Texan Magazine
By Jim Peterson
Wine Enthusiast & Instagram Wine Influencer
When I flew A-10s in Germany I would occasionally take some time for a “Rhine River Tour” on my way back to the Air Base. We could remain at our 1,000-foot minimum altitude over the river, while cruising the valley past the castles sitting high atop their perches overlooking the river. We would be close enough to see the castle visitors turning their heads to check us out and sometimes wave at us as we flew by.
I would usually start my tour up north just before the valley formed and then head south. Eventually we would reach this one spot where the river valley takes a 90-degree turn almost directly east and leads you toward Frankfurt. That turn was always the point where I would peel off because flying directly towards the busy airspace of Frankfurt was never a good idea. As many times as I did this, I never realized that 90-degree turn signified the beginning of the Rheingau wine region where some of Germany’s first Rieslings were made. I recently returned to Germany after moving away over 16 years ago, and I was so excited to finally explore this wine region I knew so little about.
WHAT MAKES THE RHEINGAU SPECIAL?
In the short span when the Rhine River runs east-west, the constant sunlight exposure of the south-facing slopes creates the perfect conditions for vineyards to thrive. This stretch of the east-west running Rhine is only about 18 miles long. Being so small, the Rheingau accounts for less than 3% of Germany’s total wine production. Within this small area there are several different pockets of soil types, which means the wines can vary greatly in character depending on the producer and the vineyard.
The Rheingau has the highest concentration of Riesling among the 13 German wine regions, with almost 80% of the vineyards planted with Riesling. Another 12% is Pinot Noir, known in Germany as Spätburgunder (shpate-bur-goon-dah), which can be fun to both pronounce and compare with French or American versions of Pinot Noir. Although the late-harvest Spätlese (shpate-laze-uh) Riesling was initially developed in the Rheingau, many of the Rheingau Rieslings are quite dry and very food friendly. The best Rieslings in the Rheingau will typically have a Grosses Gewächs or “GG” designation, which roughly translates to “Great Growth.” It is sort of the equivalent of a French Grand Cru vineyard.
With such a small production of wines, it is not surprising that many wineries do not even export to the United States. Even for the ones that do, there are often some of their high-end, small quantity bottlings that never make it to the US. One of the advantages of my recent visit to the Rheingau was discovering and tasting some of these amazing small production wines. What follows is a taste of my visit.
SCHLOSS VOLLRADS
This beautiful property sits alone up the hill from the village of Oestrich-Winkel. When you see a Schloss in Germany it is sort of equivalent to a British “Estate” house. It’s not a medieval type of castle (that is a Burg in Germany), but it is usually quite large with beautiful grounds. Schloss Vollrads is just that, and they also happen to produce some outstanding wines. They are open to the public, so you can just walk in during normal business hours. They have a small tasting room where they will gladly pour a taste or two, but you can also buy a glass or a bottle and sit in the shaded courtyard and enjoy the serenity of these surroundings.
Like the other wineries I visited, Schloss Vollrads is a Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter (VDP) producer, which means they are in a group of wineries offering guaranteed levels of quality and yield. You will often see the VDP designation on quality German wines. Schloss Vollrads has two “GG” wines, which are vinified in German oak barrels for added depth and complexity. These are wines built for aging, but you will likely not regret opening them in their youth. I especially enjoyed their “1716” trocken (dry) Riesling and the 2019 Schlossberg GG Riesling.
SCHLOSS JOHANNISBERG
The incredible grounds of Schloss Johannisberg were less than 300 yards from our lodgings, so a visit was paramount. They claim to be the first Riesling estate in the entire world, going back over 1,200 years to their first production. We were able to taste three of their 2022 vintage wines. My son loved the Grünlack Spätlese, so I couldn’t resist bringing a bottle home to share with him in the future and reminisce about our visit.
I was hoping to hang out and sip wine at their “Goethe’s Viewpoint” tasting booth to enjoy the spectacular view, but it was not open on Tuesday. The nice lady in the tasting room casually told us, “The Rheingau usually sleeps on Monday and Tuesday after a busy weekend.” I had to chuckle at that, but it is a good travel tip. Schloss Johannisberg is a beautiful estate with delicious wines, amazing views, and a visit is worth your while.
WEINGUT JOHANNISHOF
Just down the hill from us it was hard not to notice Weingut Johannishof each time I drove by. Unlike every other place on the street, this 400+ year old house is offset from the road at an odd angle. It turns out it was built parallel to an old creek that ran by the house when it was a mill. Curiosity about this place finally got the best of me, so I took a chance and stopped by on a whim. What happened next amazed me.
The 10th generation owner, Johannes Eser, greeted us near the front door. After a brief introduction and explanation of our purpose, he took us inside to try a few wines. After I told him I was from Texas, his eyes brightened and he told me the story of how during the mid-1980s he had interned at the “new” Riesling project a family friend had started in Fredericksburg, Texas. Wow! We also had a common acquaintance with the Prüm family in the Mosel region, where we had visited for a family dinner the week prior. With so many coincidences, we did not lack conversation.
Johannes’ wines were equally intriguing. His Berg Rottland GG Riesling, vinified in 100% oak, astoundingly reminded me of a Meursault from Burgundy (which is a Chardonnay). However, it was the nose on the 2022 Rüdesheimer Ramstein Riesling that bowled me over, and that bottle came home with me. We had so much fun, so this instantly became one of my favorite winery visits.
WEINGUT TRENZ
Slightly up the hill from us was Weingut Trenz. I had never heard of this 340-year-old producer, now run by the gregarious Michael Trenz. This isn’t surprising because he does not export wines to the United States. We stopped in for a tasting and discovered a rather modern operation in terms of the wines. There were traditional Rieslings, but we also tasted a rosé, a Pinot Noir, and a sparkling rosé. This was a fun place to visit, and we even had a nice dinner at their courtyard restaurant later that night.
WEINGUT LEITZ
You could say I saved the best for last because from the moment I booked a Rheingau visit, I knew I wanted to visit Leitz. I have been familiar with their wines for over 20 years. The winery has been run by Johannes Leitz since 1985, who took over when he was only 19 years old. His father died when Johannes was two, and his mother did what she could just to keep the vines alive while she ran her flower shop full time. Having been forced to work in the vineyards at an early age, Johannes did not have a great passion for wine.
Once that passion was finally ignited, what happened can only be described as a tremendous German success story. With only 7.1 acres of vineyards when he took over, he has managed to expand the operation to 346 acres with wine sales all over the world. At one point, in Russia of all places, his passport literally fell apart from all his travels to promote his wine.
The Leitz wines are fantastic. Toni Leitz, Johannes’ 25-year-old son, was a gracious host during our visit. We tasted 12 different wines, including four GG wines. There is something for everyone in the vast portfolio of Leitz wines. They have sweet wines, dry wines, value wines, expensive wines, and they even have non-alcohol wines. You don’t often see them made in Germany, but I greatly enjoyed the Leitz Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc too. I cannot thank Toni enough for what became our favorite tasting of the trip.
EIN WUNDERSCHÖNER BESUCH
While I experienced plenty of surprises during my visit, I doubt you will be surprised when I say I greatly enjoyed my first trip to the Rheingau. For such a small, compact wine region, it punches way above its weight when it comes to the quality of the wines produced. This is a unique area, where the small village feel surrounds you wherever you go. The character of the wines, those who make them, and those you meet stay with you long after you depart. Es war ein wunderschöner Besuch. It was a beautiful visit.
RECOMMENDATIONS
As I said earlier, the Rheingau Rieslings can be tough to find, and the selections can be somewhat limited even when you do find some. I searched local wine stores and found some wines you are sure to enjoy!
As a reminder, trocken or feinherb on a bottle means dry. A Kabinett is less sweet than a Spätlese which is even less sweet than an Auslese. And if you happen to spot a “GG” wine from the Rheingau, chances are it’s going to be delicious.
Weingut Leitz: You are more likely to see their “Dragonstone” or “Eins Zwei Dry” wines locally in Texas. These are great value wines, usually under $20. The fact is all of their wines are well made, so I would not hesitate to grab any Leitz wine off the shelf.
Schloss Vollrads: You may see their Kabinett or Spätlese, and both are quite good. Again, it’s hard to go wrong with any of them depending on your preferred style.
Schloss Johannisberg: It looks like my son’s favorite, the Grünlack Spätlese, can be found in Texas!
Weingut Johannishof: I found a 2019 Charta Riesling in San Antonio after my trip, and a few years of age seemed to make a difference compared to my taste of the 2021 Charta at the winery. It was proof these wines are in Texas, so grab a bottle if you see them.
Lastly, while I did not visit Weingut Robert Weil, this is another outstanding Rheingau producer you can purchase with confidence.
Happy hunting!
Follow Jim on Instagram, @tx_wine_pilot, for more wine tips and reviews.
Jim Peterson is a retired U.S. Air Force officer who mainly flew the A-10 fighter jet. He has ties to the wine business going back over 20 years and is an avid wine collector. His extensive wine knowledge includes travel to many wine regions, tasting many of the world’s top wines, and ongoing personal wine exploration. He has cultivated a large following on his Instagram account, @tx_wine_pilot.
