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Our virtual Hall of Fame is a hero's podium & trophy showcase substitute. Because the Riesling awards that we have received in recent years are impressive (even if we say so ourselves). To be completely honest: We didn't expect that when we changed our focus a good 10 years ago!
Olympic champions win gold medals, football teams win huge trophies and winemakers receive… certificates. Something's wrong! It would be a Riesling cup made of pure gold, we can already see it in front of us: half a meter high, decorated with vine tendrils and delicate bunches of grapes, ice-cold, filled with a wonderful Graf Granit single-vineyard Riesling ... Oh yes.
The Riesling claims about 59,805 hectares of vineyards worldwide. Of this, a good 24,812 hectares (approx. 40%) are cultivated in Germany, and here in turn is the largest area in the Palatinate with around 6,000 hectares - and the trend is rising. Because the demand for German Riesling is increasing.
The Riesling vine has an extremely sensitive reaction to its surroundings - and by that we actually mean the rock on which the vineyard rests! Because even if all other parameters (grape variety, expansion, alcohol content, etc.) are identical, the wines taste completely different, depending on the soil or rock on which they were allowed to grow.
The name Riesling was mentioned for the very first time in a letter dated March 13, 1435, what it was... an invoice! Klaus Klein Fisch (nice name) calculated Count Johann IV von Katzenelnbogen (even nicer!) various Riesling vines that were planned for his newly built castle in Rüdesheim in the Rheingau. You can therefore enter March 13th in your calendar as #rieslingbirthday !
The Riesling grapes are comparatively small, and their frost resistance and long ripening period indicate a relationship with wild vines . In addition to the taste, this robustness and adaptability to the northern (continental) climate were certainly the main reasons why the sovereigns in the 17th and 18th centuries recommended Riesling at the highest level. These included the electors of the Palatinate (clever men).
The Federal Honorary Award is the highest award that a food company can receive. It has been awarded annually by the Federal Ministry of Food & Agriculture since 1951. The results of the quality tests by the DLG (German Agricultural Society) form the basis.
We at the Graf von Weyher winery have received several special awards in recent years , including second best young winemaker (Peter Graf), for our single-vineyard Rieslings, for our sustainability pioneer (Cabernet Blanc) and for the best collection matured in wooden barrels. But this year we are on the podium for the first time in the overall rating and have received a national honorary award in bronze ! This puts us among the 18 best wineries in the competition . And we're a little proud of that...
