VDP.ESTATE
PAWIS

“MY FATHER GREW THE WINERY FROM A SMALL SIDE BUSINESS AFTER THE FALL OF THE BERLIN WALL.”

BERNARD PAWIS SPEAKS ABOUT HIS WINES AND WINE ESTATE IN FREYBURG/ OT ZSCHEIPLITZ

Pawis

Auf dem Gut 2
06632 Freyburg-Zscheiplitz

Phone+49 (0)34464/28315
Fax+49 (0)34464/66727
eMailinfo@weingut-pawis.de
Office Hours
Mo-Fr 10.00-12.00 und 14.00-18.00 Uhr, Sa 10.00-12.00 und 14.00-18.00 Uhr, So 10.00-12.00 Uhr
Owner

Bernard Pawis

Cellarmaster

Bernard Pawis

Member Since

2001

Wine Area

16,60 acres

Grape Variety

25% Riesling, 8% Müller-Thurgau, 20% Weissburgunder sowie u.a. Silvaner, Grau- & Spätburgunder, Bacchus, Traminer

Geology

leicht erwärmbarer Muschelkalk, teils mit Löss- & Lehmauflagen oder Keuperschichten & Quarzitbänke

Growing Areas

Saale-Unstrut

VDP: What is so special about your winery?

Bernard Pawis: My father grew the winery from a small side business after the fall of the Berlin Wall. After a period of rapid development, we are now located in a self-refurbished monastery estate. The Mediterranean-like ambience inspires our guests. The former monastery estate lies on the picturesque hill of the Zscheiplitzer Martinsberg. The view from the 1000-year-old monastery church to the wine-growing town of Freyburg and the Neuenburg Castle (a sister to the Wartburg Castle) is impressively beautiful. Another attraction is our fountain house, inaugurated in 2015, that has a 500 year old, 90 metre deep fountain in the guest area and five attentively renovated holiday apartments.

VDP: What is your winery philosophy?

Bernard Pawis: We cultivate a modern style of vinification – wine should be fun. We like to create wine experiences by combining art, culture and joy in our attentively restored ambience. In everything we do, we pay attention to sustainability. For example, we use solar energy to generate electricity, maintain historic vineyard walls, collect rainwater in cisterns and employ environmentally friendly cultivation methods in our vineyards.


VDP: For which wine style do you aspire?

Bernard Pawis: Traditionally, we vinify our wines dry and place great importance on aromatic typicity of each variety. The cultivation of many different grape varieties is typical for the Saale-Unstrut region.

“THE CULTIVATION OF MANY DIFFERENT GRAPE VARIETIES IS TYPICAL FOR THE SAALE-UNSTRUT REGION.”

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

Bernard Pawis: A Müller-Thurgau or a mineral Riesling from the shell limestone soil, which is so typical for our region.

VDP: Of which wines are you particularly proud?

Bernard Pawis: Of my VDP.GROSSE GEWÄCHSE®. When the VDP introduced the classification in 2001, we had just been accepted into the association and were able to evolve according to the high VDP quality standards.

VDP: Why did you become a vintner?

Bernard Pawis: When I think about how it all began, I can’t pinpoint a certain date. Everything evolved naturally. I love my homeland, have been familiar with vineyard work from an early age and am still curious. Making wine is a new challenge every year. I like working with nature. I appreciate the craftsmanship, the independence and the direct contact with the people who enjoy our wines and respect our work. All this was unimaginable two generations before.

VDP: Do you have role models, mentors?

Bernard Pawis: I don't really have a classic role model. We took our own path and interpreted this as freedom and opportunity. My wife is always at my side. From this point of view, we like to focus on family businesses that manage to work together harmoniously over generations.

VDP: What are your next goals?

Bernard Pawis: Together with our sons and employees, we are striving to create a winery team that is modern, enjoys its work, contributes new ideas and sustainably uses and preserves the substance it has created. The way to achieve this can be quite unconventional. We are open to convincing new ideas!

© 2024
Photos: Peter Bender