That may sound funny, but if someone is among the greatest German winemaker hopes - in several lists - then that is something to remember! Unfortunately we arrived at the worst possible time. There was a wine festival on the lake shore so it was difficult for local winemakers to make time for us. But back to Teresa, a charming but very spirited young woman. Her story is arresting; in truth with the winery she is living the dream of her father who is no longer with us. After his death Teresa took over the estate but realised after a couple of years that without some form of education or training it wouldn’t work, so she spent half a year in London and then went on to graduate as a winemaker.
The total grape-producing area is 2.5 hectares, and the vineyards are close to the winery. As well as the more traditional varieties (for example Müller Thurgau) she is boldly experimenting with resistant grape varieties too. I admit, for example, it was my first ever taste of wine from Johanniter. The annual bottle production is not yet clear as many of the vines are still young, but the plan is to stop somewhere around 10 000 bottles.
This seems an ideal quantity but if the market growth continues at the current pace then Teresa may have to start thinking about new plantations. She already sells all her wine by August, some 60 % at home, as the consumers insist on it and personal contact is important to them, and the remainder is taken by restaurants within a 20-km radius. The high price at the cellar is perhaps justified by the organic cultivation and the winery is organically certified. According to research, buyers of such wines are more liable to check out the product they have bought, and Teresa “with her face” and her whole being, vouches for her wines and the organic cultivation of the grapes.
As for the wines, there were some exciting and some interesting lots. I would highlight a Prosecco-like sparkling wine from Müller Thurgau (the idea came from Teresa’s mum, a lover of Italy and Prosecco) and a classic sparkling wine from Johanniter that has the funny name Sprudeldicke Dirn. We tasted it just two days after disgorging so it is bound to change a lot before it is presented to consumers. Well if they have enough patience to wait and don’t drink it earlier!
