Wine Knowledge
Wir schreiben den 25. August 2026, es ist 06.15 Uhr, und unsere Ernte des Weinjahrgangs 2026 hat soeben begonnen. Dies ist die früheste Ernte seit den Ursprüngen unseres Weinguts (1788) überhaupt. Wer sagt, dass es den Klimawandel nicht gibt, hat offensichtlich nichts mit der Natur zu tun, sondern sitzt nur im Büro oder verschließt wild entschlossen die Augen, wenn er doch mal vor die Tür muss.
ABER...
It's that time again – the grapevines are in bloom, the air is thick with pollen, it smells and shines white, and even on long summer nights, the vineyards shimmer in their glory in the moonlight. This is our favorite month at the winery, despite pollen allergies and a lot of hard work.
Because now things are really getting busy! The countdown has begun, because from the start of flowering, there are exactly 100 days left until harvest. This year, 2026, we were spared the nail-biting suspense – due to the cold spring, the buds did not unfurl too early and came through the late frosts and the "Kalte Sophie" (Cold Sophie) in early May unscathed, which really caught us off guard with its icy grip this year. But the buds were still wearing their woolly coats and were thus able to defy the weather with their chins held high.
Now it's warm & bright, wonderful! We are working with people & machines in the vineyard, raising the canopy walls and yes, we are also carefully and selectively beginning the first pest control measures, especially against powdery mildew, our arch-nemesis. Here’s some background information on that:
The rustling of light green leaves, a gentle breeze on your face, the scent of earth and resin, the springy ground beneath your feet, a deer darting past... all of this makes a walk in the forest a magical experience. Your heart expands, and annoying little things are reduced to the status they should have: at the very bottom of the list of important things in life.
And of course, a perfect hiking trip includes a picnic! We grew up right next to some of Germany's most beautiful hiking routes and ...
One of the world's most popular wines originally grew wild and uncultivated in southwestern France or the Loire Valley – and that's how it got its name – because "sauvage" means "wild" in French.
Our personal story with the "wild white" began with the 2012 vintage... because at that time we bought the vineyards of another winery here in Weyher and thus came to Sauvignon blanc like Mary to the child. That was an exciting thing, because we have known Riesling since 1788, but Sauvignon blanc was completely new territory for us. So how should we best deal with this new and unknown baby?
Did you know that our brain remembers bad news much better than joyful events? This effect is known as Negativity Bias. If you think back to evolution, this is quite understandable - because if you don't quickly grasp that a hungry saber-toothed tiger is not good news, you'll hardly have the opportunity to philosophize about the beauty of life. So far, so understandable.*
Unfortunately, however, this means that bad news sells better - and consequently, the focus of all reporting is on negative news. This makes it so that you can only watch the Tagesschau (German news program) if you are emotionally stable at the moment...
