment.
Pfeiffer Winery: Trip to Monkey Mountain
On Peter Gerharz's recommendation, the next day brings me to a friendly winery in the same town. This vinotheque is also open every day except Mondays and you can walk in at any time. From a distance, I can already see the golden stylized Pfeiffer on the waving flag in front of the house. Exactly this golden flute player accompanies me on the way across the courtyard into the small Vinotheque of the Pfeiffer Winery.
Stefanie Pfeiffer, the winemaker's wife, welcomes me with a radiant smile. The small but elegant room is decorated in white and fresh green. The staged black wine rack immediately catches my eye. In each of the square compartments, the wine bottles are stylishly illuminated from behind.
Besides a liqueur made from their own grapes, I discover noble labels with the image of the golden whistler, but also modern and colorful labels. The latter belong to the wines of the Monkey Mountain line. The original new name for the wines from the cadastral site of Monkey Mountain became the brand for fresh, fruity, "easy drinking" wines. I can understand why, because the dry, white cuvée I'm tasting tastes of exotic fruit and a shady summer spot with a grand view.
Kirchberg Hof Winery: Tradition in the next generation
The last stop on my journey takes me to little Stein-Bockenheim. A small town full of traditional sandstone and half-timbered houses. The Vinotheque of the Kirchberg Hof Winery is picturesquely situated next to an old church and at the top of a small mountain.
I sit down at the window in the vinotheque and look outside at an old wall overgrown with roses. I ask the young winemaker and former wine princess Kerstin Mees-Kolb to recommend her popular invention, the "Nullkomma Nixx". A short time later, I enjoy a glass of cold non-alcoholic grape juice sparkling wine. The young winemaker is the 6th generation of the winery. Now she is leading the tradition into the future and has already introduced a few innovations. One of them was the opening of the vinotheque in 2016/17. But she is particularly proud of her own vineyard with Sauvignon Blanc, her "baby", as she says herself.
As I leave the vinotheque with a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc and start my journey home, the courtyard of the winery slowly fills with laughter. Here, the next guests are already waiting to start the weekend with full glasses and Rhine-Hessian specialties from the in-house kitchen.
The journey to the vinotheques continues
Rheinhessen has even more excellent vinotheques and interesting and personal stories to offer. You can find all AUSGEZEICHNET vinotheques at our websiteto be able to plan your own trip. The ideal planning aid for on the road is the brochure "Wine Experience Vinotheques", which you can download free of charge. order on our website can.
