Wine knowledge from the Palatinate – Terroir, grape varieties & sustainable viticulture

What makes a great Riesling? How do granite, limestone marl, colored sandstone, and slate shape a wine's character? And why are PiWi grape varieties like Cabernet blanc the future of sustainable viticulture?
In our wine knowledge section, we'll take you into the world of terroir, climate, soils, grape varieties, and Palatinate wine culture – straight from our family winery, established in 1788. At the same time, with a wink and Palatinate charm, we'll give you a glimpse behind the scenes of our winery. Enjoy our WineTalk!

Wine Knowledge

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Palatinate forest huts

In the summer of 2022, we took over the management of a Palatinate Forest Lodge! The forest lodge culture of the Palatinate is part of the UNESCO World Heritage because it is unique in its kind. Most of the almost 80 lodges have existed for nearly 100 years, as thousands of kilometers of hiking trails were laid out in the Palatinate Forest at that time. The forest lodges hold a special place in the hearts of the fun-loving Palatinate people, which is why we say: The destination is not the journey, but the lodge!

"Our" lodge is located near our winery and is indeed only accessible on foot…

Opening hours:

Schweizer Haus:

Wednesdays 11 AM - 4 PM

Saturdays & Sundays 11 AM - 6 PM

Public Holidays: 11 AM - 6 PM

The Schweizerhaus remains closed in case of heavy rain, storms, or severe weather.
Daily updated opening hours can be found here.

A wild boar in the vineyard

In northern Germany there is a " cruel" custom called Easter fires . At temperatures just above zero, you are roasted from the front and frozen from the back while you desperately nibble on a bland piece of dough with a black crust that is glorified as stick bread.

Well, we in Weyher also have a cruel custom, but it's more fun: The Fermenters . Never heard of it?

It is a Palatinate tradition that is hundreds of years old: From Maundy Thursday until early Easter morning (when, as we know, Jesus was resurrected), all church bells are turned off. However, it is well known that the bell (apart from the sun) was the only way people could tell time back then. To ensure that the people of the Palatinate didn't run around completely out of their minds and timeless over the Easter holidays, the Gärrer came as a kind of bell replacement! They made noises with a wooden ratchet and called out the time loudly. They also announced when it was time to go to church and when people should go to pray.

Let's talk about bottlenecks.

When a winegrower hears the word bottleneck, a pleasant tingling runs down his (or her) back - after all, it is the quintessence of beauty and goodness through which the wonderful wine comes to us.

But in the last twelve months, the word bottleneck has taken on a whole new dimension... with a pretty concrete impact on our day-to-day winemaking, because in English the word »bottle neck« is used for bottlenecks. And we have more than enough of that at the moment! We had already reported that the bottles were running out a bit. We've solved the problem (although the color doesn't always stay the same).

However, if such an elementary thing as a normal bottle can no longer be bought thoughtlessly at the push of a button, winegrowers get a little nervous. You toss and turn in bed at night thinking about things that you thought were impossible a year ago...

Foto: Cannes Film Festival - German films - Granit Riesling trocken Weingut Graf von Weyher Germany

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Riesling by Graf von Weyher

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.

Bend without breaking

Every child knows that winegrowers have to recognize fine nuances of taste. But we also have to show a lot of sensitivity in other areas - and especially at this time of the year. Because now it's time to bend without breaking!

First of all, the weather has to be right. The vines must have a little more juice than in winter so that they are not too dry and brittle. Ideally, a steady drizzle should be added. When the time is right, let's get started: