Werner Winery

About Werner Winery}

Bernhard Werner is sometimes described by colleagues as a revolutionary, but definitely as a connoisseur. In addition to enjoying wine, he also enjoys fine cooking and often cooks himself. So it's no wonder that most of his wines pair well with food. Overall, his Mosel wines represent easy drinking and uncomplicated wine enjoyment. "Ultimately, wine is for drinking!" he tells us during an evening conversation at the kitchen table, naturally over a sweet Riesling and a hearty snack.

This fundamental approach in no way conflicts with the uncompromising quality in the vineyard and in the cellar. The vineyards are characterized by meticulous manual work, reduced yields, and strict selection of the grapes. The vineyards, some of which are 100-year-old, ungrafted vines, are cultivated in a natural way. The Werners have been working in the Trittenheim vineyards since at least 1650, and today Bernhard and his wife Margret cultivate 6 hectares, about half of which are Riesling on steep slopes. In the cellar, the must and wine are also treated with care and fermented largely with natural yeasts. Fermentation and aging take place exclusively in old Mosel barrels, which Bernhard cherishes and tends like the apple of his eye.

The winery's vineyards include Schweicher Annaberg, Trittenheimer Apotheke, and Leiwener Laurentiuslay. The steep Annaberg vineyard faces south and has a similar soil formation to the Ürziger Würzgarten, consisting of deep Rotliegendes combined with slate and greywacke. This is where the most full-bodied and very mineral Rieslings come from, such as the Riesling Schweicher Annaberg GG , which brings tremendous opulence and power to the glass. The Trittenheimer Apotheke, on the other hand, produces delicate and prancing Rieslings full of elegance and depth. The steep, south-southwest-facing vineyard features weathered slate and blue slate. The Riesling Trittenheimer Apotheke GG is cool and stony, needs plenty of air, and then indulges with tremendous drinking flow.

But Bernhard Werner wouldn't be Bernhard Werner if he didn't have the traditional Mosel specialty – residually sweet Riesling – in his range. The Erste Lage Laurentiuslay off-dry is a fruity, fresh treat with a perfect balance of sweetness and acidity. We like to call this wine a drinking lemonade of the highest quality, because in summer, this stuff goes down like nothing! His aged Auslese from the pharmacy is sweeter, but incredibly energetic and minerally, and after 20 years of perfect maturation, it's a truly exceptional experience (warning: strictly limited!). The Riesling Schweicher Annaberg Auslese is – typical of the location – more opulent, incredibly seductive, and full of juicy, yellow fruit and elegant spice. It's quite simple: Werner makes you happy.