"Weinfeder" is the Association of German-speaking wine journalists. This year's Christmas Party took place in the Remstal in Württtemberg, near Stuttgart.
The event was comprised of two parts. We started at Weingut Jürgen Ellwanger in Winterbach with a cellar tour and a wine tasting. From there we moved about 3 km to the Hotel/ Restaurant Lamm Hebsack in Remshalden where we enjoyed a fantastic dinner and more wine from the 4 hosting wine estates: Weingut Jürgen Ellwanger, Weingut Bernhard Ellwanger, Weingut Doreas and Weingut Karl Haidle.
We were honored by the presence of:
Jürgen Ellwanger of Weingut Jürgen Ellwanger, Founding Member of the HADES Association
Felix and Jörg Ellwanger of Weingut Jürgen Ellwanger
Sven Ellwanger of Weingut Bernhard Ellwanger
Dorothee Wagner-Ellwanger and Andreas Ellwanger of Weingut Doreas
Moritz Haidle of Weingut Karl Haidle
Wine in the Rems Valley
The Rems is a right tributary of the Neckar in the Württemberg Wine Region. The Rems upsprings at Essingen and flows more or less west for 78 km into the Neckar near Stutgart.
There are a number of top wine producers in the Remstal, including:
Weingut Aldinger. See: Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Aldinger in Fellbach (Stuttgart), with Matthias Aldinger - Germany-East Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Art, Culture, History - Berlin, Saale-Unstrut, Sachsen, Württemberg, Franken
Weingut Schnaitmann. See: Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting with Rainer Schnaitmann at Weingut Rainer Schnaitmann in Fellbach, Württemberg – Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), Germany
Weingut Beurer. See: The Annual "Slaughterhouse" Riesling Feast in New York: Rieslingfeier 2017, USA
Weingut Karl Haidle. See: Vineyard Walk, Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Karl Haidle in Kernen-Stetten, Württemberg, with Moritz Haidle - Germany-East Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Art, Culture, History - Berlin, Saale-Unstrut, Sachsen, Württemberg, Franken
Weingut Herzog von Württemberg. See: Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Herzog von Württemberg at Schloss Monrepos, with Andrea Ritz, Wine Queen of Württemberg (2016/17) - Germany-East Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours
Weingut Heid
Weingut Doreas
Weingut Bernhard Ellwanger
Weingut Leon Gold
Weingut Jürgen Ellwanger
Hotel/ Restaurant Lamm Hebsack
Hotel/ Restaurant Lamm Hebsack is a lovely, traditional, family-run (in the 4th generation) country hotel and restaurant, with Patron Markus Polinski and Chef Matthias Nägele cooking at Michelin level (L’Assiette Michelin) and a very good wine list, focussing on producers from Württemberg. Markus' wife Sylvia Polinki directs the service crew.
Hotel/ Restaurant Lamm Hebsack: Discover our light, Mediterranean-inspired gourmet cuisine with numerous regional and seasonal specialities.Our kitchen team of ten under the direction of Patron Markus Polinski and his chef Matthias Nägele will prepare varied and fresh dishes for you every day. In addition, you can enjoy a first-class and attentive service in on eof our four lovingly designed restaurant rooms or on our summer terrace. Our sommelier Daniel Hasert recommends a suitable wine selection from our wine list with over 250 positions from near and far. Tobacco lovers will also find a cosy place in the smokers lounge. There is a high-quality selection of cigars to match.Throughout the year, events on various culinary topics inspire our guests. Including, for expample the asparagus event, the kitchen party or various wine tastings with a suitable menu.
Ellwanger Family
The Ellwanger family has been making wine in the region for 500 years. It all began with Nicodemus Ellwanger, mayor and winemaker in Grossheppach, in 1514. In 1949 Gottlieb Ellwanger founded his own winery. In 1965, his son Jürgen Ellwanger took over. He is a founding member of the HADES Association, a group of 5 winemakers who introduced barrique barrels to winemaking in Germany. Initially rejected, fermentation and aging in barrique has become part of mainstream winemaking in Germany for red wines. Since 2006, Felix and Jörg Ellwanger are at the head of Weingut Jürgen Ellwanger.
Ingrid and Bernhard Ellwanger (the son of Martin Ellwanger, brother of Jürgen Ellwanger) founded Weingut Bernhard Ellwanger in 1975.
Andreas Ellwanger, son of Jürgen Ellwanger, founded Weingut Doreas with his wife Dorothee Wagner Ellwanger in 2007.
Karl Haidle, the founder of Weingut Karl Haidle, has always been a very close friend of Jürgen Ellwanger.
Welcome at Weingut Jürgen Ellwanger
Meeting point was Weingut Jürgen Ellwanger in Winterberg, where we were received by the hosting winemakers and a glass of Weingut Jürgen Ellwanger Riesling Sekt brut.
Touring Weingut Jürgen Ellwanger
After the welcome remarks by Britta Binzer, Jörg Ellwanger, who is in charge of the production side at Weingut Jürgen Ellwanger, showed us around in the winery.
Tasting at Weingut Jürgen Ellwanger
The winery tour was followed by a tasting in the tasting room of Weingut Jürgen Ellwanger. Each of the 4 hosting producers showed 3 wines.
Weingut Bernhard Ellwanger
Weingut Bernhard Ellwanger is another winery that is part of the extended Ellwanger family which has been making wine in the Remstal since 1514, that is for more than 500 years. In 1975 Bernhard Ellwanger and his wife Ingrid decided to stop delivering their grapes to the local co-operative and founded their own estate, Weingut Bernhard Ellwanger. Over the years the winery has grown from 1 hectar to 30 hectares today. Since 1999, son Sven Ellwanger is in the lead after completing studies in Geisenheim and overseas internships.He was joined by his sister Yvonne Ellwanger in 2003. Weingut Bernhard Ellwanger is member of the "Junges Schwaben" Winemaker Association.
Winemaker: Sven Ellwanger
30 hectares
20% Riesling, 15% Trollinger, 11% Lemberger, 11% Spätburgunder
Weingut Doreas
Weingut Doreas is located in Remshalden-Grunbach (area Remstal-Stuttgart) and owned by Dorothee Wagner-Ellwanger and Andreas Ellwanger. the oldest son of Jürgen Ellwanger. The winery name is a combination of Dorothee and Andreas. The vineyard area totals 10 hectares. Since 2008, all vineyards are organically farmed according to the guidelines of the ECOVIN association. The wines are produced in the lines of Ballade (light, sparkling), Symphonie (from best grapes and vineyards, mostly dry in oak barrels) and Opera (noble-sweet wines). Bottle-fermented sparkling wines, brandies (fruit, berries, pomace) and liqueurs are also produced.
Weingut Karl Haidle
Weingut Karl Haidle is the only of the 4 estates that export to the USA. Weingut Karl Haidle is reprsented in the USA by Schatzi-Wines.
Schatzi-Wines: Founded in 1949 by retired, world-class Gymnast Karl Haidle and now onto its third generation, Weingut Haidle has long been a pioneer and leader in fine-wine production in Württemburg.
Today, the young and energetic Moritz Haidle is in charge of the estate. He is a dedicated organic farmer, and a passionate devotee of hip-hop culture. A talented graffiti artist, Moritz is no doubt a radical figure in the Swabian wine scene, uprooting the traditional image of the staid German winzer. His vibrant character and commitment to terroir translates in the pure, focused wines that are emerging from this deep, natural cellar. Specializing in Riesling, Lemberger, and Spätburgunder, Moritz gives the unique slopes of Stetten a chance to speak with nuance and clarity.
Though one of Germany’s thirteen anbaugebiete, Württemberg still remains one of the country’s slightly obscure viticultural areas; Moritz refers to it as the “outsider” region. Before WWII, wine grapes in the Rems Valley were almost always sold off to the local co-op and the majority of wine production was consumed by locals. It was only over the course of the last twenty years that wines from the region became distributed around Germany and ultimately exported to the rest of the world.
Beginning in 1949, Karl Haidle founded his eponymous winery with a single hectare of vines and a vision to bottle his own wine. Sadly, Karl passed away at a young age leaving Mortiz’s father, Hans, to take the reins of the family business at only 23 years of age. It was under Hans’ patient, watchful eye that the winery we see today began to take shape. Hans expanded the holdings to a full 23 ha and dedicated himself to making wine of pinnacle quality, with a focus on Riesling—what is unique in a region more recognized for simple, juicy reds. He became a VdP member in the 90s.
The viticultural focus at the estate is summed up quite simply by Mortiz, “we want to work with nature to get long lasting vines with deep roots and naturally low yields.” The fruit is picked by hand and vinified in old, neutral vats some of which are 70+ years old. “I swear by the old barrels of my Grandfather,” Moritz says. The winery is arranged to move the wines via gravity, the whites undergo extended lees contact, nothing is ever fined and they are bottled with just a touch of sulfur.
See: Vineyard Walk, Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Karl Haidle in Kernen-Stetten, Württemberg, with Moritz Haidle - Germany-East Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Art, Culture, History - Berlin, Saale-Unstrut, Sachsen, Württemberg, Franken
Weingut Jürgen Ellwanger
Weingut Jürgen Ellwanger is a member of the VDP, the association of about 200 elite winemakers in Germany.
VDP: Viticulture has been practiced in the Ellwanger family since 1512. In 1949 Gottlob Ellwanger founded the present winery. Under Jürgen Ellwanger, the winery grew steadily and became a member of the VDP. Today, Jörg and Sylvia run the 25-hectare vineyard together with Felix Ellwanger. The tradition is a commitment to them, the spirit of innovation and the gaze outside the box are always among the Ellwangers. You know, quality arises in the vineyard and vineyard is nature. For this reason, they manage their vineyards as near to nature as possible. And in the cellar: Wine behaves like a gem: the more it is sharpened, the less it is worth.
Owners: Jörg and Felix Ellwanger
Winemaker: Jörg Ellwanger
26 hectares
200.000 bottles
65% Red wine (Lemberger, Trollinger, Zweigelt, Merlot, Syrah) 35% white wine (Riesling, Chardonnay)
Sonnenberg, Schnait | VDP.ERSTE LAGE®
Lichtenberg, Hebsack | VDP.ERSTE LAGE®
BURGHALDE, Schnait | VDP.GROSSE LAGE®
ALTENBERG, Schnait | VDP.GROSSE LAGE®
Grafenberg, Schorndorf | VDP.ERSTE LAGE®
Lichtenberg, Geradstetten | VDP.ERSTE LAGE®
HUNGERBERG, Winterbach | VDP.GROSSE LAGE®
Altenberg, Beutelsbach | VDP.ERSTE LAGE®
LINNENBRUNNEN, Hebsack | VDP.GROSSE LAGE®
BERG, Hebsack | VDP.GROSSE LAGE®
BURGHALDE, Beutelsbach | VDP.GROSSE LAGE®
Wine-pairing Dinner at Restaurant Lamm Hebsack
The second part of the Christmas Party took place at Restaurant Lamm Hebsack, with all the winemakers.
The Menu and the Corresponding Wines
Terrine vom Perlhuhn und Entenleber mit süss-sauren Zwetschgen und Feldsalat and 3 Sweet-style Wines
Zanderfilet in Butter gebraten auf Alblinsen und beurre blanc and 2 White Wines (Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc)
Lammhüfte rosa gebraten auf einer Rosmarinpolenta und grünen Bohnen mit Chorizona and 3 Red Wines, including an Ellwanger-family Cuvée
Württemberg is clearly the leader in Germany when it comes to cuvées. The wine in the middle is a joint effort of the 3 Ellwanger wineries.
Cheesecake-Törtchen mit einer Variation von Mandarinen and a Noble-sweet Wine
Schillerwein
At the end of this lovely evening Dorothee Wagner-Ellwanger and Andreas Ellwanger of Weingut Doreas surprised us - Annette and Christian Schiller - with two bottles of Schillerwein. Schillerwein is a very special wine, produced by blending red and white grapes before fermentation. Ideally, the Schiller is a field blend, i.e. red and white grapes are planted in mixed lots in the vineyards and are harvested and fermented together. I am not aware of any producer who makes his Schiller as a field blend, but in the old days it was the rule.
The name of the wine has nothing to do with the famous German poet Friedrich von Schiller (although he is from Württemberg). The wine got its name from the verb “schillern”. The verb "schillern" means "to scintillate". Schiller, or Schillerwein, is thus a wine with a scintillating color, reflecting the fact that the wine is a blend of red and white grapes.
See also: A “Viertele” of Schillerwein at Weinhaus Stetter in Stuttgart, Wuerttemberg, Germany
schiller-wine: Related Postings
UPCOMING Tours/ Wine Dinners/ Tastings - Annette and Christian Schiller/ ombiasyPR & WineTours/ schiller-wine, Germany, France, USA (Issued: December 3, 2018)
Ombiasy Wine Tours 2018: 3 x France and 3 x Germany - Ombiasy Newsletter December 2017
Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Aldinger in Fellbach (Stuttgart), with Matthias Aldinger - Germany-East Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Art, Culture, History - Berlin, Saale-Unstrut, Sachsen, Württemberg, Franken
Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting with Rainer Schnaitmann at Weingut Rainer Schnaitmann in Fellbach, Württemberg – Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), Germany
The Annual "Slaughterhouse" Riesling Feast in New York: Rieslingfeier 2017, USA
Vineyard Walk, Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Karl Haidle in Kernen-Stetten, Württemberg, with Moritz Haidle - Germany-East Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Art, Culture, History - Berlin, Saale-Unstrut, Sachsen, Württemberg, Franken
Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Herzog von Württemberg at Schloss Monrepos, with Andrea Ritz, Wine Queen of Württemberg (2016/17) - Germany-East Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours
A “Viertele” of Schillerwein at Weinhaus Stetter in Stuttgart, Wuerttemberg, Germany