Newcomers and lateral entrants are the nucleus of the still young natural wine scene in the traditional Rheingau. Thomas Ehlke travelled there for us, away from the established and renowned wineries. He met young winegrowers who work differently - and want to go their own way.
Yvette Wohlfahrt and Florian Franke give their natural wines plenty of time.
Thomas EhlkeWhen you think of the Rheingau, you think of Riesling, castles and centuries-old winemaking traditions. Natural wine does not spring to mind. But something is happening in this area. A group of young winegrowers has begun to establish the topic in the region. They are still in the early stages: The area cultivated and the quantity of wine produced are still small, but the protagonists have firmly set their sights on establishing this type of viticulture and wine in the Rheingau. They provided the first perceptible impetus with the premiere of a natural wine fair in Oestrich-Winkel. Seven wineries presented their natural wines there under the name "Die Glugg".
"No matter who is at what stage - whether they are just starting out or already firmly in the saddle: We want to tackle the topic together so that not everyone has to fight for themselves," explains Yvette Wohlfahrt. Together with her partner Florian Franke, the qualified oenologist runs a small 0.8-hectare vineyard in Geisenheim. Yvette and Flo(rian) symbolise the still young scene. Both are newcomers to viticulture, come from families without a wine tradition and are not from the region. The Thuringian and the Bavarian met while studying viticulture in Geisenheim. This is also the place where they run their winery today. The fact that they do this as a sideline - she is a lecturer at Geisenheim University, he works as a cellar master and field manager at sparkling wine producer Schloss Vaux - gives the couple economic freedom to produce wine.
Cosima Lindenauer and Niklas Eisenacher want to combine natural wine and yoga with their Prana winery.
Thomas EhlkeIn their eco-certified winery, the focus is on meticulous work in the vineyard. In the cellar, the two work with maceration time as well as spontaneous and mash fermentation. "You have to become braver and more patient and not intervene directly if something isn't going so well," says Flo Franke, pointing out an important factor for him and Yvette Wohlfahrt in the cellar: time. Most of their wines are stored in barrels for at least two years before they are bottled unfiltered. "Nothing goes in and nothing comes out - and preferably no sulphur either," says Flo, summarising the natural wine philosophy of her estate.
The result is clearly structured wines with a flavour profile that reflects the grape variety. "Our goal is a clear and clean taste," emphasises the 48-year-old. Yvette's fluffy, creative formulations describe the wines, sparkling wines and pet-nats from the estate, which was founded in 2013 and has names such as "Orange Utan", "Gewürz-Tapir", "Lippen-Bärti" and "Trübe Trulla". In the estate's wine list, these wines are labelled "New shit raw".
Niklas Eisenacher has a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering. "But that wasn't my thing. I want to work outside with nature," says the Mainz native. In 2019, the 28-year-old met Cosima Lindenauer while studying viticulture in Geisenheim. The couple share two passions: Wine and yoga. Two semesters before graduating, the two set out to find a winery - and found one sooner than they had planned. The Eiserhof winery in Oestrich-Winkel was looking for a new owner. The pair made a snap decision and founded their Prana winery on the outskirts of the village in 2021 - with an adjoining yoga studio. The term "prana" comes from Sanskrit and means "life energy". "We wanted to create a connection between living wines and yoga," says Nik. The studies have been on hold since then, as the work in the business is extremely demanding for both of them.
The 4.5 hectares of vines are planted with Riesling, Müller-Thurgau and Pinot Noir as well as, more recently, some Piwi varieties. In the cellar, both see themselves as companions to their wines: "As little intervention as possible, no fining, no filtering - and absolutely clean work," says Cosima Lindenauer, describing the parameters on the way to producing accessible, drinkable natural wines. The estate's wine tavern is important for wine sales. For Nik and Cosi, it is an important indicator of how their wines are received by customers. "We don't say at first that they are natural wines. Most people don't even realise that they are drinking natural wine," says the 25-year-old from Karlsruhe. Some guests realise that the wine tastes different, not typically Rheingau. "But this response is often positive," emphasises Niklas Eisenacher.
Alexander Saltaren Castro is Colombian. He first tasted wine as an 18-year-old in his home country, where very little wine is grown. However, he was so fascinated by it that he first trained as a sommelier in neighbouring Argentina before moving to Germany with his husband, a Hamburg native, in 2013. He wanted to learn the winemaking trade here - in the Rheingau. Today, the 35-year-old works at the biodynamic VDP winery Peter Jakob Kühn. He also spent his third year of his apprenticeship there. "Here I got to know a new world of wine that really impressed and shaped me," says Alex Saltaren. Intensive work in the vineyard and endeavouring to optimise the soil are also important cornerstones for him when cultivating his plots in the Mittelheimer St. Nikolaus vineyard. Saltaren cultivates his Riesling on 0.7 hectares and brought in his first vintage in 2019. In a self-taught learning process, he wanted to deepen his knowledge of viticulture through his own experience. Saltaren is a reflective person who rethinks, scrutinises and evaluates processes. Intuition, observation and knowledge are the basis for the development of his wine style.
The Colombian Alexander Saltaren cultivates Riesling on 0.7 hectares.
Thomas EhlkeThe Colombian bottles three Rieslings. They are all characterised by a pronounced mineral structure, although the fruit is not neglected either. In the cellar, Alex Saltaren is merely an observer of his wines during fermentation and maturation: "They show me the way. I trust them and give them the time they need," says the winemaker. "We are already being noticed. The curiosity is there," is how he describes the feedback from winegrowers in the Rheingau. His employer Peter Bernhard Kühn is open to the natural wine movement anyway. He thinks it's good that the "Glugg" group exists. "It's very positive for the Rheingau that this little flame has been lit," says Kühn. There are now many talented winegrowers who produce such wines. They have clear ideals without becoming too dogmatic. "Ultimately, it's about expressing the grape authentically. The less manipulation, the better." Nevertheless, natural wine will remain a niche product, as not every winemaker wants to go down this path of wine production: "The spirits are too different for that."
Ulrich Bachmann has been organising wine culture events in the Rheingau for around 20 years and is a profound connoisseur of the region wine community. In September, he will host a panel discussion on the topic of natural wine in Eltville. While researching and conceptualising the talk, Bachmann discovered that it is almost exclusively newcomers who make natural wine in the Rheingau. "I'm a big fan of trying things out and seeing how they do on the market," says Bachmann with an open mind. Firstly, it is important to tackle the issue and gather experience. Then you can always decide how you feel about it. After all, many wine lovers only enjoy these wines once they get involved: "It's a process. It doesn't happen immediately."