The visit of Weingut Pawis was rather short this time. We did not have a tour, but just tasted with Marcus Pawis, the son of Bernhard and Kerstin Pawis, the new vintage. Bernhard and Kerstin Pawis greeted us. Weingut Pawis is arguably the #1 producer in the Saale-Unstut Region in the eastern part of Germany.
Weingut Pawis
Weingut Pawis is located in the historic Zscheiplitz Estate, close to Freyburg. The renovation of the Estate was a major undertaking. They just added the Brunnenhaus, an event location with hotel rooms, to the gorgeous set-up.
Bernhard Pawis is a trained winemaker, who got his education in the former German Democratic Republic. Shortly after the Berlin Wall came down in 1990, Bernhard’s parents - Herbert and Irene Pawis– bought 0.5 hectares of vineyard land and founded a small winery cum wine tavern (Strausswirtschaft). They sold the wine they produced in tavern on their premise. Bernhard had a day job, but helped his parents after work.
Business was good, so when his father died in 1998, Bernhard decided to quit his job take over his parents’ winery. He constructed a modern winery in the center of Freyburg and enlarged the winery’s vineyard land through purchases and long-term lease arrangements. In 1995, Weingut Pawis produced 5.000 bottles, five years later 2000 50.000 bottles. Not only quantity improved, but also the quality of the Weingut Pawis wines and in 2001, Weingut Pawis was invited to join the VDP, Germany’s association of elite winemakers.
The VDP membership put Weingut Pawis on Germany’s wine map and the winery Bernhard had constructed 10 years ago reached capacity limits. Bernard moved again, this time to something grand, the historic Estate Zscheiplitz. The former feudal Estate Zscheiplitz was completely run-down and required a major renovation effort. Bernhard pushed ahead with it, overcoming many obstacles. Since May 2007, the Weingut Pawis is based at the Zscheiplitz Estate in Freyburg-Zscheiplitz.
The vineyard area totals 14 hectares, with holdings in the Edelacker, a VDP.Grosse Lage (Grand Cru), Mühlberg (Freyburg) and Sonneneck (Naumburg). The area is planted with the white varieties Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Müller-Thurgau, Silvaner, Bacchus and Kerner, and with the red varieties Dornfelder, Portugieser, Pinot Noir and Regent. The white varieties account for 80% of the portfolio.
In terms of winemaking philosophy, Weingut Pawis follows sustainable vineyard practices. The wines are made primarily in a dry style, using temperature-controlled fermentation. The premium wines are matured in barriques made from the Trias oak found in the region. When vintage conditions permit, noble sweet wines are also made. The estate also produces bottle-fermented sparkling wines and grappa-style spirits.
Weingut Pawis sells about 1/3 of its production in the western part of Germany. This is unusually large, but having met Bernhard Pawis and his wife Kerstin, seen the hip tasting room and tasted his wines, I can see why Bernhard Pawis is much more successful in the western part of Germany than his colleagues.
Marcus Pawis and the Brunnenhaus
The Brunnenhaus is the latest addition to the Pawis Empire. Right next to the winery, it is an event location with hotel rooms, managed by Marcus Pawis.
Marcus Pawis, borne in 1986, has a Bachelor and Master for Event Management (Berlin) and runs the Brunnenhaus.
What Marcus Pawis Poured
The Saale Unstrut and Sachsen VDP decided to drop the Ortswein category and to go for a 3-tier classification system: Gutswein, Erste Lage, Grosse Lage.
White
VDP.Gutswein
2015 Weingut Pawis Grüner Silvaner trocken
2015 Weingut Pawis Weisser Burgunder trocken
2015 Weingut Pawis Riesling Muschelkalk trocken
2015 Weingut Pawis Riesling Quarz trocken
2015 Weingut Pawis Riesling Buntsandstein trocken
VDP.Erste Lage
2015 Weingut Pawis Grauer Burgunder Muschelkalk Zschelplitzer Himmelreich trocken
2015 Weingut Pawis Weisser Burgunder Zschelplitzer Himmelreich trocken
2015 Weingut Pawis Riesling R 736 Freyburger Edelacker trocken
VDP.Grosse Lage
2014 Weingut Pawis Weisser Burgunder Grosses Gewächs Edelacker
Red
VDP.Gutswein
2015 Weingut Pawis Regent trocken
2014 Weingut Pawis Pinotin Barrique trocken
Postings: Germany-East Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Art, Culture and History (Published and Forthcoming Postings)
Germany-East Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Art, Culture and History
Tasting at Weingut Uwe Lützkendorf, with Uwe Lützkendorf, in Bad Kösen, Saale-Unstrut – Germany-East Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours
Vineyard Visit and Wine Tasting Lunch at Weingut Hey in Naumburg, Saale-Unstrut, with Matthias Hey – Germany-East Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours
Tasting at Weingut Pawis in Freyburg-Zscheiplitz, Saale-Unstrut, with Marcus Pawis
Schiller's Favorite Winemakers in the Saale Unstrut Region, Germany
Wine and Music: Lunch with Gottfried Herrlich at Restaurant Vincenz Richter in Meissen
Visit, Tasting and Dinner at Weingut Schloss Proschwitz, Prinz zur Lippe in Zadel, Sachsen, with Georg Prinz zur Lippe
Tasting at Weingut Tim Strasser/Rothes Gut in Meissen, Sachsen, with Tim Strasser
Wine Pairing Lunch at Weingut Drei Herren in Radebeul, Sachsen
Visit of Weingut Klaus Zimmerling: The Wines of Klaus Zimmerling and the Art of his Wife Malgorzata Chodakoska - Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)
Lunch at Weingut Lutz Müller, Schloss Albrechtsburg, Sachsen, with Lutz Müller
Schiller's Favorite Winemakers in Sachsen (Saxony), Germany
Vineyard tour, Cellar Tour, Tasting and Dinner at Weingut Zur Schwane in Volkach, Franken with Winemaker Christian Kallisch
Vinyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Horst Sauer in Eschendorf, Franken, with Horst Sauer
Vineyard tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Schmitt’s Kinder in Randersacker, Franken, with Martin Johann Schmitt
Cellar Tour and Tasting at Staatlicher Hofkeller in Würzburg, Franken, with General Manager Marcel von den Benken
Schiller’s Favorites: 2 Legendary Wine Taverns in Würzburg – Juliusspital and Bürgerspital
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Taverns in Würzburg, Franken, Germany
Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour, Lunch and Tasting at Weingut Fürst Hohenlohe Öhringen in Öhringen–Verrenberg,Württemberg with Winemaker Joachim Brand
Visit of Staatsweingut Weinsberg in Weinsberg, Württemberg, with Kyle Frank from the Finger Lakes
Cellar Tour, Vineyard Tour, Tasting and Dinner at Weingut Graf von Bentzel-Sturmfeder in Schozach, Württemberg, with Kilian Graf von Bentzel-Sturmfeder