Germany is really working for us as a wine region these days. Our customers don’t come to us for run-of-the-mill, generic wine, and that’s exactly why Germany has become so popular. A new generation of winemakers have completely rejuvenated the German wine landscape, and their wines are transforming wine lists in the UK from the traditional to cutting edge.
While many of these young winemakers have taken over from their family’s winery, the key is that most of them have spent time working in different vineyards and winemaking estates around the world, bringing back with them a fresh perspective on grape growing and production methods. The benefits of these broadened horizons are coming through in spades now, in the form of some really exciting, innovative wines that are stylistically bang on trend. Light, bright reds and fresh, approachable whites are categories in which Germany now excels.
We’ve been enjoying this new movement for a few years now, regularly adding fresh new German listings to our range that are representative of this pioneering new attitude. For those of you who are yet to discover the delights of German winemaking, we’ve chosen a few top recommendations to get you started!
Our Top German Wine Picks
Schnaitmann Simonroth Lemberger
Growers like Weingut Schnaitmann have created a breeding ground for these young winemakers with their commitment to training at least three every single harvest. Through this training, they provide a foundation that gives the future generation the confidence to go and explore wine around the world and return with new ideas.
Schnaitmann’s Lemberger is our new listing this year and we love it! The Lemberger grape (slightly better known as Blaufrankisch) makes red wines that have a deep colour and black fruit aromas, followed by a surprisingly refreshing brightness on the palate. It’s a brighter style of red wine that’s very much in fashion at the moment.
Find out more about the Schnaitmann Simonroth Lemberger 2016
Gunderloch Fritz Riesling
Johannes Hasselbach, winemaker of the famous Gunderloch estate in Rheinhessen, is the perfect example of this pioneering spirit in Germany. After finishing his studies, Johannes’ curiosity took him to Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Chile. Of his travels, he says:
“My goal during my travels was to perfect my knowledge. I wanted to dedicate myself to the wine work outside the family winery. I wanted to discover how other people think and how they made their wine”
Now, back in Germany, Hasselbach is bristling with ideas and turning out some outstanding, cutting edge wine. His Fritz Riesling is very modern in style, with a natural mineral freshness used to balance a hint of sweetness from the residual sugar left by arrested fermentation. This also results in a lower-than-average alcohol content of 11.5% – an ever-increasing request from our customers!
Find out more about the Gunderloch Fritz Riesling 2017
Hiestand Asia de Cuba Riesling
And last, but by no means least, is winemaker Gunther Hiestand. We’ve been working with Gunther for a few years now and continue to be impressed by the vintages coming out of his award-winning winery. His Asia de Cuba Riesling was picked out at a tasting in London by our buyers for its freshness, balance and approachability, as well as its striking, modern label design.
Gunther headed down to the southern hemisphere in his early adult years and returned to take over the family winery. He’s now winning award after award, most recently a hat-trick of medals at the Harpers Wine Stars of 2019. Nice one, Gunther!
Find out more about the Hiestand Asia de Cuba Riesling 2017
