The first wine region we visited on the Germany-East Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours was the Saale-Unstrut Region. There, we visited 3 wineries: Weingut Lützkendorf, Weingut Bernhard Pawis and Weingut Heil. The former 2 are heavy-weights; these are the only 2 members of the VDP, the association of about 200 German elite winemakers, in the Saale-Unstrut Region. Weingut Heil is an up-and-coming wine producer.
The Saale-Unstrut wine region sits on 51st latitude and is Germany’s northernmost wine region, located in the valleys of the Saale and Unstrut rivers, an area of the former German Democratic Republic (GDR). The oldest record of viticulture dates back to the year 998 during the reign of Emperor Otto III.
Weingut Lützkendorf was founded at the dawn of the 19th century and existed until 1959 when the GDR authorities nationalized the property and integrated the estate into the government run Agricultural Cooperative. In 1991, after the reunification of the two German States the vineyards were returned to the family. Uwe Lützkendorf reestablished the winery, revamped the vineyards, and built new production facilities in Bad Kösen.
To listen to Uwe Lützkendorf , and also to his fellow winemakers in this former GDR area, recounting their stories of reviving an economic and agriculture waste land after German reunification, is living history and worthy of a spy thriller.
Weingut Lützkendorf
Weingut Lützkendorf is in Bad Kösen on the Saale River; administratively, Bad Kösen is part of the town of Naumburg. The state-run winery Kloser Pforta is also in Bad Kösen. Uwe Lutzkendorf is the winemaker and owner.
Weingut Lützkendorf was founded at the dawn of the 19th century and existed until 1959 when the GDR authorities integrated the estate (2 hectares) into the government run Agricultural Cooperative.
Udo Lützkendorf, the father of Uwe, was the Director and Cellar master from 1972 to 1992 in what was then the state-owned, and now again state-owned Kloster Pforta Estate, most of the time in the GDR and for 3 years in the re-unified Germany.
The Lützkendorf’s vineyards were handed back to the family in 1991 and the Lützkendorfs made their own wine again with the 1991 vintage. What then followed was a major re-launch, including replanting the vineyards, buying and leasing new vineyards and building a winery, including a Gutsausschank (winery tavern).
In 1996 the winery Lützkendorf was the first estate in the Saale-Unstrut region to become member of the prestigious VDP, the Association of Germany’s Premium Winemakers.
Today, the vineyard area totals 11 hectares, with holdings in the Edelacker (Freyburg), Hohe Gräte (Karsdorf) and Köppelberg (Schulpforte). The area is planted with Silvaner (35%), Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Traminer, Müller-Thurgau and Kerner, as well as with Pinot Noir, Portugieser and Blauer Zweigelt.
The stony soils and the climate of this northern wine region decisively influences the character of the wines. Uwe Lützkendorf’s philosophy of wine making is as little intervention as possible to showcase the character of the terroir. The wines are matured very reductively in either stainless steel tanks or in oak vats. With very few exceptions, the wines are fermented dry.
“40 percent of our wines are sold to top restaurants, largely in the eastern part of Germany. The same amount is sold directly to private customers and the remaining 20 percent in the winery’s wine tavern.”
The Wines Uwe Lützkendorf Poured
Uwe poured an impressive series of wines.
2016 Weingut Lützkendorf Silvaner Pfortenser Köppelberg VDP:Gutswein trocken
2013 Weingut Lützkendorf Silvaner Pfortenser Köppelberg VDP:Guswein trocken
2015 Weingut Lützkendorf Silvaner Karsdorfer Hohe Gräte VDP:Erste Lage trocken
2014 Weingut Lützkendorf Silvaner Karsdorfer Hohe Gräte VDP:Erste Lage Spätlese
2016 Weingut Lützkendorf Weisburgunder Karsdorfer Hohe Gräte VDP.Erste Lage trocken
2014 Weingut Lützkendorf Weisburgunder Karsdorfer Hohe Gräte VDP.Grosse Lage GG
2014 Weingut Lützkendorf Riesling Karsdorfer Hohe Gräte VDP.Erste Lage Kabinett
2014 Weingut Lützkendorf Riesling Karsdorfer Hohe Gräte VDP.Grosse Lage GG
2008 Weingut Lützkendorf Riesling Karsdorfer Hohe Gräte Spätlese
Bye-bye
Thank you very much Uwe for an outstanding tasting.
Postings: Germany-East Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Art, Culture and History (Published and Forthcoming Postings)
Germany-East Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Art, Culture and History
Wine Tasting Lunch at Weingut Frölich-Hake in Naumburg-Rossbach, Saale-Unstrut, Germany, with Sandra Hake – Germany-East Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours
Weingut Pawis in the Saale Unstrut Region: Tour and Wine Tasting with Marcus Pawis – Germany-East Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours
Tasting at Weingut Lützkendorf in Bad Kösen, Saale-Unstrut, with Uwe Lützkendorf
Schiller's Favorite Winemakers in the Saale Unstrut Region, Germany
Wine and Music: Lunch with Gottfried Herrlich at Restaurant Weingut Vincenz Richter in Meissen
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)
Wine tasting Dinner at Winebar “Weinzentrale” in Dresden-Neustadt, with Owner/ Sommelier Jens Pietzonka
Visit:Weingut Martin Schwarz in Meissen
Visit, Tasting and Dinner at Weingut Schloss Proschwitz, Prinz zur Lippe in Zadel, Sachsen, with Georg Prinz zur Lippe
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 Fürstlich Castell'sches Domänenamt, with General Manager/ Winemaker Björn Probst
Michelin-star Level Winepairing Dinner at Winzerhof Stahl, Franken, Prepared by Winemaker/ Chef Christian Stahl
Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Juliusspital in Würzburg, Franken
Schiller’s Favorites: 2 Legendary Wine Taverns in Würzburg – Juliusspital and Bürgerspital
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Taverns in Würzburg
Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour, Lunch and Tasting at Weingut Fürst Hohenlohe Öhringen in Öhringen–Verrenberg,Württemberg with Winemaker Joachim Brand
Cellar Tour, Vineyard Tour, Tasting and Dinner at Weingut Graf von Bentzel-Sturmfeder in Schozach, Württemberg, with Kilian Graf von Bentzel-Sturmfeder
Tour and Tasting at Weingut Wchstetter in Pfaffenhofen, Württemberg, with Rainer Wachtstetter
Lunch at Restaurant Schloss Monrepos Ludwigsburg, Württemberg, with Chef Ben Benasr (1 Sar Michelin)
Tour and Tasting at Weingut Herzog von Württemberg at Schloss Monrepos in Ludwigsburg, Württemberg, with Andrea Ritz, Wine Queen of Württemberg