One of the most prestigious estates in Germany, Weingüter Wegeler was founded in 1882. It was a man by the name of Julius Wegeler who established this great name in German wine. Initially responsible for the exports of his father-in-law's company, he took over the reins following the death of the latter. The business flourished, so much so that Julius Wegeler decided in 1882 to buy vineyards in the Rheinghau in Rüdesheim and Oestrich-Winkel. 20 years later, the estate expanded with the addition of vineyards in Mosel, another region very famous for its white wines, which are considered among the best in the world.
Present today in both the Rheinghau and Mosel, Wegeler boasts a collection of different terroirs, allowing the estate’s signature Riesling grape, to reveal its unique personality. The Rheinghau is a small region, but one producing wines of excellent quality. Its steep hillsides along the Rhine River are composed of schist and marl soils. Here Riesling takes on a rather tonic character. In Mosel, specifically in the Bernkastel area, Riesling flourishes in clay shale soil.
Riesling is quite a demanding grape which must be carefully looked after in order to allow it to reveal its full personality. As Jules Wegeler said back in 1882 "Qualität ist unsere Philosophie" *. In line with this motto, the work of the winegrowers on the hilly slopes of the Mosel and the Rhine is exclusively manual.
The estate cellar, situated in the town of Oestrich-Winkel in Mosel, has been designed so that, during vinification, the fruit is transported to the vats through a gravity-fed system. The buckets containing the grapes are raised above the vats by means of a pulley system so that the fruit falls into the vats rather than being pumped or handled in a way that might bruise them before alcoholic fermentation.
Over the course of 4 generations, the Weinguter Wegeler estate has made possible the expression of Riesling in all its forms. There is no specific Wegeler style other than that of an excellence and passion for the pure expression of Riesling. This grape variety is revealed in the exquisite cuvées of the estate, including their Geheimrat "J" Riesling Sekt, which was, notably, served at the table of Elizabeth II.
* "Quality is our philosophy"
