The Monday we visited Weingut Stigler in the center of Ihringen, just next to Weingut Dr. Heger, was the last day of a long "Open Cellar" weekend of Weingut Stigler, for retailers, wholesalers, importers and restaurants. An immense number of wines was open for tasting. Andreas and Regina Stigler along with their son Max took care of their guests. We got a cellar tour with a Chinese importer from Andreas Stigler. Max Stigler showed us the wines. Regina Stigler offered us a delicious Gugelhupf cake.
Weingut Stigler
Weingut Stigler was founded in Ihringen in 1881. Today, it is run by the fourth generation of the founding family, Andreas and Regina Stigler. Their 12 hectares are situated primarily in the sites Ihringer Winklerberg, Freiburger Schlossberg, and Oberrotweiler Eichberg. From the 18th century to the end of the second world war, the Stiglers were also restaurateurs in the old post house as well as the large restaurant in the Freiburg train station.
Andreas and Regina Stigler still share this passion and regularly offer culinary wine tastings with top chefs de cuisine. Careful winemaking brings forth wines full of character, with great aging potential. Pinot Noir is their most important varietal and accounts for 30% of their vines. It is strongly marked by the mineral-rich, stony soils, as are the red and white Pinots as well as typically for Stiglers, the Riesling.
Owner: Andreas und Regina Stigler
Winemaker: Andreas Stigler
Outside Manager: Andreas Stigler
VDP member since 1986
Bottle production 90 000
Grape varieties 30% Spätburgunder, 17% Grauburgunder, 15% Weissburgunder, 14% Riesling sowie Chardonnay, Silvaner, Traminer, Sauvignon und Chenin Blanc
Geology: Vulkanverwitterungsgesteinsböden, Gneisverwitterung
Growing area: Baden
Interview with Weinkrake
Weinkrake interviewed the Stiglers recently. Here is an excerpt of the interview. For the full interview go here.
Before we start talking about your exposed locations with melodious names we should maybe define what types of wines you make exactly?
Concise, characterful. No mainstream.
Ihringen is a Burgundy domain. Yet you have the Riesling grape in your range as well. What is special about the Riesling from Kaiserstuhl?
The Riesling is Stigler’s flagship and we will continue to hew to it in the future because the Riesling thrives excellently here. Of course there are bad years too as we unfortunately experienced in 2014. 2013 was a better year – we could save the grapes into the sweet sector. But 2015 is without a doubt a gigantic year for the Riesling. This lets us sustain the Riesling. What I want to emphasise though is that Kaiserstuhl – and especially Ihringen – is a region where you can find a big diversity of different types of grapes with a good ripeness.
Thanks to you two, there is Chenin Blanc at Kaiserstuhl. Why did you decide on this grape variety?
As far as I know we were the first to start cultivating the Chenin Blanc at Kaiserstuhl in 2003. Two years later we had the first yield which was still very frail. The decision for this type of grape is closely related to the climate change. And my husband is so fascinated by this grape! It offers a similar range like the Riesling. From the base to the Trockenbeerenauslese.
Where do you want to class this wine among your portfolio?
Unfortunately, these wines cannot become Großes Gewächs since they are not classified in the VDP. We will class our Chenin Blanc among the high-class Spätlese-dry-sector and also sweet and maybe cuvée sometime.
The Ihringer Winklerberg stirs lots of wine fans’ blood. What is the secret of this location?
It is a very exposed location in Baden. The Kaiserstuhl as a volcanic mountain range juts out. It is the only obstacle in the Rhine plain. The warm wind from Burgundy meets the mountains. An exceptional climate arises. The Winklerberg itself is occupies an area of 120 hectares.The frontal peak of the mountain consists of weathered volcanic rocks of voids. That is why tilage is only possible to a limited extent. The only thing we can do is to remove the rocks from the vineyard after winter.
The bold Freiburger Schlossberg surely is a special challenge with its 70 degrees. What transports location and alignment into the wines?
Just like at Winklerberg wines appear which possess freshness, elegance and profundity, albeit have different minerals since gneiss is dominating here and not the volcanic rocks. The wines from Winklerberg are daintier. The wines from Schlossberg are straight. Because of the bold location we have a marvelous sun exposure. Moreover the grapes are ventilated by a special down draught. The industrial canal at the foot of the mountain brings a good huminity.
Concerning the design, the labels always show an excerpt of a vine in differing variations. What kind of concept is behind it?
We wanted to bring the VDP ranking systematics on our labels. Grape and vine leaf have been a permanent feature of our cooperate designs for many years. We play with the idea that the higher the quality the more we zoom into the image of grape and vine leaf. In the base wine area you see both. Erste Lage shows only the big leaf and at the Grosses Gewächs label you see only the stern of the grape. We have different colours for the capsules, too. Red is for estate and local wines and gold for Erste Lage and Grosses Gewächs.
There are two wines that have the names of your two sons. What do these two do in their lives?
Our eldest son Max studies winegrowing in Geisenheim. In a few years he will enter the firm. The younger one studied pharmacy, studies business at the moment and will also work in the agricultural section later. Both are wine enthusiasts.
And that is why the wines bear their names?
It was a spontaneous idea really. Our eldest son has his own vineyard already. So the idea of naming a wine after him was not very far. It was a little more curious with the second one though. Actually the name of our second son is Frederik but at university they call him Fritz. We found that really funny and that is why we decided to name the other wine Fritz (laughs). Our dog’s name is Sissi. Maybe we up the ante. How about rosé?
The Wines we Tasted
Grauburgunder
2016 Weingut Stigler Grauburgunder trocken VDP.Gutswein
2016 Weingut Stigler Oberrotweil Grauburgunder F 1 trocken VDP.Ortswein
2015 Weingut Stigler Ihringer Winkelberg Grauburgunder trocken VDP.Erste Lage
2015 Weingut Stigler Fohrenberg Grauburgunder M(maischevergoren) trocken VDP.Erste Lage
2015 Weingut Stigler Ihringer Winkelberg Grauburgunder GG Pagode VDP.Grosse Lage
2017 Weingut Stigler Fohrenberg Grauburgunder M(maischevergoren) trocken VDP.Erste Lage
Weissburgunder
2015 Weingut Stigler Freiburger Schlossberg Weissburgunder trocken Kammer VDP.Erste Lage
2015 Weingut Stigler Ihringer Winkelberg Weissburgunder GG Pagode VDP.Grosse Lage
2010 Weingut Stigler Ihringer Winkelberg Weissburgunder GG VDP.Grosse Lage
Chardonnay
2015 Weingut Stigler Fohrenberg Chardonnay trocken VDP.Erste Lage
2015 Weingut Stigler Ihringer Winkelberg Chardonnay GG Pagode VDP.Grosse Lage
Chenin Blanc
2016 Weingut Stigler Chenin Blanc trocken VDP.Gutswein
2015 Weingut Stigler Chenin Blanc trocken VDP.Gutswein
Spätburgunder
2013 Weingut Stigler Freiburger Schlossberg Spätburgunder GG VDP.Grosse Lage
2011 Weingut Stigler Freiburger Schlossberg Spätburgunder GG VDP.Grosse Lage
2010 Weingut Stigler Ihringer Winkelberg Spätburgunder GG Backöfele VDP.Grosse Lage
2008 Weingut Stigler Ihringer Winkelberg Spätburgunder GG Backöfele VDP.Grosse Lage
2013 Weingut Stigler Ihringer Winkelberg Spätburgunder GG Pagode VDP.Grosse Lage
2011 Weingut Stigler Ihringer Winkelberg Spätburgunder GG Roter Boden VDP.Grosse Lage
2009 Weingut Stigler Ihringer Winkelberg Spätburgunder GG Roter Boden VDP.Grosse Lage
Edelsüss
2013 Weingut Stigler Chenin Blanc Beerenauslese
Bye-bye
Thanks Andreas, Regina and Max for a wonderful afternoon.
schiller-wine: All Postings (Published and Forthcoming): Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours: Baden, Alsace, Pfalz and Rheinhessen
Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours: Baden, Alsace, Pfalz and Rheinhessen
Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour (and Lunch) with Robert Schätzle, Owner/ Winemaker, Weingut Schloss Neuweier in Baden - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours
La Cucina della Passione and Weingut Schloss Neuweier Wines: Wine Pairing Lunch at Röttele’s Restaurant (1 Star Michelin) at Schloss Neuweier, with Owner and Winemaker Robert Schätzle, Weingut Schloss Neuweier - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours
The Music of the A Cappella Ensemble "Männer und Tenöre" and the Wines of Weingut Aufricht, Lake Constance, Baden, with Manfred Aufricht - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours
The Evolving Structure of the Wine Industry in Germany– The Case of the Lake Constance Region
Schloss Salem at Lake Constance in Germany: A Museum, a School and a Wine Estate
Visit of Schloss Salem, Kirche Birnau and Weingut Markgraf von Baden - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours
The Wines of the Markgräflerland (Baden): Tasting and Cellar Tour at Weingut Löffler - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours
Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Stigler in Ihringen, Kaiserstuhl, Baden, with Andreas and Maximilian Stigler
Dinner at Restaurant Schwarzer Adler (1 Star Michelin) in Oberbergen, Kaiserstuhl, Baden.
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars and Wine Taverns in Freiburg, Baden, Germany
The World Class Wines of Alsace
In the world class white wine region Alsace
Tasting at Domaine Marcel Deiss in Bergheim, Alsace
Lunch in Alsace: Wistub du Sommelier in Bergheim and Bistro L’Epicurien in Colmar
Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Dirler-Cadé in Bergholtz, Alsace, with Jean Pierre Dirler and Ludevine Dirler-Cadé
Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Schlumberger in Guebwiller, Alsace
Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Hugel & Fils in Riquewhir, Alsace, with Jean Frédéric Hugel
Dinner at the 1 Michelin Star Restaurant L’Achémille in Kaysersberg, with Owner/ Chef Jérome Jaegle
Wine Lunch at Weingut Jülg with Johannes Jülg– Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)
Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Jülg in Schweigen, Pfalz, with Johannes Jülg
Schiller's Favorite (Wine-) Restaurants in Deidesheim in the Pfalz, Germany
Tasting at Maison Jülg in Seebach, Alsace, with Peter Jülg
Tasting at Weingut Ökonomierat Rebholz in Siebeldingen, Pfalz – Germany-South by ombiasy WineTours (2015)
Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Ökonomierat Rebholz in Siebeldingen, Pfalz, with Valentin Rebholz and Stephanie Wagner
Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Münzberg – Lothar Kesseler & Söhne in Landau-Godramstein, Pfalz, with Friedrich and Gunter Kesseler
Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Rings in Freinsheim, Pfalz, with Andi Rings
Tasting at Weingut Krebs in Freinsheim, Pfalz, with Jürgen Krebs
Tasting at Sekthaus Raumland in Flörsheim-Dalsheim, Rheinhessen, with Heide-Rose and Volker Raumland
Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Wittmann in Westhofen, Rheinhessen, with Philipp Wittmann
Cellar Tourvisit and Tasting at Weingut Gröbe in Westhofen, Rheinhessen, with Fritz Gröbe
Cellar Tour and Wine Pairing Lunch at Weingut Louis Guntrum in Nierstein, Rheinhessen, with Konstantin and Stephanie Guntrum