Ökonomierat Rebholz

The earliest recorded history of winegrowing by the Rebholz family in Siebeldingen dates back to 1632. From beer brewer to village mayor, family members have held a wide range of titles over the years. The single constant: always at least one winemaker in the family. Around 100 years ago the Rebholz clan took the estate house, first built in the 16th century, as their family home. The Rebholz family only began bottling their wine following the Second World War, as an alternative to delivering entire barrels to local inns and restaurants

Together with his son Hans, Eduard Rebholz used his background in the sciences to form an accurate profile of the natural characteristics of his wines. He cast a critical eye over every influence factor. The climate, the soils, the companion plants, the harvest window and especially the vinification practices were all examined and reassessed based on his own strict set of principles. These ideas were then set into dialog with the practical and commercial experiences of winemakers from others regions. His insights on these matters, all relevant even today, are documented in a set of "historic" newsletters from Ökonomierat Rebholz:

1950: "The aforementioned wines are all clean, pure and mature. These are wines where the second and third glass tastes better than the first — not vice-versa!" Ökonomierat Eduard Rebholz described his concept for natural wine in June 1951. Even then he was dedicated to educating his customers not only about the current vintages, but also about what made his Rebholz wine so unique:  "You will receive only natural wine from my cellar, wine that is the result of intense and loving cultivation of the vines and of similar vinicultural methods (no chaptalization, no artificial addition of a Süßreserve or similar fundamental structural changes that alter the native character of the wine and, in my eyes, mean that it is no longer a natural product."  

In his many newsletters to customers, Eduard Rebholz promoted his wine philosophy. Today they read like a small primer of winemaking history: "We are of the opinion that the quality of the eventual wine is largely determined in the vineyard. Factors that are handled without science or with intentional negligence cannot be compensated for in the cellar, even in the most refined of hands. Rebholz wine is thus the child of winegrowing that uses all means at nature's disposal to achieve the greatest ripeness of the grapes and a philosophy in the cellar that subjects the wines in no way to force. We forgo namely not only all legal methods of enhancing wine with sugar and sugar water additives ... but rather strictly reject all those legally permissible "modern methods" of wine treatment (stopping of fermentation, addition of sweet wine or fruit juice and the like) that are all after one goal: sweetness, a sweetness that dominates the wine and makes it seem more valuable."

The career of the son of the Herr Ökonomierat, Hans Rebholz (1920-1978), became clear when he returned in 1949 from wartime captivity. After a brief period of vocational training, he entered into many years of working the winemaking trade with his father, assuming responsibility only after the latter's passing. His dedicated pursuit of fully fermented — and less alcoholic — wines placed him as one of the few renowned winemakers in Germany to speak out against the general trend of manipulating wines through enrichment and the addition of Süssreserve. In the 70s he was able to experience first hand the Renaissance of dry German wines. After Hans' too-early death in 1978, wife Christine continued to lead the estate on the path Hans had forged, supported by her son Hansjörg, himself at first little more than a youth.

Since the mid 90s the fate of the estate has rested in the hands of Hansjörg Rebholz and his wife Birgit, who have hewed closely to the tried-and-tested principles laid down by father and grandfather. There have nevertheless been a number of important changes and upgrades, such as the expansion of the business premises and cellar, the collaboration with the 5 Freunden, membership in the VDP and, from 2005, a consistent switchover to the principles of  organic winemaking. A focus on quality and character-rich wines has proven wonderfully effective, drawing praise from sources such as the Gault-Millau wine guide, which named Hansjörg Rebholz its "Winemaker of the Year" in 2002 and Falstaff Magazine, which awarded him the same title in 2013.

The smaller and more specific the origin of a wine, the more likely that specific vineyard characteristics will be expressed in the final premium wine. Ideally one will recognize the soil, climate, flora, vine age, vintage and even the viticultural philosophies and practices of the winemaker. As stewards of such amazing terroir, we bear a certain responsibility toward both high-end viticulture and to Germany's unique culture of world class sites and vineyards. Together with our fellow VDP estates, a decision was made to name our best sites and the top wines grown there with a single vineyard designation. Simpler wines include a designation of variety, village or soil, as shown on our quality pyramid. The emphasis on top sites fosters the cultivation of distinctive wines, and is an essential step in establishing the profile of each specific terroir, and with it the individual signature of the winemaker who tends to it.

As with all other VDP estates, we distinguish between VDP.GROSSE LAGEN and VDP.ERSTE LAGEN. The former references the highest, most sought after and precisely delineated terroirs. In the Pfalz, these may only be planted with the traditional varieties: Riesling, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Noir. VDP.ERSTE LAGEN, by comparison, are recognized for the distinctive characteristics and optimal growing conditions that produce wines with an excellent cellaring potential.

While the variety, cellar philosophy and vineyard vegetation are all factors that significantly impact a finished wine's nose and taste, it is its 'natural foundation,' the soil itself, that makes perhaps the greatest impact. Tectonic upheaval in the Rhine rift around Birkweiler, Albersweiler and Frankweiler led to very old and deep geological formations moving up to the surface. 

·         Rotliegendes (Permian)

·         Colored Sandstone (Triassic)

·         Shell Limestone (Triassic)

·         Colored Marl (Triassic)

These soils can be found scattered in the slopes surrounding the village of Siebeldingen, in many cases with notable features of weathering. 
The formation of the Rhine rift and Quiech River valley in more recent geological history produced our unique and layered soil make-up:

·         Slope and terrace gravel (Quaternary)

·         Loess and loess-loam (Ice Age)

Each geological composition imbues a unique sensory character to the wines growing in it.

Working as close to nature as possible — nothing more, nothing less. This is what we believe makes a natural wine. It is our mantra, our philosophy and our goal in the vineyard. In practice, our long established principles and methods align closely with sustainable winegrowing. For starters, we've been following organic guidelines in our vineyards since 2005. In an effort to promote a healthy ecosystem and to protect the environment, we also forgo the use of herbicides, synthetic fungicides and mineral fertilizers. We use only organic techniques and materials that promote healthy plants, helping the vines grow strong and prosper naturally. While these methods involve more time and effort, it is a price we willingly accept in order to best protect and preserve the biodiversity within our vineyard.

We believe that this work directly impacts the quality of our wines. Each terroir is defined by its own distinct native flora and fauna, the living organisms in the soil, the natural topsoil and a certain capacity on the part of the vines and their roots to tap into and work with these elements. By nurturing a more natural ecosystem in the soil, we help the vines better express the distinct character of their terroir in their fruit, and thus ultimately in our wines. And that's exactly what we're after. Even so, fine wine is only one reason why we pursue sustainability. We see it as our social responsibility to preserve nature, first and foremost our vineyards but also the larger world around us. We never allow ourselves to forget that we are mere stewards for the generations to come.

Our wines conform to the published standards of the EU Eco Regulation and have earned EU organic certification. All of our wines bear the Öko-Kontroll number DE-ÖKO-003