Friday, May 29, 2015

The 18 Best Wine Places in Germany (Gerolsteiner)

Picture: Christian Schiller and Manfred Klimek, The WineParty, at Weinstein in Berlin, one of the 18 Best Wine Places in Germany

Gerolsteiner is a producer of fine water in Germany. It has issued an interesting list of the 18 best wine places in Germany. You find the “in” winebars in this list, like Cordobar in Berlin, Heimat in Frankfurt, WeinKulturBar in Dresden and Witwenball in Hamburg, but also wine-centered restaurants, like Leopold at Weingut von Winning in Deidesheim. Here are the 18 top wine places in Germany (in alphabetical order):

BALTHASAR RESS WEINBAR

Mauergasse 10
65183 Wiesbaden
Tel.: +49 611-5058469
www.balthasar-ress.de/weinbar

Picture: Senior Boss Stefan Ress and Annette Schiller ombiasyPR and WineTours at Weingut Balthasar Ress Weinbar und Vinothek

See:
4 Wine Tours by ombiasy coming up in 2015: Germany-East, Germany-South. Germany-Nord and Bordeaux 
Dirk Wuertz Presented the 2012 Grosses Gewaechs Wines of Weingut Balthasar Ress, Germany

CORDOBAR

Große Hamburger Straße 32
10115 Berlin
Tel.: +49 30-27581215
www.cordobar.net

Picture: Cordobar

Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars in Berlin, Germany

D'VINE

Lorettostraße 23
40219 Düsseldorf
Tel.: +49 211-54357428
www.d-vine.de

DREXLERS

Rosastraße 9
79098 Freiburg im Breisgau
Tel.: +49 761-5957203
www.drexlers-restaurant.de

FISCHERKLAUSE

Am See 1
22952 Lütjensee
Tel.: +49 4154-792200
www.fischerklause-luetjensee.de

GEISEL'S VINOTHEK

Schützenstraße 11
80335 München
Tel.: +49 89-551377140
www.excelsior-hotel.de/restaurants-bars/geisels-vinothek

HEIMAT

Berliner Straße 70
60311 Frankfurt
Tel.: +49 69-29725994
www.heimat-frankfurt.com

Pictures: Christian G.E. Schiller with Owner Oliver Donnecker

See:
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Frankfurt am Main, Germany

KLEINES JACOB

Elbchaussee 404
22609 Hamburg
Tel.: +49 40-82255510
www.kleines-jacob.de

LEOPOLD RESTAURANT

Weinstraße 10
67146 Deidesheim
Tel.: +49 6326-9668888
www.von-winning.de/leopold-restaurant

Pictures: Leopold Restaurant

See:
Schiller's Favorite (Wine-) Restaurants in Deidesheim in the Pfalz, Germany

LIVINGROOM

Luisenstrasse 9-13
44787 Bochum
Tel.: +49 234-9535685
www.livingroom-bochum.de

REISER'S AM STEIN

Mittlerer Steinbergweg 5
97080 Würzburg
Tel.: +49 931-286901
www.der-reiser.de

Picture: "Alte Main Brücke" in Würzburg, Franken

WEIN AM RHEIN

Johannisstraße 64
50668 Köln
Tel.: +49 221-91248885
www.weinamrhein.eu

WEINKONTOR NULL41

Georg-Friedrich-Dentzel-Straße 11
76829 Landau
Tel.: +49 6341-945485
www.weinkontor-null41.de

WEINSTEIN

Lychener Straße 33
10437 Berlin
Tel.: +49 30-4411842
www.weinstein.eu

Picture: Co-owner Marc Metzdorf

See: Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars in Berlin, Germany

WEIN|KULTUR|BAR

Wittenberger Str. 86
01277 Dresden-Striesen
Tel.: +49 351-3157917
www.weinkulturbar.de

Pictures: Owner Silvio Nitzsche and Christian Schiller

See: WeinKulturBar in Dresden, Saxony: One of the Best Wine Bars in Germany

WINELIVE

Dorfstraße 48
40667 Meerbusch-Büderich
Tel.: +49 2132-6586460
www.winelive-duesseldorf.de

WITWENBALL

Weidenallee 20
20357 Hamburg
Tel.: +49 40-53630085
www.witwenball.comes

Schiller's Favorite Wine Places in Germany

In my series Schiller's Favorites I have released a number of lists for German towns and cities, see::

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Taverns in Trier, Germany

Schiller's Favorite (Wine-) Restaurants in Deidesheim in the Pfalz, Germany

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars in Berlin, Germany

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Frankfurt am Main, 2013, Germany

Schiller's Favorite Apple Wine Taverns in Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Taverns in Mainz, Germany

schiller-wine: Related Postings

4 Wine Tours by ombiasy coming up in 2015: Germany-East, Germany-South. Germany-Nord and Bordeaux

Dirk Wuertz Presented the 2012 Grosses Gewaechs Wines of Weingut Balthasar Ress, Germany

WeinKulturBar in Dresden, Saxony: One of the Best Wine Bars in Germany

Thursday, May 28, 2015

Cellar Tour and Wine Tasting with Philipp Wittmann and Eva Clüsserath-Wittmann at Weingut Wittmann in Westhofen – Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2014)

Picture: Günter and Philipp Wittmann

The last leg of our Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2014) was a day in Rheinhessen. We visited 3 winemakers: Weingut Wittmann, Weingut Katharina Wechsler and Weingut Gunderloch.

Weingut Gunderloch is imported into the USA by Rudi Wiest Selection. It has long been well established in the US market and the Weingut Gunderloch wines are widely available in the USA. Katharina Wechsler is a newcomer and shooting star in the German wine scene. In the USA, the wines of Weingut Katharina Wechsler are not available, although I believe, Katharina has established some contact with some importer based on the East Coast. Weingut Wittmann, one of the absolute top stars in the German wine scene, just changed its US importer and is now in the German portfolio of Dr. Loosen Imports.

Pictures: At Weingut Wittmann

We toured the impressive wine cellar and had a tasting in the modern tasting room. Philipp Wittmann and his wife Eva Clüsserath-Wittmann, who also owns and runs her own winery in the Mosel, were our hosts, dividing the job among themselves.

Weingut Wittmann now with Loosen Bros. USA

Loosen Bros. USA: Weingut Wittmann is a biodynamic family estate in Germany’s Rheinhessen region. They are pioneers in developing the dynamic, full-bodied, and well-balanced style of dry wines for which the Rheinhessen region has become known.

Winemaker Philipp Wittmann is Germany’s 2014 Winemaker of the Year. (For that honor he joined Ernst Loosen, Wilhelm Haag, Carl von Schubert, and Wilhelm Weil, all part of our portfolio.)

Pictures: Philipp Wittmann and Eva Clüsserat-Wittmann Welcoming us

The Wittmann family has developed a deep bond with the land they cultivate. They have been growing grapes and producing wine since 1663. In 1990 they became completely organic, and in 2004, biodynamic.

The estate is known for balanced wines that have tension, depth and intensity, but at the same time are fresh and elegant. Philipp Wittmann looks for natural balance in the vineyards, in order to slow the ripening process and harvest grapes that have fully developed flavors, but are not overripe.

See:
Weingut Wittmann now with Dr. Loosen Imports in the USA

Weingut Wittmann

For several centuries the Wittmanns have been wine farmers in the town of Westhofen, in the southern part of Rheinhessen. Today, Philipp Wittmann and Eva Clüsserath-Wittmann (who herself is a gifted winemaker who also owns and runs her own winery in the Mosel valley) and Philipp’s parents Günter and Elisabeth Wittmann divide the tasks running the 25 hectare estate.

Pictures: In the Winecellar

Philipp Wittmann: The Wittmanns and their ancestors have been wine-growers in the old market town of Westhofen, in southern Rheinhessen, where the first documented of viticulture in the family dates from 1663. Today’s estate developed from this long tradition over the course of centuries. The length of an estate’s viticultural tradition really says nothing about the quality of an estate’s wines. Perhaps, though, it does say something about the bond one has with the piece of land that one cultivates. Since 1990, we have cultivated our vineyards according to controlled ecological guidelines, and since 2004, biodynamically. By doing so, our soil will remain healthy for future generations, too.

Pictures: In the Winecellar

Rheinhessen

Rheinhessen is the largest viticultural region in Germany. Every fourth bottle of German wine comes from Rheinhessen. About one third of Rheinhessen’s agricultural area is cultivated with vines, more than 26000 hectares. The high-yielder Mueller-Thurgau accounts for about 1/5 of the vineyards, and Silvaner and Dornfelder both for 1/10. Overall, Riesling is on the backburner. Unlike in other German wine regions, where monoculture of the vine is the norm, here the many rolling hills are host to a wide variety of crops grown alongside the grape. Rheinhessen also has the rather dubious honor of being considered the birthplace of Liebfraumilch.

At the same time, Rheinhessen is at this time among Germany’s most interesting wine regions. A lot is happening there. There is an amazing group of young, ambitious and dynamic winemakers, led by star winemakers like Klaus Peter Keller, Philipp Wittmann and H.O. Spanier, who want to produce and indeed do produce outstanding wine and not wines in large quantities.

Pictures: In the Winecellar

Weingut Wittman Vineyards

Riesling is the dominant grape of choice but also the Pinot varietals (Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris) and Silvaner have a long tradition in Westhofen. Philipp makes many wines, but the estate is famous for its 4 Grosse Lage sites and the Grosses Gewächs wines it produces there: Morstein, Kirchspie, Brunnenhäuschen and Aulerde. Morstein GG is seen as Phillip Wittmann’s his greatest wine but each of them is special in their own way.

Phillip Wittmann: Aulerde is our warmest site. Westhofen's southern to southeastern vineyard slopes rise from the glacial valley of the Rhine to the rim of a high plateau. The Aulerde vineyard lies at the foot of the protective eastern and southeastern slopes of the Kirchspiel site. The vines here are facing slightly south. The upper layers of a small portion of Aulerde are heavy clayish marl with only a very small amount of limestone. The subsoil contains clayish or gravelly sand (it is only here that we grow our Riesling vines). However, most of the site consists of meter-high layers of loess.

Pictures: Philipp Wittmann and Eva Clüsserath-Wittmann, Weingut Wittmann, with Annette and Christian Schiller at Prowein 2015 in Düsseldorf

See:
Prowein 2015 in Düsseldorf, Germany – Schiller’s Impressions

The Kirchspiel site opens toward the Rhine like an amphitheater. Its southern and southeastern exposure protects the vines from cold westerly winds – and accounts for the excellent microclimate of the vineyard. The soil structure is similar to that of the Morstein site, marked by clayish marl interspersed with limestone. Limestone is the predominant component of the subsoil, too.

The Brunnenhäuschen site is situated east of Morstein and above the Steingrube site. Due to its altitude, grapes ripen slowly and harvesting usually takes place after a very long growing season. The finest portion of Brunnenhäuschen is in the old parcel known as “Abtserde.” We cultivate half a hectare (1.2 acres) of Riesling here. This site is marked by clayish marl that is rich in limestone. Due to a high iron oxide content, parts of the soil are reddish in color, also referred to as “terra rossa.” The subsoil is interspersed with large limestone rocks.

Pictures: Tasting with Philipp Wittmann

Morstein is situated on the south-facing slope that stretches from Gundersheim to Westhofen. The subsoil consists of massive limestone rocks. The first documented mention of the site dates from 1282. Today, we own about 4 ha (10 acres) in the best (southeastern exposure) parcel of this vineyard. The upper layer of soil is primarily heavy clayish marl interspersed with limestone. The subsoil is also heavy and marked by layers of limestone that help circulate water. This ensures that the vines are well supplied with nutrients and minerals, and accounts for the mineral character of our Morstein wines.

The Wines we Tasted

2013 Weingut Wittmann Weisser Burgunder trocken
2013 Weingut Wittmann Weisser Burgunder trocken S
2013 Weingut Wittmann Chardonnay trocken S
2013 Weingut Wittmann Riesling trocken
2013 Weingut Wittmann Westhofener Riesling trocken
2013 Weingut Wittmann Aulerde Riesling GG trocken
2013 Weingut Wittmann Kirchspiel Riesling GG trocken
2013 Weingut Wittmann Morstein Riesling GG trocken

schiller-wine: Related Postings

4 Wine Tours by ombiasy coming up in 2015: Germany-East, Germany-South. Germany-Nord and Bordeaux

Coming-up: Wine & Art Tour to Saale-Unstrut - Saxony - Franken - Württemberg: Germany-East Tour by ombiasy WineTours (June 11 - June 20, 2015)

Germany-North Wine Tour by ombiasy, 2014

Germany-South Wine Tour by ombiasy, 2014

German Wine and Culture Tour by ombiasy, 2013

In the Vineyard and the Wine Cellar (and Lunch) with Robert Schätzle, Owner and Winemaker, Weingut Schloss Neuweier in Baden – Germany-South Wine Tour by ombiasy (2014)

Wine Tasting Luncheon at 1 Star Michelin Röttele's Restaurant im Schloss Neuweier in Baden, with Winemaker Robert Schätzle and his Weingut Schloss Neuweier Wines – Germany-South Wine Tour by ombiasy (2014)

Weingut Zähringer in Baden: Cellar Tour and Tasting with Winemaker Paulin Köpfer – Germany-South Wine Tour by ombasy (2014)

Weingut Freiherr von Gleichenstein in Baden: Tour and Tasting with Baron Johannes von Gleichenstein – Germany-South Wine Tour by ombiasy (2014), Germany

Weingut Franz Keller in Oberbergen, Kaiserstuhl, Baden: Cellar Tour and Tasting with Fritz Keller – Germany-South Wine Tour by ombiasy (2014)

Lunch at Restaurant Schwarzer Adler in Oberbergen, with Weingut Franz Keller Wines – Germany-South Wine Tour by ombiasy (2014)

Wine Tasting at Weingut Bernhard Huber – Germany-South Wine Tour by ombiasy (2014)

Visit: Weingut Dr. Heger in Baden – Germany-South Wine Tour by ombiasy (2014)

Weingut Karl-Heinz Johner in Baden: Cellar Tour and Tasting with Karl-Heinz and Patrick Johner – Germany-South Wine Tour by ombiasy (2014)

At Maison Trimbach in Alsace with Hubert Trimbach – Germany-South Wine Tour by ombiasy (2014)

Wine Tasting at Weingut Friedrich Becker – Germany-South Wine Tour by ombiasy (2014)

Lunch, Wine Tasting and Winery Tour at Weingut Jülg in Schweigen, Pfalz with the Jülg Family – Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2014)

Wine Tasting at Weingut Ökonomierat Rebholz in Siebeldingen, Pfalz – Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2014)

Cellar Tour and Wine Tasting at Weingut Geheimer Rat Dr. von Bassermann-Jordan in Deidesheim with General Manager Gunther Hauck – Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2014)

Winery Tour and Wine Tasting at Weingut A. Christmann, with Steffen Christmann – Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2014)

Wine Tasting at Weingut Weegmüller with Stephanie and Gabriele Weegmüller – Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2014)

Tasting the Wines, President Obama was Served: Visit of Weingut Markus Schneider, Pfalz – Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2014)

schiller-wine: Weingut Wittmann

Weingut Wittmann now with Dr. Loosen Imports in the USA

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

The Art Marketer - A CELEBRATION OF LIFE: Wine Tasting & Art Exhibit

Picture: Artist Susan Levin and the Wine Event Organizer Annette Schiller (Source: The Art Marketer)

The Art Marketer, a blog run by Lisa Freedman out of New York City, carried an article about a recent wine tasting cum art exhibition by the Artist Susan Levin and the Wine Event Organizer Annette Schiller in Washington DC.

“A road trip to Rockville, Maryland reunited me with my artist friend and client, Susan Levin. On a recent flight back from Europe, Levin had the unique opportunity of meeting and befriending, Annette Schiller, a principal with Ombiasy Public Relations and Wine Tours. Susan put me in touch with Annette, who had the brilliant idea of creating a ‘Wine Tasting & Art Exhibit’ showcasing Susan’s work in collaboration with a wine tasting event.” …

For the whole posting, go to: A CELEBRATION OF LIFE: Wine Tasting & Art Exhibit

For an article on schiller-wine on the same event, go to: Art Exhibition and Wine Tasting with Susan Levin and Annette Schiller, Washington DC, USA

schiller-wine: Related Postings

Preview: Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Preview: Bourgogne Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015 and 2016)

4 Wine Tours by ombiasy coming up in 2015: Germany-East, Germany-South. Germany-Nord and Bordeaux

Germany-South Wine Tour by ombiasy, 2014

Germany-North Wine Tour by ombiasy, 2014 

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Winemaker Dinner with Friedrich Jülg, Weingut Jülg, Pfalz, Germany, at Evo Bistro in McLean, Washington DC, USA

Picture: At Evo Bistro - Charles Woods of Bonhomie Imports, Friedrich Jülg of Weingut Jülg, Annette Schiller of ombiasyPR and WineTours and Driss Zahidi of Evo Bistro

My wife Annette Schiller from ombiasyPR and WineTours and I tasted the wines of Weingut Jülg for the first time in Frankfurt, Germany, at a portolio tasting of K&M Gutsweine, owned and run by Bernd Klingebrunn and Armin Busch. Johannes Jülg from Weingut Jülg in Schweigen in the Pflaz was there and he impressed Annette with his wines and his personality. As a result, Annette included Weingut Jülg in her wine tours by ombiasy. In 2014, we stopped at Weingut Jülg in Schweigen for lunch cum tasting and a cellar tour. At this occasions, we got to know the whole Jülg family, including the 2 brothers of Johannes, Moritz Jülg and Friedrich Jülg.

Pictures: Christian Schiller and Friedrich Jülg Arriving at Evo Bistro

A few months later in New York, we ran into Charles Woods, the Owner and General Manager of Bonhomie Imports, who discovered Weingut Jülg for the American marker and who is their US importer. He told us about Friedrich Jülg joining him for 6 months in New York to learn about the American market. With Friedrich Jülg being just 5 hours away from Washington DC, we had to bring him to Washington DC for a winemaker dinner.

The event took place at Evo Bistro. Attendance was excellent, exceeding 40 people. It was an exciting evening with great wines and great food.

When Charles Woods heard about the good attendance, he decided to also drive down to Washington DC and join us for the dinner. Also, by pure chance, Armin Busch and his wife from the wine store in Frankfurt, where we had discovered Weingut Jülg, was in Washington DC that weekend and joint us for the dinner.

Pictures: Armin Busch of K&M Gutsweine in Frankfurt, Friedrich Jülg and Christian Schiller

Invitation

Dear Wine friends,

Evo Bistro and ombiasy PR & WineTours are proud to announce that we will have the perfect spring menu for you: fresh, fruity, premium German Rieslings and Pinot Noirs with Driss Zahidi - one of the best chefs in the greater Washington area - preparing mouthwatering courses to pair with the fruit and earth profile of the wines.

I apologize for this very late announcement but to get Friedrich to Virginia, took some planning and I am very happy that it all worked out in the end and that we will have the dinner at the fabulous Evo Bistro with Chef Driss Zahidi.

Please join us in welcoming Friedrich Jülg, a very promising, energetic, ambitious young winemaker from the Pfalz region in Germany who will talk about the wines.

Picture: Reception

The Jülg wine estate is unique. The vineyards are in two countries - Germany and Alsace- due to the winery’s location right on the German/French border and the many switches of the Alsatian territory between France and Germany. In this area the Rhine rift created many different soil types which presented favorable conditions for planting a wide variety of grapes. The Jülg winery is a family affair: grandmother - parents - three sons: the 3 generations are working in harmony under under roof: Karin Jülg runs the wine tavern which is known for outstanding traditional Pfälzer cuisine. In the mid 80s Werner Jülg converted the family winery from a low-end mass producing winery -so typical for the Pfalz in those days-, into a wine estate that produces outstanding wines of the highest quality. His mother Erika is still in the kitchen and prepares the delicious meals served in the tavern. Werner and Karin’s three sons Johannes, Friedrich and Moritz are slowly taking over. Johannes and Friedrich studied winemaking at the famous Geisenheim Oenological University and Moritz studied wine marketing. Winery Jülg is also known for producing excellent Sekt: the Blanc de Noir produced in the Method Champenoise with traditional Champagner grapes is absolutely delicious and on par with the best Champagnes. Winery Jülg produces only dry wines.

Pictures: Annette Schiller and Friedrich Jülg Opening the Event

Jülg Wines in the USA: Bonhomie Wine Imports

Jülg wines are available in the USA through Bonhomie Wine Imports: From the southernmost village in the Pfalz, Schweigen, we bring you the wines of Weingut Jülg. In fact it’s so close to the border that the top vineyard site, the Sonnenburg is actually 2/3s in France! Johannes Jülg has recently taken the reins here from his father Werner, and continues a tradition of growing with respect for nature, using green manure only for fertilization and hand harvesting. Soils are complex here and there is great diversity from site to site. In 2012 the Buntsandstein Riesling provides the right balance, with lifted aromatics and tangy passionfruit. From the Sonnenburg comes a lushly fruited Scheurebe that has the crisp cut of grapefruit-like citrusy tartness and also, a racy and vibrant dry Muskateller laced with spice and mineral notes that linger in the finish. Pinot Noir and Pinot Blanc are also important grapes here, look for them later on this year.

The Winemaker Dinner

Evo Bistro, Thursday, May 21, 2015, 7:00pm $55 per person plus tax and gratuity

COURSE 1

Scallops Foie Gras
Jumbo Scallops with Toasted Almonds


Weingut Jülg Riesling Kalkmergel 2013
Weingut Jülg Riesling Buntsandstein 2013


Weingut Jülg has 2 grapes (out of 5 grapes) in the Gault Millau: We are very happy with the performance of Johannes Jülg. He likes to add a French touch to his wines and does this very successfully. This means that the fruit components are moved to the backburner. Instead, character and a long aging potential dominate. This approach shows best in the Riesling wines from St. Paul and Springberg – luscious notes of yellow fruit, with good concentration and minerality. Equally, his Pinot Noir is a wine for the true connoisseur – Pinot pure.

COURSE 2

Surf & Turf
Halibut and Filet Mignon
Asparagus Risotto and Mashed Potatoes


Weingut Jülg Pinot Noir 2013

Entry-level Pinot Noir. Excellent value.


Weingut Jülg Pinot Noir Sonnenberg 2011

The flagship wine of Weingut Jülg. Concentrated, fine, elegant. Johannes achieves this by limiting the yield to 30 hl/ha, hand-selecting the small, aromatic berries at harvest, spontaneous fermentation, on the lees for 14 days, and 18 months aging in new barrique barrels. On the nose, aromas of blackberry and cherry, coupled with some leather, good concentration on the palate, flavors of warm spice and cranberry last through the long finish. Outstanding wine.

COURSE 3

Artisan Cheese Sampler

Chef's Selection of Cheeses
Baguette and Seasonal Fruits

Scheurebe 2013


Chef Driss Zahidi and Evo Bistro

Evo Bistro is both my down-the-road Wine Bar in McLean, Virginia, and my favorite Restaurant and Bistro in the Washington DC area. It combines an unpretentious French-Mediterranean atmosphere with top wines from around the world, both the old and the new world, and delicious French, Moroccan and Spanish tapas, prepared by Owner/Chef Driss Zahidi, who I know from the days of the tiny Corner Bistro on Old Dominion.

See also:
Riesling and Couscous at Chef Driss Zahidi’s Le Mediterranean Bistro in Fairfax, Virginia USA
Dennis Cakebread and his Wines, Napa Valley, at EVO Bistro, Virginia
A German Riesling Pairing Event at Evo Bistro in McLean, Virginia - A Royal Wine Visit from Princess Sabine Wagner, US

Pictures: Friedrich Jülg, Hicham Zahidi, General Manager of Evo Bistro, Chef Driss Zahidi and Annette Schiller

Ombiasy PR and WineTours

ombiasyPR and WineTours organizes wine events in the Washington DC (USA) and the Frankfurt (Germany) areas, and wine tours to Germany, Burgundy and Bordeaux.

The Art Marketer: Ombiasy Public Relations & Wine Tours serves up a Couples Life Long Passion for Wine. Conceived, created, owned and operated by the venerable husband and wife team, Annette & Christian Schiller, Ombiasy Public Relations & Wine Tours represents the lifelong passion the Schillers have for wine. Their business is founded on the passion, knowledge and network of contacts they have made throughout their travels around the world, an interest that started for them both while students at the University of Mainz in Germany.

See:
4 Wine Tours by ombiasy coming up in 2015: Germany-East, Germany-South. Germany-Nord and Bordeaux

Pictures: Friedrich Jülg Explaining his Wines

With ombiasy WineTours at Weingut Jülg

The recent Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours included a lunch, winetasting and cellar tour at Weingut Jülg in Schweigen, Germany.

See:
Lunch, Wine Tasting and Winery Tour at Weingut Jülg in Schweigen, Pfalz with the Jülg Family – Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2014)

Pictures: Friedrich Jülg with Mike Fritze and David Roehm of the German Wine Society (Washington DC Chapter)

Weingut Jülg

Weingut Jülg is in Schweigen, the southernmost village in the Pfalz region, right at the border to France. The winery was founded in 1961. Today, Werner Jülg is in charge of the overall management of the winery. Since 2010, his oldest son Johannes has been responsible for the winemaking.

The vineyard area totals 18 hectares in the Einzellage (single vineyard) Sonnenberg (of which 40% is in France) and the Gewanne (lieu-dit) Springberg, Pfarrwingert, St. Paul und Wormberg.

White grape varieties account for 70% of the production, with Riesling, Weißburgunder and Grauburgunder dominating. Red grape varities account for 30% of the production, with Pinot Noir and St. Laurent in the lead.

Total production is 12.000 cases. Most of the wine is sold at the estate – in the wine tavern, the garden restaurant and directly to consumers. 20% of the wine is exported, including to the USA (5%).

Pictures: Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours at Weingut Jülg

The Jülg Family

Weingut Jülg is a traditional family winery cum wine tavern and garden restaurant, with 3 generations involved.

Werner and Karin Jülg – in their 50s I would guess - are the generation in the middle. Werner took over the winery several years ago from his father Oskar, while his brother Peter fell in love with a French girl from a village just 10 kilometers away in Alsace and established Maison Jülg in France. For the last 20 or 30 years ago, until handing over to his son Johannes, Werner was in charge of winemaking. Karin runs the wine tavern and the lovely garden restaurant.

Werner’s mother Erika is still in the kitchen, while her husband Oskar passed away.

Pictures: After-dinner Party, with Marlene and Charles Reddoor

Werner and Karin Jülg have three sons: Johannes, Friedrich and Moritz. Johannes Jülg is now responsible for winemaking at Weingut Jülg. Before coming back home to Schweigen in 2010, he looked around in the world of fine wine, including at Theo Minges, Weegmüller, Keller, Stodden and Clemens Busch in Germany and at Domaine des Lambrays in the Bourgogne.

Friedrich graduated with a Bachelor of International Wine Business from Geisenheim University earlier this year and currently is on a six months stint in New York City with the US importer of Weingut Jülg, Bonhomie Wine Imports.

Moritz got a degree in Marketing and International Business in January 2015. After stints at the Daimler AG and the Robert Bosch GmbH, he will do an internship at Audi AG in Ingolstadt next month.

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

Announcement: Winemaker Dinner with Friedrich Jülg, Weingut Jülg, at Evo Bistro in McLean, Virginia, on Thursday, May 21, 2015, 7:00pm

Lunch, Wine Tasting and Winery Tour at Weingut Jülg in Schweigen, Pfalz with the Jülg Family – Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2014)

Riesling Summer at the Schiller Residence in Washington DC, USA

Riesling and Couscous at Chef Driss Zahidi’s Le Mediterranean Bistro in Fairfax, Virginia USA

Dennis Cakebread and his Wines, Napa Valley, at EVO Bistro, Virginia

A German Riesling Pairing Event at Evo Bistro in McLean, Virginia - A Royal Wine Visit from Princess Sabine Wagner, US