Weingüter Wegeler

The history

The history of Wegeler Wineries goes back to the middle of the 19th century, when Julius Wegeler married the Deinhard daughter Emma. After the sudden death of her father, Wegeler took over the management of the company. After business went well, they purchased a vineyard in the Rheingau in 1882. Today, the family still owns the vineyards in Rüdesheim and Oestrich-Winkel, as well as the Herrenhau on Friedensplatz.

in 1900, Julius Wegeler then founded the Bernkastel estate. They also bought a large part of the Bernkastel Doctor. in 1902-1903, Wegeler then had a wine press house built according to the principle of gravitation. In this wine press house, production was to be spread over three floors, making use - as the name suggests - of the principle of gravity. The idea was to dispense with additional equipment such as pumps and steps such as decanting and let gravity do the work.

Today, the Wegeler estate vineyards in the Rheingau and Moselle regions cover a total of 60 hectares.

The company philosophy

The philosophy of the Wegeler est ates can be summed up in a phrase coined by Julius Wegeler as early as 1882: "Quality is our philosophy". This claim has not changed until today. The wines are produced exclusively by hand, aged in the winery's own cellars and bottled in its own bottling facilities. This means that the entire production process, from the planting of the vineyard to the bottled wine, can be monitored without interruption.

The vinification

The Oestrich estate is located in the picturesque Rheingau region. The grapes here are mostly selected and harvested by hand. At the Bernkastel estate, on the other hand, 100% of the grapes are harvested by hand, as the steep slopes here do not allow for any other harvesting method.

At the Gutshaus, the main focus is on the gentle treatment of the berries. Thanks to the action of gravity, the berries are not mechanically stressed. Unloading is followed by gentle pressing. Overnight sedimentation of the grape must follows. During this process, existing lees settle and the must is naturally clarified. The subsequent fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks on the Moselle. Special selections of Rheingau wines, on the other hand, are additionally aged in large oak barrels. Thanks to reductive aging without oxygen and microoxidation in stainless steel tanks, the primary aromas of the grapes are preserved. During aging in oak, micro-oxidation occurs due to the small pores in the wood, resulting in particularly complex wines.

Fermentation sometimes extends into the spring, followed by fine yeast aging, over an individually long period, sometimes into the summer. Bottling takes place from spring and also extends into the summer months.

The vineyards

The Wegeler wineries cultivate vineyards in and around Bernkastel on the Mosel as well as in the Rheingau.

Gutshaus Mosel in Bernkastel - The vineyard sites

• Bernkastel Doctor - VDP.GROSSE LAGE
• Bernkastel Badstube - VDP.GROSSE LAGE
• Bernkastel Graben - VDP.GROSSE LAGE
• Bernkastel Lay - VDP.GROSSE LAGE
• Graach Himmelreich - VDP.GROSSE LAGE
• WehlenSonnenuhr - VDP.GROSSE LAGE

Gutshaus Rheingau in Oestrich-Winkel - The vineyard sites

• Rüdesheim Berg Schlossberg - VDP.GROSSE LAGE
• Rüdesheim Berg Roseneck - VDP.GROSSE LAGE
• Rüdesheim Berg Rottland - VDP.GROSSE LAGE
• Geisenheim Kläuserweg - VDP.GROSSE LAGE
• Geisenheim Rothenberg - VDP.GROSSE LAGE
• Johannisberg Hölle - VDP.GROSSE LAGE
• Winkel Jesuitengarten - VDP.GROSSE LAGE
• Winkel Hasensprung - VDP.GROSSE LAGE
• Oestrich Lenchen - VDP.GROSSE LAGE
• Oestrich Rosengarten - VDP.GROSSE LAGE
• Mittelheim St. Nikolaus - VDP.GROSSE LAGE

Geheimrat "J" Riesling - forefather of the "Grosse Gewächse

The Geheimrat "J" is the "first wine" of the Oestricher Gutshaus. The basis of this assemblage is formed by the great wines from up to 15 different "Erste Gewächs" vineyards. The quantities are severely limited, while maintaining the highest quality standards. The multiple selective hand harvest takes place late in the season. The slow fermentation and the long maturation on the fine lees in the barrel are also the basis for the highest quality and maximum enjoyment. The result of this elaborate process are Rieslings full of character and creamy from the loess sites of the middle Rheingau. For sophisticated dishes, the "J" should be allowed another three to six years of bottle aging. The wine's potential is up to more than 15 years.

"Andreas Larsson, Best Sommelier of the World in 2007, tasted [...] 8 vintages of Geheimrat "J" between 1983 and 2013. In his opinion, this dry Grand Cru Cuvee is a perfect example of the aging potential of great Rieslings, which at the same time proves to be an excellent accompaniment to fine food." wegeler itself announces on its own homepage.