gwei DE 2018 Sonderdruck Wegeler ENG · 22 falstaff Wine Guide Germany 2018 23 Photos: Michael Gregonowitz, Das Weinmagazin, Johannes Grau, Hamburg, provided free of charge COLLECTION

Reprint of the 2018 collection.»Wegeler’sche Gutshäuser an Mosel und Rhein«

GERMANY

GER

MA

NY’

S B

EST

WIN

ERIE

S •

TA

STED

• S

CO

RED

• E

ATIN

G O

UT

REC

OM

MEN

DAT

ION

S

2018

falsta� WINE GUIDE

2018REPRINT

COLLECTION 2018OF THE YEAR

2322 falstaff Wine Guide Germany 2018

Phot

os: M

icha

el G

rego

now

itz, D

as W

einm

agaz

in, J

ohan

nes

Gra

u, H

ambu

rg, p

rovi

ded

free

of c

harg

e

COLLECTION OF THE YEAR 2018

LOVE WHAT YOU DOSince their foundation by Julius Wegeler in mid-19th century, the estates

at the rivers Mosel and Rhine have been run by the Wegeler family. Here, Rieslings of global standard are made. This achievement can

be traced back to the success of a sparkling wine: Without Deinhard Sekt, there would be no Wegeler wines today.

TEXT AXEL BIESLER

The Bernkastel manor.

Not only the Wegeler wines are char-acterized by subtle elegance and deli-cate sophistication – these features are also visible in the labels. This goes well with the style of the estate.

W here is the Deinhard?« Good question. In the 1990s, ‘Dein-hard’ was widely used as a ge-

neric name for German sparkling wine, almost like ‘Kleenex’ for paper tissues – the two latter terms an inseparable pair to this day. Deinhard and sparkling wine, however, have drifted apart somewhat since then. But when we are talking about the Wegeler estate, we cannot leave Dein-hard out, or sparkling wine. In fact, we need to give it special focus, since it laid the foundation for the winegrowing tradi-tion of the Wegeler family in the mid-19th century. In 1861, when Julius Wegeler and Emma Deinhard were joined in marriage

in Koblenz, the commercial production of sparkling wine had just started to gain momentum in Germany. Among the well-heeled, the sparkling wines made by the Deinhards had already acquired an excel-lent reputation. However, these wines were sheer luxury which most people couldn’t afford. Those who could tended to brag about it.

Deinhard’s economic success allowed the family to buy estates and premium vineyards first in the Rheingau and a little later also at the river Mosel, among them most precious ones such as the Bernkaste-ler Doctor. Manor houses were built at both rivers which are owned by the fami-

ly to this day.Even though Wegeler had to sell the

brand of ‘Deinhard Sekt’ in the late 1990s, there would be no Wegeler wines today without the Deinhard sparkling wines. They saw it all: historical upheav-als, industrial revolution, world wars, the wirtschaftswunder – plenty of joy and misery. The story of a multi-branched family with lots of material for an epic tale of their wines.

The pleasure in wine starts on the palate Telling you about the exquisite wines from the Wegeler estates, I am fully aware that their multifaceted taste is only made possible by the stories of the men and women which brought these wines into being. A wine must leave a lasting impres-

sion to be considered outstanding. To re-sume the comparison from the beginning of this text: The experience of a Kleenex usually ends at your nose, it brings but su-perficial pleasure, while the enjoyment of a wine starts on the palate only. Obvious-ly, there are Kleenex wines – and there are the true-pleasure wines. But the wine

07_WGD_2018_Beste_Kollektion_ENG.indd 22-23 01.03.18 14:37


Phot

os: M

icha

el G

rego

now

itz, D

as W

einm

agaz

in, J

ohan

nes

Gra

u, H

ambu

rg, p

rovi

ded

free

of c

harg

e


LOVE WHAT YOU DOSince their foundation by Julius Wegeler in mid-19th century, the estates

at the rivers Mosel and Rhine have been run by the Wegeler family. Here, Rieslings of global standard are made. This achievement can

be traced back to the success of a sparkling wine: Without Deinhard Sekt, there would be no Wegeler wines today.

TEXT AXEL BIESLER

The Bernkastel manor.

Not only the Wegeler wines are char-acterized by subtle elegance and deli-cate sophistication – these features are also visible in the labels. This goes well with the style of the estate.

W here is the Deinhard?« Good question. In the 1990s, ‘Dein-hard’ was widely used as a ge-

neric name for German sparkling wine, almost like ‘Kleenex’ for paper tissues – the two latter terms an inseparable pair to this day. Deinhard and sparkling wine, however, have drifted apart somewhat since then. But when we are talking about the Wegeler estate, we cannot leave Dein-hard out, or sparkling wine. In fact, we need to give it special focus, since it laid the foundation for the winegrowing tradi-tion of the Wegeler family in the mid-19th century. In 1861, when Julius Wegeler and Emma Deinhard were joined in marriage

in Koblenz, the commercial production of sparkling wine had just started to gain momentum in Germany. Among the well-heeled, the sparkling wines made by the Deinhards had already acquired an excel-lent reputation. However, these wines were sheer luxury which most people couldn’t afford. Those who could tended to brag about it.

Deinhard’s economic success allowed the family to buy estates and premium vineyards first in the Rheingau and a little later also at the river Mosel, among them most precious ones such as the Bernkaste-ler Doctor. Manor houses were built at both rivers which are owned by the fami-

ly to this day.Even though Wegeler had to sell the

brand of ‘Deinhard Sekt’ in the late 1990s, there would be no Wegeler wines today without the Deinhard sparkling wines. They saw it all: historical upheav-als, industrial revolution, world wars, the wirtschaftswunder – plenty of joy and misery. The story of a multi-branched family with lots of material for an epic tale of their wines.

The pleasure in wine starts on the palate Telling you about the exquisite wines from the Wegeler estates, I am fully aware that their multifaceted taste is only made possible by the stories of the men and women which brought these wines into being. A wine must leave a lasting impres-

sion to be considered outstanding. To re-sume the comparison from the beginning of this text: The experience of a Kleenex usually ends at your nose, it brings but su-perficial pleasure, while the enjoyment of a wine starts on the palate only. Obvious-ly, there are Kleenex wines – and there are the true-pleasure wines. But the wine


24 25falstaff Wine Guide Germany 2018

Phot

os: A

lam

y St

ock

Phot

os, R

hein

land

Pfa

lz T

ouris

mus

Gm

bH, D

er F

eins

chm

ecke

r, pr

ovid

ed fr

ee o

f cha

rge


Anja Wegeler-Drieseberg andTom Drieseberg

At the time of their foundation, the Wegeler estates at the Rhine and the Mosel stood for innovation as well as for the tradition of a German wine dynasty – and this has not changed to this day.

landscape is not as clear-cut as this:There is room for a wine between the

two poles, one which balances brand and delicacy. You will not be surprised to learn that it was the Wegeler estates that have created such a wine, and have been pro-viding it for 32 years now.

In the 1980s, the Wegelers launched a trockene Spätlese made from dry Rhein-gau Riesling Spätlese grapes and called it »Geheimrat J« in memory of Julius We-geler. Right from the start, they only used grapes from low-yield Grand-Cru vine-yards. Initially regarded by many as an ec-centric and probably short-lived luxury notion, the trockene Spätlese soon started to become a timeless classic. The »Ge-heimrat J« turned into a brand which stood for reliably premium quality. This does not mean that it tastes the same every year. Not at all. In a sophisticated wine, the vintage will always be recogniz-able. But its external appearance has re-mained unchanged. The trends of more than 30 years have left almost no trace on it. So many trends. How do you keep tra-ditions alive and your own history fresh? By telling it, by passing it on from one generation to the next, from one co-work-er to the next. Confidence becomes self-confidence becomes primary confi-dence – and is here to stay. Wegeler has it. It is true that the family now and again came across the spoonful of luck you need to get along well in life, and it certainly got another dose of luck when Anja We-geler, the heiress of the estate, married

Tom Drieseberg, then head of marketing of a major electrical goods company. First, they enjoyed the happiness of love. And when he quit his job and joined his wife in the management of the wine estates, their private joy was augmented by the joy of successful winemaking. The latter – and the former – continue to this day.

His second nature: The Wegeler confi denceThere can be no doubt about it. Nobody could impossibly emanate this confi-dence, this sense of being in the right place without really, truly feeling it. Now 58 years old, Tom Drieseberg radiates this confidence because he lives in it. To-gether with his wife as a couple. They have the confidence even though the wines from the estates in Bernkastel-Kues and in Oestrich do not automatically se-cure their economic success, in spite of

their history and origin. Hundred years ago, the sales price of a Rheingau or Mo-sel Riesling was easily many times that of a Bordeaux wine. Today, these conditions are as far removed from German wine-growing reality as the greed for sparkling wine luxuries of Wilhelminian times, though the situation has improved some-what recently. The management of 45 hectares of vineyards in the Rheingau and another 13 at the Mosel is hard work, above all at the Mosel: Its steep hills with their schist soil are perfect for

Not for everybody:Working in steep slopes.

Imposing and fascinating: the Mosel.


24 25falstaff Wine Guide Germany 2018

Phot

os: A

lam

y St

ock

Phot

os, R

hein

land

Pfa

lz T

ouris

mus

Gm

bH, D

er F

eins

chm

ecke

r, pr

ovid

ed fr

ee o

f cha

rge


Anja Wegeler-Drieseberg andTom Drieseberg

At the time of their foundation, the Wegeler estates at the Rhine and the Mosel stood for innovation as well as for the tradition of a German wine dynasty – and this has not changed to this day.

landscape is not as clear-cut as this:There is room for a wine between the

two poles, one which balances brand and delicacy. You will not be surprised to learn that it was the Wegeler estates that have created such a wine, and have been pro-viding it for 32 years now.

In the 1980s, the Wegelers launched a trockene Spätlese made from dry Rhein-gau Riesling Spätlese grapes and called it »Geheimrat J« in memory of Julius We-geler. Right from the start, they only used grapes from low-yield Grand-Cru vine-yards. Initially regarded by many as an ec-centric and probably short-lived luxury notion, the trockene Spätlese soon started to become a timeless classic. The »Ge-heimrat J« turned into a brand which stood for reliably premium quality. This does not mean that it tastes the same every year. Not at all. In a sophisticated wine, the vintage will always be recogniz-able. But its external appearance has re-mained unchanged. The trends of more than 30 years have left almost no trace on it. So many trends. How do you keep tra-ditions alive and your own history fresh? By telling it, by passing it on from one generation to the next, from one co-work-er to the next. Confidence becomes self-confidence becomes primary confi-dence – and is here to stay. Wegeler has it. It is true that the family now and again came across the spoonful of luck you need to get along well in life, and it certainly got another dose of luck when Anja We-geler, the heiress of the estate, married

Tom Drieseberg, then head of marketing of a major electrical goods company. First, they enjoyed the happiness of love. And when he quit his job and joined his wife in the management of the wine estates, their private joy was augmented by the joy of successful winemaking. The latter – and the former – continue to this day.

His second nature: The Wegeler confi denceThere can be no doubt about it. Nobody could impossibly emanate this confi-dence, this sense of being in the right place without really, truly feeling it. Now 58 years old, Tom Drieseberg radiates this confidence because he lives in it. To-gether with his wife as a couple. They have the confidence even though the wines from the estates in Bernkastel-Kues and in Oestrich do not automatically se-cure their economic success, in spite of

their history and origin. Hundred years ago, the sales price of a Rheingau or Mo-sel Riesling was easily many times that of a Bordeaux wine. Today, these conditions are as far removed from German wine-growing reality as the greed for sparkling wine luxuries of Wilhelminian times, though the situation has improved some-what recently. The management of 45 hectares of vineyards in the Rheingau and another 13 at the Mosel is hard work, above all at the Mosel: Its steep hills with their schist soil are perfect for

Not for everybody:Working in steep slopes.

Imposing and fascinating: the Mosel.



Phot

os: p

rovi

ded

free

of c

harg

e

Weingut MUSTERMANN: gegründet 1881, seit 2012 im Be-sitz von Christian Schmitz


Riesling vines but not at all for cultiva-tion with the help of machines. In the face of all these difficulties, Tom Driese-berg appears to be open and relaxed. This is certainly attributable to his pro-fessionalism but also to that primary confidence which characterizes the Wege-lers. Over the years, it has become second nature to him.

Anyway, you need to be prepared to invest time in a relationship to make your love last. When Falstaff invited the wine-makers to present not only their current vintages but also some mature wines, the Wegelers were game immediately. The

abundance of bottles in their cellars is no surprise, considering their family history. But the vaults hold more than just a great number of bottles: well-conceived collec-tions consisting not only of enchanting sweet specialties and premium wines from Großes Gewächs vineyards but also a sound basis of regional and village wines.

The jury was briefly awestruck when tasting the 2016 Trockenbeerenauslese from the Geisenheimer Rothenberg, »the finish of which seems impressively weight- and effortless«, was their somewhat trance-like judgment. Making such delica-cies involves plenty of hard work, pains-takingness, anxiety, and joy. And in the end, they will have that rare elixir charac-ter only if the taste of the wine bears no trace of the labor invested. All the Wegeler wines embody this principle of lightness. Not least for this reason, we decided that the »Collection of the Year« award will go to Wegeler twice this year: once for the wines of the Mosel estate in Bernkas-tel-Kues and a second time for those of the Rheingau estate in Oestrich. Joy enough to make you cry some tears of happiness, shed into a plain Kleenex. Or better still, into a well-pressed cotton han-ky – it will preserve the memory with much more style.

Not only the grapes grow skywards.

Estate owner Tom Drieseberg and estate manager Norbert Breit have a clear vision at the Mosel manor.



Phot

os: p

rovi

ded

free

of c

harg

e

Weingut MUSTERMANN: gegründet 1881, seit 2012 im Be-sitz von Christian Schmitz


Riesling vines but not at all for cultiva-tion with the help of machines. In the face of all these difficulties, Tom Driese-berg appears to be open and relaxed. This is certainly attributable to his pro-fessionalism but also to that primary confidence which characterizes the Wege-lers. Over the years, it has become second nature to him.

Anyway, you need to be prepared to invest time in a relationship to make your love last. When Falstaff invited the wine-makers to present not only their current vintages but also some mature wines, the Wegelers were game immediately. The

abundance of bottles in their cellars is no surprise, considering their family history. But the vaults hold more than just a great number of bottles: well-conceived collec-tions consisting not only of enchanting sweet specialties and premium wines from Großes Gewächs vineyards but also a sound basis of regional and village wines.

The jury was briefly awestruck when tasting the 2016 Trockenbeerenauslese from the Geisenheimer Rothenberg, »the finish of which seems impressively weight- and effortless«, was their somewhat trance-like judgment. Making such delica-cies involves plenty of hard work, pains-takingness, anxiety, and joy. And in the end, they will have that rare elixir charac-ter only if the taste of the wine bears no trace of the labor invested. All the Wegeler wines embody this principle of lightness. Not least for this reason, we decided that the »Collection of the Year« award will go to Wegeler twice this year: once for the wines of the Mosel estate in Bernkas-tel-Kues and a second time for those of the Rheingau estate in Oestrich. Joy enough to make you cry some tears of happiness, shed into a plain Kleenex. Or better still, into a well-pressed cotton han-ky – it will preserve the memory with much more style.

Not only the grapes grow skywards.

Estate owner Tom Drieseberg and estate manager Norbert Breit have a clear vision at the Mosel manor.


Origin of Unique Pinot Noir!

www.weingut-krone.de

© F

INE

Mag

azin

, Chr

isto

f Her

dt

Follow us on facebook.com/falstaff.magazin

WE ARE FAMILY!

Falstaff Appswww.falstaff.de

With the Falstaff-Apps you always have the best adresses on your smartphone wherever you go.

This is how it works: the apps are on the Google Play Store or in the app store – enter the word »Falstaff«, download it for free.

The Falstaff-Apps

FOR FREE!

Documents

gwei DE 2018 Sonderdruck Wegeler ENG · 22 falstaff Wine Guide Germany 2018 23 Photos: Michael Gregonowitz, Das Weinmagazin, Johannes Grau, Hamburg, provided free of charge COLLECTION