Günther Steinmetz

The vineyards of Günther Steinmetz extend over 9 hectares on the lands of Brauneberg and the neighbouring villages. The history of this winery is not that of a wealthy saga with large estates, but of honest and hard-working winegrowers who, generation after generation, acquired small, unglamorous plots of land capable of producing top-quality grapes. The most renowned plot is Dhroner Hofburg, where the best Riesling and Pinot Noir grapes come from. Since 1999, Stefan Steinmetz has been the main winemaker and a true lover of the terroir. He has been able to continue with the traditional ways, while incorporating new knowledge and modern techniques that have made it possible to extract the typicity of each plot and to show the particularities of each vintage. In addition, he has invested in areas and plots covered with very old vines in which nobody believed much anymore, to end up placing them on the map of the highest quality vineyards in the whole of the Mosel.

Yields are low, the grapes are harvested by hand and selected with great care. In the vineyard, organic principles are practised, trying to be extremely respectful of the environment and ruling out the use of any chemical fertilisers, herbicides or insecticides. With respect for tradition at the heart of viticulture, Günther Steinmetz cultivates only historic vineyards on slate slopes and only native grape varieties, seeking the magical synergy between grape and soil.

In the winery, the use of selected yeasts, acidity correctors or any other additives is strictly forbidden and the grapes are treated without mechanical pressing, always aiming for the highest quality. Stefan accepts a malolactic fermentation parallel to the alcoholic fermentation and allows these to finish naturally, which in some cases leaves small traces of residual sweetness, just as it used to happen in the past. As a result of all this respect for tradition and extreme attention to detail, the wines of Günther Steinmetz age beautifully and display a refined character that places them in their own right among the great wines of the Mosel.