Pfalz Producers

Weingut Dr. Bürklin-Wolf is an 85-hectare estate located in the Mittelhaardt village of Wachenheim and is one of the largest family-owned wine estates in Germany. This VDP estate comprises some of the most valuable vineyard lands in the country, with holdings in just about every top vineyard site in the Mittelhaardt, including Forster’s Jesuitengarten, Ungeheuer, Pechstein (the benchmark example), and .54 hectares of Kirchenstück. In addition, there’s Reiterpfad and Gaisböhl (an Alleinbesitz) in Ruppertsberg, and Hohenmorgen, Langenmoregen, and Kalkofen in Deidesheim. These sites were classified GC (denoting Grand Cru) in the 1994 in-house classification based on a Bavarian tax map from 1828. The nine GC vineyards and seven PC (Premier Cru) sites made up 30% of Bürklin-Wolf’s production and helped solidify their return to the top echelon of German wineries. The internal classification and conversion to biodynamics in 2005 came about with the current generation, led by Geisenheim-trained Bettina Bürklin since 1990 with her husband, Christian von Guradze. Dr. Bürklin-Wolf can trace its history to the 16th century (1597), but the sweat of many generations, especially the current one, makes this one of the leading estates in the Pfalz and the whole of Germany.

Südliche Weinstraße | Siebeldingen | 26 hectares | Certified biodynamic by respekt-BIODYN

Rebholz was an early quality leader in the southern Pfalz. This rural region earned a demeaning nickname, the "Süssliche Weinstraße," for its massive output of sweet, cheap wine that filled grocery store shelves in the decades following World War II. While the Rebolz family had been farming grapes for centuries, Eduard Rebholz, a trained scientist, researched the region's climate and soils to improve viticulture and pioneered dry wine production in the Südpfalz. 

The local government awarded Eduard the title "Ökonomierat (Economic Councilor)" in 1951, an Ehrentitel (honorary title) conferred on individuals for outstanding service and lifelong merit in agriculture. Eduard had taken a hard "natural wine" stance at a time and place far from fashionable, stating, "from my cellar you will only ever receive natural wines, which are the result of painstaking and loving care of the vines and equally careful cellar management (no sugaring, no artificial sweetening or similar fundamental structural changes that take away the wine's original character and, in my eyes, make it no longer appear as a natural product)."

The redefining and uncompromising approach set forth by Eduard continued with his son, Hans, and his grandson, Hansjörg, who took over in 1978 at age 19 after his father passed unexpectedly early. Hansjörg further refined the Reholz style in the 1980s and 1990s, arriving at what we now know as "Typ Rebholz," a certain typicité that makes a Rebholz wine stand out from its peers. 

I have tried for years to put my finger on what this actually means, recalling discussions with fellow sommeliers and even his neighbor, Franz Wehrheim, about what makes a Rebholz wine Rebholz. Several journalists have also pointed out that there's a certain something to these wines, though each has its own characterization. Everything from "austere, precise, and powerful" to "an almost fragile structure" has been written about these wines. What I've settled on is this: a Rebholz wine is energy-taut, but not sharp; walks the edge of reduction, but is not reductive; dense with fruit extract, but not fruity; fine, but not filigree.  

Basically, Hansjörg and his sons, Hans and Valentin, strive for an untouched representation of the vintage, varietal, and site. The wines are neither chaptalized nor de-acidified, and while most of the production is dry, Gewürztraminer and Muskateller, the traditional varieties of Südpfalz, have natural residual sugar, never Süssreserve. Alcohol levels in the same wine can vary significantly from vintage to vintage, reflecting weather conditions. In other words, they are as naturally pure as Rebholz can allow them to be. 

The Rebholz family says that all the quality stems from their biodynamically farmed 22 hectares in Siebeldingen, Birkweiler, and Albersweiler near the southern end of the southern Pfalz. It's an area called the Queichtal (Queich Valley), its river a tributary of the Rhine, where gaps in the Haardt range draw in cool air, and its geology is highly complex. 

The famous vineyard here is the Birkweiler Kastanienbusch, source of Rebholz's signature GG Riesling. The 30-40% steep, south-facing cru climbs to 320 meters, making it the highest grand cru in the Pfalz. Kastanienbusch benefits from permanent air circulation and has iron-rich Rotliegend soil with slate, colored sandstone, and shell limestone. "Kastanien," because chestnut trees border the vineyard.  

The other famous Rebholz site is the Siebeldingener Im Sonnenschein. Shell-limestone gives a classic mineral-infused Rebholz Riesling GG as opposed to the exotic spice found in Kastanianbusch. Im Sonnenschein is also the source of the Rebholz GG Weissburgunder, which some argue is the finest Pinot Blanc produced anywhere. It is certainly one of the very best in Germany. The Im Sonnenschein Weissburgunder and the Riesling GGs age in stainless-steel tanks, as do the estate- and village-level wines. 

Hansjörg began using barriques in 1989 for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. These are known as the "R" series wines, which are, of course, outstanding, as is the Sekt program at this estate. The aromatic varieties, Gewürztraminer and Muskateller, may be naturally sweet, but always show remarkable freshness without the overt floral aromas of those varieties. 

Rebholz has been organic since 2005 and biodynamic since 2006. The estate has been part of the respekt-BIODYN dynamic group since 2015. 

A VDP member since 1991, Hansjörg was the VDP.Pfalz's long-serving chairperson. 

Mittelhaardt-Deutsche Weinstraße | Bad Dürkheim | 17 hectares | Certified sustainable by Fair'n Green

Three generations live and work on the estate in Pfeffingen, a small hamlet between Bad Dürkheim and Ungstein, directly on the Deutsche Weinstraße. Jan Eymael looks after the property and is helped in the vineyards and cellar by other family members. The unicorn displayed on their labels is the family crest, dating to 1622 and conferred by Emperor Ferdinand II. The vineyards surround the winery, mainly at Ungstein near Bad Dürkheim, where you can visit the remains of a Roman villa and press house. Most sites are flat with alluvial soils. The most important vineyards are the Ungsteiner Herrenberg and Ungsteiner Weilberg. Ungsteiner Herrenberg is a VDP.Grosse Lage with highly calcareous loess-loam, south to southeast facing, and moderately steep with a 10 to 25% gradient. “Kanzel” is the top section. Ungsteiner Weilberg is a VDP.Grosse Lage. A south/southeast-facing site with a highly unique red earth known as Terra Rossa. Pfeffingen grows several varieties, and while known for its very good Rieslings, they are also known for its Scheurebe and Gewürztraminer, and has plantings of Merlot, Chardonnay, and a rare, ancient red-skinned mutation of the classic white Riesling grape known as Roter Riesling. 

Mittelhaardt-Deutsche Weinstraße | Deidesheim | 62 hectares | Organic

Reichsrat von Buhl is a large, prestigious Mittelhaardt estate, established in 1849 when the Andreas Jordan vineyards were split by inheritance, creating the three iconic Deidesheim estates: Geheimer Rat Dr. von Bassermann-Jordan, Reichsrat von Buhl, and Dr. Deinhard (today's von Winning). The three independently operated estates are again under a single owner, the Unternehmensgruppe Niederberger, after the media and marketing titan, Achim Niederberger (deceased), became interested in wine and decided to reassemble the original Andreas Jordan holdings.

After the inheritance split, Franz Peter Buhl founded Weingut Franz Peter Buhl (also known as F. P. Buhl). The word Reichsrat in the first part of the name translates to "Imperial Councilor." In 1885, King Ludwig II of Bavaria appointed Franz Armand Buhl as Reichsrat der Krone Bayerns (Councilor of the Bavarian Crown). German monarchical titles mostly disappeared after World War I, but the brand had already become a global hallmark. A wine of F. P. Buhl commemorated the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869. 

Franz Armand Buhl was a member of the Reichstag and a close friend of Otto von Bismarck. He gained nobility status in 1905 (becoming von Buhl), and the estate was officially renamed Reichsrat von Buhl in 1912. The estate passed through marriage to the Barons von und zu Guttenberg family in 1921. Von Buhl suffered a period of post-war decline, and the Guttenberg family decided to lease the estate to a Japanese businessman, Toyohiro Tokuoka. The Armand Kabinett came about during this time. The Japanese hired Frank John in 1994, who worked with Hans-Günter Schwarz at Müller-Catoir and ran von Buhl from 2002 to 2012. 

The Japanese hired Frank John in 1994, who worked with Hans-Günter Schwarz at Müller-Catoir and ran von Buhl from 2002 to 2012. John, known for his expertise in biodynamics, converted the estate to organic farming, moved cellar practices toward tradition, reintroduced spontaneous fermentation, extended time on the lees, aging in Stück and Doppelstück, and gave serious attention to Sekt. John now runs his own estate: Frank John Weine - Hirschhorner Hof in Neustadt, Königsbach. 

Niederberger bought von Buhl from the von Gutenberg family in 2005, but could not take operational control until 2013, the same year Achim Niederberger passed away at age 56 from a bout with cancer. Before his passing, Niedernerger hired Mathieu Kauffmann, the former Chef de Cave of Champagne Bollinger. Kaufmann, building on von Buhl's already good Sekt program, took it to the stratosphere, instilled a new identity for "bone-dry" Riesling, and oversaw the transition to biodynamics. Under new management, Kaufmann left von Buhl in 2019, and since 2023, the Italian-born enologist Simone Frigerio (Technical Director & Winemaker) has led von Buhl to its present day. 

Von Buhl is fortunate to have a wonderful array of top vineyards in all the major villages of the Mittelhaardt, including Jesuitengarten, Ungeheuer, Pechstein, Kirchenstück, Kieselberg, Reiterpfad, and Paradiesgarten. 

Know the Zellertal? No? I’m guessing you already know the neighborhood, though. Everything about this northern subregion of the Pfalz seems poised to capture our attention. Limestone soils, cooling west-east winds, and ambitious producers like Weingut Schwedhelm. Brothers Stephan and Georg Schwedhelm run Zellertal’s leading estate from their family’s winery in Zell, situated in the heart of this west-east valley bordering Rheinhessen. After locating Schwedhelm on a map, I couldn’t help asking Stephan if they associate more with their superstar Rheinhessen neighbors like Keller and Battenfeld-Spanier than with Von Winning or Rebholz. “We belong to the Pfalz,” said Stephan without a flinch, adding that “Zellertal was previously known as the Unterhaardt,” a region often overlooked in favor of the famous Mittelhaardt and Sudpfalz. Not that Zellertal is without great terroir or historically significant vineyards. Quite the opposite, actually. Schwedhelm is the caretaker of the original parcel of the Schwarzer Herrgott. A 9-hectare, south-facing terraced site situated on a limestone plateau. The rocky, pale porous limestone with heavy layers of loam and marl typifies Zellertal’s terroir, as does the cooling wind that blows from the west leading to dry summers. The name stems from a large black crucifix that is viewable from a distance. The village maintains it as a tribute to English Monk Philipp who produced wine for the Eucharist here as early as 708 AC. The Schwarzer Herrgott is one of the oldest vineyards in Germany. When tasting at Schewdhelm, you feel they’re the clear quality leader in the valley. Their ascent happened quickly with their grandparents growing grains, grapes, and pigs in the 1940s. When the brother’s parents took over, they focused solely on wine and produced 20 grape varieties and 60 different styles. Stephan joined the winery in 2006, with Georg joining him a few years shortly after that. The brothers turned their focus to the unique terroir of the Zellertal, making fewer wine styles and concentrating on dry, limestone-influenced Riesling, Weißburgunder, and Spätburgunder from great sites like Kreuzberg, Klosterstück, and Schwarzer Herrgott. “No one else in the Pfalz has this type of soil, says Stephan, "our soil is limestone-based like that in Burgundy.” The farming is organic, although Stephan grew dismayed by the amount of copper he sprayed in the vineyard and has dropped the organic certification for now. Fermentations are mostly spontaneous depending on conditions of the vintage, and the Gutsweine ages in stainless steel tanks while Orstweine and single vineyards spend time in a combination of stainless steel, old oak tonneau, or larger Holzfaß. Weingut Schwedhelm produces wines that capture Zellertal’s essence, with slender cool profiles, limestone identity, and clear Pfalz origin.