Current
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 first mentioned in a document on March 13, 1435, and it was... a bill! Klaus Klein Fisch (nice name) billed Count Johann IV of Katzenelnbogen (even nicer!) for various Riesling vines that were planned for his newly built castle in Rüsselsheim am Main. So you can mark March 13 in your calendars as #rieslingbirthday !
Riesling grapes are comparatively small, and their frost resistance and long ripening period also indicate a relationship with wild grapes . This robustness and adaptability to the northern (continental) climate, along with its taste, were certainly the decisive reasons why the rulers of the 17th and 18th centuries recommended Riesling at the highest level. These included, among others, the Electors of the Palatinate (wise 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...
