Carolin Spanier Gillot is the Falstaff Winemaker of the Year 2015.
Carolin is one of Germany’s gifted female winemakers. After her studies at the University of Geisenheim, she took over her family’s winery Weingut Kühling-Gillot in Bodenheim, in the Northern part of Rheinhessen, not too far away from Frankfurt. Carolin not only took over her family’s winery, but she also married H.O. Spanier, who came with a famous winery, Weingut BattenfeldSpanier in Hohen Sülzen in the Southern part of Rheinhessen. And he also is a gifted, ambitious winemaker. So, you have 2 very talented winemakers, running together 2 of the best German wine estates.
Legally, it is one entity: Weingut Carolin Spanier-Gillot & H.O. Spanier GbR (Gesellschaft bürgerlichen Rechts), with 2 brands: Kühling-Gillot and BattenfeldSpanier.
Inevitably, when you drink a Weingut Kühling-Gillot wine or a Weingut BattenfeldSpanier wine you have the handwriting of both Carolin Spanier Gillot and H.O. Spanier in the glass. At some point, Carolin was saying that the handwriting of her husband was dominating both brands, but this may no longer be true.
Falstaff Trophies Deutschland
The wine/food/travel journal Falstaff has been around for a number of years, issued in Vienna, Austria, and reporting about wine, food and travel from an Austrian perspective, for Austria-based readers. Five years ago, Falstaff expanded into the German wine and food scene and started to issue a German version of Falstaff in addition to the well established Austrian version. As part of its expansion, Falstaff has created the annual Falstaff Deutschland Wine Trophies, to be awarded to 4 German wine personalities.
See for this year and previous years:
Best German Winemakers - Falstaff Deutschland Wine Trophies 2015
Best German Winemakers - Falstaff Deutschland Wine Trophies 2014
Best German Winemakers - Falstaff Deutschland Wine Trophies 2013
Best German Wines and Winemakers - Falstaff Deutschland Wine Trophies 2012
Falstaff Deutschland Wine Trophies 2011
Weingut BattenfeldSpanier
The Weingut BattenfeldSpanier is in Hohen-Sülzen (Wonnegau area) close to the city of Worms in Southern Rheinhessen. The Spanier family has been making wine for generations. The vineyard area totals 18 hectares, with holdings in: Kirchenstück, Rosengarten und Sonnenberg (Hohen-Sülzen), as well as Frauenberg (Flörsheim). More than 50% of the area is planted with Riesling, as well as with Pinot Noir (20%), Pinot Blanc (8%), Silvaner, Chardonnay and other varieties.
Annual production is around 70.000 bottles of wine. The estate is a member of the VDP association. Weingut BattenfeldSpanier has been a member of the ECOVIN organic growers association since 1996. Weingut BattenfeldSpanier is now fully biodynamic.
Weingut Kühling-Gillot
Weingut Kühling-Gillot is in Bodenheim (Nierstein area) in Rheinhessen in Germany. In its present form, it came about by marriage in 1970 of Carolin Spanier Gillot’s parents. It has over 200 years of history behind it through the Kühling and Gillot families.
Over the years, the estate has acquired some of the best sites in Germany on the Rhine Terrace and added an architectural gem: its unique park and Art Deco pavilion, and stylish reception hall, tasting room, and vinothek. These have proved popular for a wide variety of events, including our tasting.
The vineyard area of Weingut Kühling-Gillot totals 11 hectares, with holdings in: Burgweg (Bodenheim), Kreuz and Sackträger (Oppenheim), Ölberg and Pettental (Nierstein) and Rothenberg (Nackenheim). Grape varieties planted are Riesling (4,3 ha), Pinot Noir (0,9 ha), Pinot Gris (0,8 ha), Portugieser (0,8 ha), Chardonnay (0,5 ha) and Scheurebe (0,4 ha).
Annual production is around 70.000 bottles of wine. The estate is a member of the VDP association. Caroline Spanier-Gillot is a member of Message in a Bottle and Vinissima. Weingut Kühling-Gillot is fully biodynamic.
Weingut Kühling-Gillot owns five Grosse Lagen (Grand Cru) sites. These are: Spätburgunder Bodenheim Burgweg, grown on sandy marl limestone; Riesling Nackenheim Rothenberg, grown on red slate; Riesling Nierstein Pettenthal, grown on red slate; Riesling Nierstein Ölberg, grown on red slate; and Spätburgunder Oppenheim Kreuz, grown on shell limestone/loess.
Biodynamic Wine Making
Carolin and H.O. are very much into “green winemaking”. They share a commitment to leaving a legacy of healthy soil and great wines. To that end, when it comes to the vineyard, they employ biodynamic methods and constantly strive to maintain healthy soils with the capacity to sustain vines. As for making the wine in the cellar, they share the philosophy of what H. O. calls “controlled laissez faire”.
Pooling
Although both estates continue to produce wine under their respective names – Weingut Kühling-Gillot and Weingut BattenfeldSpanier - certain functions have been pooled. The tasting room and sales office for both estates is in Bodenheim at Weingut Kühling-Gillot.
Carolin Spanier Gillot, Weingut Kühling-Gillot and Weingut BattenfeldSpanier is Winemaker of the Year
Falstaff (my translation): She was 24 years old, when she took over Weingut Kühling-Gillot from her father in 2002, after finishing her studies at the Geisenheim wine college. In a male dominated wine world, this was indeed a challenge which she very successfully mastered, right from the beginning. Today, she and her Hans-Oliver Spanier (Weingut BattenfeldSpanier) are the dream couple in the German wine scene.
Recent Tasting
We recently visited Weingut Kühling-Gillot in Bodenheim as part of the Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours. It was a pure tasting event, but an extensive one: We had the chance to taste the wines Weingut Kühling Gillot as well as of Weingut BattenfeldSpanier. The tasting was led by Sommelier Frank Schuber; Roland Gillot, Carolin’s father, joined us for a short period. Carolin and H.O. Spanier were in Berlin for a major VDP event.
See:
Wine Tasting at Weingut Kühling-Gillot in Bodenheim: Kühling-Gillot and Battenfeld-Spanier Wines– Germany-North Wine Tour by ombiasy (2014)
schiller-wine: Related Postings
4 Wine Tours by ombiasy coming up in 2015: Germany-East, Germany-South. Germany-Nord and Bordeaux
Germany-North Wine Tour by ombiasy, 2014
Germany-South Wine Tour by ombiasy, 2014
Prowein 2015 in Düsseldorf, Germany – Schiller’s Impressions
Wine Tasting at Weingut Kühling-Gillot in Bodenheim: Kühling-Gillot and Battenfeld-Spanier Wines– Germany-North Wine Tour by ombiasy (2014)
Doepfner’s im Maingau Meets Frankfurt/Wein, with Weingut Battenfeld-Spanier and Weingut Chat Sauvage, Frankfurt am Main, Germany