Hey guys!
We’re back to our regular scheduled programming after two weeks in Germany (and two Thursday newsletters 🫣)
This week, I'm taking you through the highlights of my German wine odyssey, a winemaker's 10 year anniversary celebration, and an unforgettable stay with one of Germany's finest winemakers. Enjoy!
Two Full Wine Weeks in Germany 🇩🇪
Fairs, regions, and a few big takeaways from one of wine's most exciting countries
I spent the last two weeks in Germany drinking wine basically every day. This was for a multitude of reasons, but primarily because of VDP Weinbörse, one of Germany's most coveted showcases of producers, as well as Karakterre, one of the premier central and eastern European natural wine fairs, who was throwing their first ever German edition.
Pictured: Karakterre Germany
I opted to extend my trip for another week after the fairs concluded, mainly to explore the wine regions I've been obsessing over this year like the Mosel, Rheinhessen, Pfalz, and Baden, running into old and new friends along the way. It was incredibly informative, and I have a few main takeaways:
Pictured: Nahe Region
Firstly, it really couldn't be a better time to get into German wine. I say this for a few different reasons. Mainly, it's because the quality of the winemaking is really at an all time high, with growers opting to make world class wines in regions that have benefited from warming climates, allowing for a more optimal canvas to work with while growing grapes. I was able to try wines from all over the country from both legacy producers and young upstarts, and was incredibly impressed all around.
Pictured: German Wine Lineup
Secondly, the wine regions of the country are stunning, like, really, really beautiful. Between visiting Klaus Peter Keller and Weingut Knewitz in Rheinhessen, Rudolf Trossen and Jus Naturae in the Mosel, Brand Bros and Glow Glow in Pfalz, and many, many more, it felt like a crash course on how to travel in the countryside of Germany.
Pictured: Joannes and Paulina (Brand Bros & Glow Glow Wines)
One of the highlights for me was seeing the Mosel, a region that has long been a fascination of mine, mainly because of the striking images I had always looked up on Google Images. Seeing dramatically sloped hills, pure slate soils, and fields of old vines felt dreamlike, and it has easily been catapulted into my top 3 most beautiful wine regions.
Pictured: Mosel Region
Lastly, there's a palpable movement of young German winemakers pushing the boundaries of what a German wine can be. Producers like Carsten Saalwächter, Moritz Kissinger-Bahr, and Johannes Aufricht are experimenting with grapes outside of Riesling, like Silvaner, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir, to try and reshape the identity of German wine.
Pictured: Carsten Saalwächter
Overall, the trip was an incredible learning opportunity. Visiting the regions, talking with the producers, and tasting the wines have been nothing short of extraordinary. Thank you to everyone I was with for making it so special.
Ten Years of Wasenhaus 🎂
Celebrating a decade of one of Germany's most exciting domaines in the heart of Baden
The second to last night of my trip, and really the last big night, was spent visiting Wasenhaus in Baden, a region basically on the border of Alsace. However, this wasn't an ordinary wine tasting and dinner, this was their 10 year anniversary celebration, and it was indeed a big one.
Pictured: Christoph and Alex of Wasenhaus
I actually found myself here kind of by accident. About a month ago, I was chatting with Stephen Bitterolf, founder of vom Boden, and he mentioned that him and his team were going to be in Germany coincidentally at the same time as me. He extended the offer to join the party, and I immediately moved my flight to make sure I'd make it.
Pictured: Collin, Stephen, Matt, Chris. (No idea who the guy in the middle is)
For some context, Wasenhaus is one of the most exciting projects not just in Baden, but in all of Germany. A project started by two friends who met while studying wine in Burgundy, Wasenhaus has made a name for themselves by making precise, extremely dialed Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Weisburgunder. I really love these wines, so as you can imagine, it was a pretty cool opportunity to celebrate such a milestone with them.
Pictured: Wasenhaus Lineup
The setup of the party was pretty surreal, we were at their enormous domaine, with tables filled with an impressive vertical of almost all Wasenhaus bottles dating back to 2016.
Pictured: Wasenhaus Tent
Additionally, there was a massive tent pitched in the middle of a giant field with communal tables set up. To top it all off, it was a BYOB party in every sense of the word; people brought wines of all shapes and sizes, and the Wasenhaus team even provided a mini barrel of their own wine to pour.
Pictured: Wasenhaus Barrel
Between the massive feast of sausages and asparagus they cooked for us, what seemingly felt like an endless supply of bottles, and a field party under the full moon, I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate 10 years of a domaine. Congrats to the Wasenhaus team on such a milestone, and thank you for having me!
Producer Highlight ⭐
One of our favorite parts of wine is the discovery: we’re constantly being put on to new regions, producers, and cuvées from our friends. We’ll never be able to try EVERY wine, but we want to take a moment to mention some producers that excite us!
Klaus Peter Keller 🍷
Location: Rheinhessen, Germany📍
Pictured: Rheinhessen Map. Image by Wine Tourism
Few producers have shaped the modern identity of German wine quite like Klaus Peter Keller. Based in the Rheinhessen, long considered one of Germany's most overlooked winemaking regions, Keller has spent the last two decades single-handedly rewriting what the area is capable of.
Pictured: Klaus Peter Keller
Taking over his family's estate in 2001, he inherited a legacy stretching back to 1789, and a foundation laid by his father Klaus, who first began pushing the quality ceiling in the 1980s. Where the region was once dismissed, Keller has transformed storied vineyard sites like Kirchspiel, Morstein, and Hubacker into some of the most hallowed ground in all of German Riesling, commanding prices and critical attention that few could have imagined a generation ago.
Pictured: Klaus Peter and his son, Felix
At the top of the Keller pyramid sits G-Max, the world's most expensive dry Riesling, a wine so scarce and so coveted that Keller won't even disclose the source of its grapes, and for good reason, as they've been stolen before. But to reduce Keller to one wine would be to miss the bigger picture.
Pictured: Keller G-Max from Rieslingfeier 2025
Across his entire range, from the grand cru Rieslings to his Chardonnay, Silvaner, and increasingly compelling Spätburgunder, there is a consistent signature: enormous concentration and density sculpted into something elegant, precise, and mineral. Jancis Robinson famously likened his whites to the great Montrachets of Burgundy, and the comparison has only aged more gracefully with time.
Pictured: Keller Bottlings
What makes Keller's story even more compelling is the generation of winemakers he has inspired in his wake. By proving that world-class wine could emerge from the Rheinhessen, he gave permission to an entire cohort of young growers to take their own regions seriously, and the results speak for themselves.
I had the ultimate privilege of spending an evening with Klaus, his wife Julia, his son Felix, and his daughter-in-law Bella last week, and it was nothing short of unforgettable. The afternoon began out in the vineyards, where Klaus walked me through all of his holdings. Among the highlights was a look at his new high-density vine plantings, a fascinating topic that deserves its own deep dive, and one I'll be revisiting in a future post. He even let me plant a vine myself!
Pictured: Keller’s High Density Chardonnay Vineyard
From there, we made our way back to the family home, where the magic continued. Klaus tasted me on a ton of barrel samples of Riesling, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir, giving a glimpse on what’s to come.
Pictured: Keller Barrel Samples
As if that weren't enough, Felix pulled out bottles of the sparkling wine he's been working on, a project that, if it's any indication of his family, is well worth keeping an eye on.
Pictured: KP preparing dinner
The evening wound down over a dinner cooked by the Kellers themselves; steak, potatoes, great wine, and even better conversation. It was a night that reminds you why you fell in love with wine in the first place. I couldn't be more grateful to KP and his family for their generosity and warmth, and I hope to be back soon.
Wine Club Updates 🍷 📦
Hope everyone has been enjoying the club! May’s theme is a fun one, inspired by some upcoming travel of ours. Will make sure to share more information soon! If you have any questions in the meantime, please reach out to [email protected] and they’ll help you out.
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That’s it for today! Back in New York for the week before heading out to Vienna for VieVinum and Karakterre Austria. Make sure to stay tuned for updates.
Until then, thank so much for reading, and as always, drink responsibly! 🥂