120 Years of Winemaking at the Wegeler Estates
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The Future Requires Origins 120 YEARS OF WINEMAKING AT THE WEGELER ESTATES More than 120 years ago Julius Wegeler founded the Rheingau-based Wegeler Estates as well as its tradition of producing top-quality Rieslings. Three generations later, the vintner family remains extremely committed to German Rieslings, personifying the motto: The future requires origins. Special edition of WEINGourmet Oestrich in the Rheingau: With the purchase of the "Quality is our philosophy!” wrote Julius Wegeler to his family and best of the Rüdesheim vineyards, Geheimrat Julius Wegeler employees in the family album over a 100 years ago. And this maxim still founded the vintner tradition for the Wegeler family. applies today to the three businesses that comprise Wegeler Estates: quality in the vineyard; quality in the wine cellar; quality in the bottle. illa Riesling” is home for Anja and Tom Drieseberg, a building in the heart of Rü- desheim, lovingly and with great effort restored to its original Art Nouveau splendor. “We are all genuine Riesling- Vfreaks; it’s a family tradition,” explains Anja Wege- ler-Drieseberg. “The Wegelers have always been committed to Riesling. And that applies as much to- day as it did when the first Wegeler wines were made. The ing as Culturally Specific Ri- three family-run vineyards in the Rheingau, on the Mosel, and tuals“. After all, Anja Wege- in the Rheinpfalz still produce Riesling almost exclusively.” ler comes from a family, “Quality is our philosophy! That motto has stood for 120 which has nurtured this lifestyle for generations – with art and years,” says Tom Drieseberg. Since July 1998, together with culture, above all music, and naturally with wine. his wife, Dr. Tom Drieseberg has managed the various busines- ses that make up the Wegeler Estates. “For us, remaining true ut long before the family concerned itself with wine and to quality means not following every fad. That’s why we stay sparkling wine, the Wegelers already had an intense rela- with Riesling; no other grape offers such variety.” With this Btionship to classical music. “A man, especially one with conviction, the Wegelers have successfully resisted the per- such high standing as you, is only happy once in his lifetime: in sistent pull of the red wine boom in Ger- his youth,” wrote Anja’s ancestor Franz many. Even today not a single bottle of red Gerhard Wegeler to Ludwig van Beethoven wine comes from their cellars. BEETHOVEN in 1825. From his youth on, the doctor and And, naturally, when you visit Villa university professor had a deep friendship Riesling, you are served Riesling. This AND THE with the composer. Both were born and rai- time it’s a glass of Geheimrat “J” Spätlese WEGELERS sed in Bonn. From Vienna, Beethoven sent dry 2000, a classic from the Rheingau es- Since their early childhood, Ludwig back several compositions to his hometown tates. The new residence of the young van Beethoven and Franz Gerhard We- of Bonn, dedicated to his “beloved Wegeler winegrowing family in Rüdesheim is not geler were close friends. Beethoven, family”. And, for his part, Franz Gerhard only home and playground for son Julius five years his friend’s junior, left Bonn Wegeler wrote a literary monument, his Leo; the Wegelers also open its doors to in November 1792 for Vienna. He was “Biographical Notes about Ludwig van never to see his hometown again but guests and clients for events. “In our cellar Beethoven,” which today is still considered stayed in contact, partly through his vault, there’s enough room for culinary relationship with the Wegeler family. one of the most important contemporary wine tastings – and, of course, enough Later, his friend Franz Gerhard Wegeler documents about the musical genius. room to celebrate,” says the proprietor. followed Beethoven to Vienna to stu- It was, however, his descendants who Anja and Tom met in Trier. She was still dy. After Wegeler returned to Bonn, were first to introduce wine into the family, a student and he was working on his docto- the two maintained a lively correspon- at least from their own vines. In June 1857, rate. Although that was a while ago, they dence, which again and again re- Family ties to Beethoven and Riesling haven’t let each other out of their sight collected the blithe years of their since. Just maybe, it’s because Anja was in- youth. In 1801 Beethoven wrote to his trigued by Tom’s doctoral thesis, “Lifesty- friend, "My Fatherland, the beautiful country in which I le-Research: Including Eating and Drink- Three generations of first gazed upon the light of Wegelers in front of this world, is for me just as Wegeler Estates in Oestrich: beautiful and clear in my Rolf Wegeler, son-in-law eyes today as it was when I Tom Drieseberg, daughter Anja and grandson Julius left.” After Beethoven’s death Leo (above). in 1827, Franz Gerhard We- Testament to a friendship: geler published his "Biogra- Ludwig van Beethoven’s phical Notes about Ludwig letter to Franz Gerhard van Beethoven.” Wegeler from 1797 (left). 2/2000 WEIN GOURMET X ROLF WEGELER AND DEINHARD 140 years ago, the name Wegeler was close- ly connected to the sparkling wine producer Deinhard & Co. in Koblenz. Julius Wegeler joined the wine and sparkling winemaker Deinhard & Jordan in 1857, after which the Julius Wegeler joined the wine and company greatly expanded its operations. In time when he also wanted to focus on sparkling wine producer Deinhard & Jor- 1872, the company opened a New York being a good winemaker, in order to be branch and successfully participated in va- dan. His job: to represent the company’s able to better represent the production side rious World’s Fairs. Julius Wegeler expanded export business in England, Belgium, and the wine business, first with wines he of the wine business. In 1882 he purchased the Netherlands. Favored by the good wine purchased and later with top-quality wines a vineyard in Rüdesheim. Along with the harvests on the Rhine and the Mosel from from his own vineyards. Until 1997 Rolf We- best Rheingau vineyards, the business also 1857 to 1862, business flourished. Dein- geler (picture) together with his cousin owned a manor house on Friedensplatz in hard established a subsidiary in New York Hanns Christof Wegeler managed the family the center of Oestrich. Today, it houses the and took part in the World’s Fairs in Phila- business. With the sale to Henkell & Söhn- administrative offices not only for the Ge- delphia, Sydney, and Melbourne. The an- lein, it was possible to ensure the future of heimrat J. Wegeler estate and its sister- nual price list was released in German, the brand Deinhard by bringing the traditio- vineyard in Oestrich, with 55 hectares of English, and French. The “Deinhard Cabi- nal company un- grapes one of the biggest net”, known as a sparkling hock in Eng- der the roof of a operations in the Rhein- large sparkling land, was very popular and trade with the gau, but also for the vine- wine producer. British Empire continued to grow. Since then, Rolf yards on the Mosel and in Wegeler assists the Pfalz. ulius Wegeler, in the meantime mar- Geheimrat J. We- Anja and Tom, who ried to Deinhard’s daughter Emma, geler as senior eventually married, lived Jwas called upon to help manage the advisor. in the old manor in Oes- company Deinhard & Co., Coblenz and trich. “Two rooms under London. When August Deinhard died unexpectedly, Julius We- the roof, above the wine geler took over management of the company, together with his press hall and filling ma- brother Karl and later Johann Jacob Hasslacher, Wegeler’s chine,” Anja Wegeler- friend and later brother-in-law who ran Drieseberg remembers, The Rheingau vintner tradition in a stately manor the London office. They invested in the “that was a bohemian lifestyle right in the future: modernizing the cellar equip- middle of the Rheingau.” Her husband re- ment and introducing the latest techni- members it more romantically: “The first ques for the production of sparkling years together were characterized by remo- wine. The business flourished, especi- deling more than anything else,” says Tom ally in 1875, a year which exceeded Drieseberg, “but you can see the results.” everyone’s expectation. Full of pride, The old house has been restored to its for- Julius Wegeler reported to his brother- mer glory, from cellar to attic. There is in-law back in London, “that this year enough room now to accommodate even will definitely remain a shining year in large wine tastings. our annals.” Along with his commitment to the business, Julius Wegeler perations Manager Oliver Haag has set up the Rheingau was also one of the most dynamic forces on the board of the estate’s top wines in the tasting room: Rieslings from German Winegrowers Association as well as playing an active Otwo of the best vineyards between Rüdesheim and role on many different jury commissions. But there came a Hochheim. Although sixteen of their vineyards are officially classified for Erste Gewächse (grand cru or first growth), the winemakers do not want to position these top wines at inflationary prices. “Our first growth wines come solely from the Rüdesheimer Berg Schlossberg and the Winkeler Jesuiten- A new generation in the old vineyard: Anja Wegeler-Drieseberg and garten vineyards,” says Haag, as he pours two Rieslings from Dr. Tom Drieseberg are fourth-generation managers of the Geheimrat the 2001 vintage, so that we can compare. Both are aromatic J. Wegeler estates. The cellar with wood barrels and the garden of the manor house in Oestrich, administrative offices in Rheingau with bouquets of peach and apple, followed by notes of more (pictures left page).