CHRISTIAN RESS

VDP.ESTATE
BALTHASAR RESS

"WE HAVE THE COURAGE TO GO UNCONVENTIONAL WAYS AND ALSO TO IMPLEMENT OUR WEALTH OF IDEAS."

MARKUS ROLL, MANAGER OF THE WINERY, SPEAKS ABOUT THE WINES AND VINEYARDS IN HATTENHEIM

Balthasar Ress

Rheinallee 7-11
65347 Hattenheim im Rheingau

Phone+49 6723/91950
Fax+49 6723/919591
eMailinfo@balthasar-ress.de
Office Hours

Vinothek: Rheinallee 50, D-65347 Hattenheim Mo-Fr: 8.00-18.00 Uhr; Sa-So: 12:00-18:00 Uhr

Weinbar & Vinotheken: Mauergasse 10, D-65183 Wiesbaden Mo-Do: 15:00-22:00 Uhr; Fr: 12:00-22:00 Uhr; Sa: 10:00-22:00 Uhr; So. und feiertags geschlossen

Markt 13a, D-60311 Frankfurt Mo-Fr 16:00-21:00 Uhr; Fr-Sa 14:00-22:00 Uhr; So 14:00-21.00 Uhr
Owner

Stefan & Christian Ress

Betriebsleiter: Markus Roll
Cellarmaster

Stephan Sänger

Member Since

1989

Wine Area

49,00 acres

Grape Variety

95% Riesling, 5% Spätburgunder

Geology

Löss, Lehm, Schiefer

Features
Accommodation, Restaurant, Wine tasting, Guided tours of the company / cellar, Event location
Sparkling Wine / Sekt
Sekterzeuger
Memberships
  • Wine in Moderation
Eco Certifications
  • EU-Bio-Zertifizierung

VDP: What is special about your winery?

Markus Roll: With our organically farmed vineyards, more than 70 percent of which are classified as VDP.ERSTE LAGE® and VDP. GROSSE LAGE®, we have an exceptional portfolio of top Rheingau sites stretching from Assmannshausen to Hattenheim. In addition, we have been cultivating our own vineyard on Sylt since 2009. In order to preserve our vineyards for future generations, we decided in 2016 to convert our operations to a certified organic winery and are currently the largest organic winery in Hesse. The gentle working method not only has a positive effect on the soil and the environment, it also protects our employees from potential health risks. The interaction of our top Rheingau vineyards and gentle winemaking methods is what makes our wines so fine.

VDP: What is your winery philosophy?

Markus Roll: We want to create fine and authentic site wines that are independent and full of character. The most important thing is that we give them the time they need to develop into true wines of the house. In doing so, we follow our maxim >>And Fine Be The Wine<<, which has always been anchored in the Ress family crest.

VDP: What style of wine are you aiming for?

Markus Roll: We aim for precise wines with minerality and site character.

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

Markus Roll: Our "Von Unserm" Riesling trocken | VDP.GUTSWEIN is just the thing for that. It embodies the liquid business card of the house and is at the same time a reflection of dry Rheingau Riesling.

VDP: What sets your winery apart from others?

Markus Roll: We have the courage to take unconventional paths and also implement our wealth of ideas. This is due in no small part to our team, which is bursting with creative ideas. With our diverse range of services, such as the Balthasar Ress vine lease, our wine bars & vinotheques in Wiesbaden and Frankfurt, the wineBANK Rheingau and its large bottle storage facility in the historic vaulted cellar, and our Sylt sparkling wine, we stand out from the crowd and can offer our guests very special moments.

"WE STILL ACT ACCORDING TO THE ORIGINAL MAXIM OF THE FOUNDER BALTHASAR >>And Pure Be The Wine<<."

NUSSBRUNNEN
Riesling GG
VDP.GROSSE LAGE®

VDP: Why did you become a vintner?

Markus Roll: I grew up on a vineyard in Rheinhessen and always knew that I wanted to gain a foothold in the wine industry.

VDP: Why should people still visit your winery?

Markus Roll: The VDP.Weingut Balthasar Ress is always worth a visit. Visitors can taste their way through our product portfolio at any time and engage in conversation with our sommelier. In addition to bold character wines and fine sparkling wines, our range also covers fine brandies made from wine and pomace as well as a gin refined with Riesling flowers. After a tasting, you can then make a stop at the Hattenheim wine barrels and unwind on one of the loungers directly on the Rhine.

Our Balthasar Ress Wine Bars & Vinotheques in Wiesbaden and Frankfurt offer a place for convivial evenings in an urban setting. For a longer stay, our Balthasar Ress Suite directly in Hattenheim, or the Balthasar Ress Guesthouse on the vineyard slope in Hallgarten are ideal!

VDP: What are your next goals?

Markus Roll: We want to create the finest Rieslings, the finest Pinot Noirs and unmistakable moments in the most beautiful places in the world.

VDP: How do you combine tradition and innovation?

Markus Roll: We still act according to the original maxim of the founder Balthasar >>And Pure Be The Wine<<. Thanks to the constant evolution of the winegrowing scene, we have been able to implement this guiding principle literally since 2016, when we converted our working methods to become a certified organic winery. Then in 2019 came the first "green" vintage on the market.

© 2022
Photos: Peter Bender