VDP.ESTATE
FREIHERR VON UND ZU FRANCKENSTEIN

VDP: What is so special about your winery?

Stefan Huschle: The history of the winery dates back to the 13th century, it has been owned by the von Franckenstein family for over 300 years and is now run by us, the Huschle family, as a tenant. The winery itself is located in the town of Offenburg. With Zell-Weierbacher Neugesetz and Laufer Gut Alsenhof we manage two monopolies.

VDP: What is your winery philosophy?

Stefan Huschle: We produce natural, honest, independent wines - in a family atmosphere.

VDP: What wine style do you strive for?

Stefan Huschle: Our goal is fresh, mineral wines that reflect the region with its soils and microclimatic conditions. Our sites set the style and direction; our aim is to interpret, preserve and present everything correctly. Our favourite grape variety is Pinot Noir.

VDP: Which of your wines would you recommend to someone who does not yet know your winery - as an introduction, so to speak?

Stefan Huschle: The Zell-Weierbacher Pinot Gris "Granit", dry VDP.ORTSWEIN or the Zell-Weierbacher Pinot Noir "Granit", dry VDP.ORTSWEIN.

VDP: Which wine are you particularly proud of?

Stefan Huschle: On the 2013 NEUGESETZ Riesling Beerenauslese VDP.GROSSE LAGE®.

VDP: Why did you become a vintner?

Stefan Huschle: I find living together with nature, living off it, seeing and understanding its processes exciting and enriching every year. To face the challenges and to wrest the best possible wine quality from nature every year is something fascinating and never gets boring. I only really understood that I wanted to become a winegrower when I was, so to speak, off the beaten track. I had already started studying business informatics when I felt quite clearly: my heart beats for winegrowing. So I just got the famous curve and completed an apprenticeship as a winegrower before I studied viticulture and oenology in Geisenheim.

VDP: Do you have role models?

Stefan Huschle: There is no direct role model. Every fascinating wine, every good conversation develops into something instructive for me and thus serves as a "role model".
 

VDP: What are your next goals?

Stefan Huschle: Every year, you can increase the quality of your wine a little by sharpening your own profile. We also want to carefully implement our big goal, to make cultivation even more natural, in our business.

VDP: Why should you still visit your winery?

Stefan Huschle: The wines alone and the people behind them are worth a visit. On the second last weekend of August there is always a culinary wine festival at our winery. If you are looking for silence: My favourite place is our Rebhäusle in the Zell-Weierbacher Neugesetz with a view over Offenburg (Burda Tower!) into the Rhine plain up to the Vosges and Strasbourg with a view of the cathedral there. In addition, our region is centrally located: Strasbourg, Freiburg, the Black Forest - you can reach everything in a short time!