“WE’VE BEEN CERTIFIED ORGANIC SINCE THE END OF THE 1980’S AND BIODYNAMIC SINCE 2004.”
PHILIPP WITTMANN SPEAKS ABOUT HIS WINES
AND HIS WINE ESTATE IN WESTHOFEN
Wittmann
Mainzer Straße 19
67593 Westhofen
| Phone | +49 (0)6244/905036 |
|---|---|
| Fax | +49 (0)6244/5578 |
| info@wittmannweingut.com |
Office Hours
Mo-Fr 8.00-17.00; Sa 11.00-15.00 nach VereinbarungOwner
Philipp Wittmann
Cellarmaster
Philipp Wittmann & Georg Rieser
Member Since
1999
Wine Area
30,00 acres
Grape Variety
70% Riesling, 15% Burgundersorten, 10% Silvaner, 5% weitere Rebsorten
Geology
Tonmergel mit Kalkstein
Layers
Growing Areas
Memberships
- Wine in Moderation
Eco Certifications
- EU-Bio-Zertifizierung
- La Renaissance des Appellations
- respekt BIODYN
VDP: What is so special about your winery?
Philipp Wittmann: We are a classic family-operated winery in Westhofen. We have been certified organic since the end of the 1980s and biodynamic since 2004. Our wines are matured almost exclusively in wooden casks in the large vaulted cellar that dates 1829. Here we produce wines with unique character, great terroir and high quality.
VDP: What is your winery philosophy?
Philipp Wittmann: Intensive manual work in the vineyard guarantees the highest possible grape quality in the winery. Only the best Riesling wines of a vintage bear the names of the top vineyard sites of Westhofen: AULERDE, KIRCHSPIEL, BRUNNENHÄUSCHEN and MORSTEIN. The soils of these sites are distinguished predominantly by clay marl with limestone.Grapes are gently pressed and then ferment with their own natural yeasts in wooden casks in our large vaulted cellar.
The slow fermentation and maturation in the constantly cool temperatures of the cellar preserves intrinsic aroma and character. Our wines thus find their inimitable expression of origin and vintage each year.
“I LIKE AUSTERE WINES THAT SPEAK OF THEIR ORIGIN.”
VDP: What style of wine do you strive for?
Philipp Wittmann: I like purist wines that tell me something about their origin. Riesling does that best for me.
Riesling, trocken
VDP.GUTSWEIN
VDP: For what wine style do you strive?
Philipp Wittmann: I like austere wines that speak of their origin. Riesling is the best wine for me.
VDP: Which of your wines would you recommend to someone who doesn’t yet know your winery ¬ as an introduction, so to speak?
Philipp Wittmann: Our Gutsriesling is undoubtedly our liquid calling card. Delicate yellow fruit, good texture and an almost salty mineral length characterise it.
VDP: Of which wine are you particularly proud?
Philipp Wittmann: I can’t answer that question – exciting new wines are created every year!
VDP: Why did you become a vintner?
Philipp Wittmann: I always knew that I would take over the wine estate one day. Never with a feeling of being forced to do so from the family, but always with anticipation.
VDP: Do you have role models?
Philipp Wittmann: The winegrowers who brought the dry German Riesling back onto the stage of the great wines were my driving force: Bernhard Breuer, Bernd Philippi and also Hansjörg Rebholz made lasting impressions on me with their wines.
VDP: What are your next goals?
Philipp Wittmann: We continue to work on the authenticity and quality of our wines. In the future it will be more difficult – climate change is a brutal thing; working with nature will become a real challenge.
VDP: How do you combine tradition and innovation?
Philipp Wittmann: For me this is a logical interaction: Only through the courage to change can a tradition remain alive.
©2022
Photos: Peter Bender
