Bergdolt-Reif & Nett

The winery Bergdolt-Reif & Nett is located in the small village of Duttweiler in the heart of the Pfalz region. Here, where the name Bergdolt alone can be found on every second street corner, Bergdolt-Reif & Nett has its roots. These go back to the year 1838, when the construction of the sandstone vaulted cellar laid the foundation for the creation of the winery. The eventful history of the estate includes an inheritance division in 1900, as well as an adoption and a marriage into the family, all of which led to the current owners and operators of the Palatinate winery.

Family Nett – the heart of the winery

The Nett family, who now run and manage Bergdolt-Reif & Nett in the fifth generation, have a clear vision for their wines. The thinker and driving force of the estate is master winemaker Christian Nett, born in 1981. Christian has been in charge of the BRN cellar since he was 19 years old. He completed his training with August Ziegler, Dr. Deinhard and at the VDP top winery Müller-Catoir. Since his father Bernhard transferred responsibility for the cellar to him, the two have in fact been running the winery together like Roman consuls. They often clash, mainly because Christian puts particular emphasis on quality and yield reduction, while his father grew up with the maxim “the more wine in bottles, the better” and thus survived as a winemaker in a tough profession. It is precisely this experience as a winegrower and his sure instinct for wind and weather that make father Bernhard invaluable to Christian Nett.

Perfect Palatinate conditions for Weingut Nett

At an altitude of 120 to 140 meters above sea level, the Nett vines grow on powerful loess and clay soils crisscrossed by fine veins of limestone. The climate here between Speyer and Neustadt an der Weinstraße is almost Mediterranean. Ideal conditions for cultivating grape varieties such as Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz, Dornfelder, Müller-Thurgau and practically all Burgundy varieties. 76% of the grape varieties grown at Bergdolt-Reif & Nett are white grapes. Always close to nature, Bergdolt-Reif & Nett has taken even more consistent paths since 2011. The best vineyards, namely the top site Mandelberg, where the grapes for the prestige wines and Christian’s specials grow, are cultivated at Bergdolt-Reif & Nett with horse power. More precisely, a Rhenish-German cold-blood horse helps to keep the soil loose so that it can breathe. This is how grapes grow that are of higher quality and give the wines of Bergdolt-Reif & Nett even more character.

Diversity of vines – classic for the Pfalz

As is not unusual in the Pfalz, a whole range of vines also grow in the vineyards of Bergdolt-Reif & Nett. In addition to the usual suspects such as Riesling and Pinot Gris, Christian Nett has also made French classics like Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Auxerrois at home in his vineyards.

The vines of Bergdolt-Reif & Nett

• Riesling
• Müller-Thurgau
• Silvaner
• Pinot Blanc
• Pinot Gris
• Chardonnay
• Auxerrois
• Sauvignon Blanc
• Scheurebe
• Gewürztraminer
• Muskateller
• Lagrein
• Pinot Noir
• Dornfelder
• Merlot
• Cabernet Sauvignon

Creativity at Bergdolt-Reif & Nett – in and on the bottle

Christian Nett is not only innovative in the bottle, but also in his wine names and labels, where he is committed to change and taking risks. This starts with his Glaube-Liebe-Hoffnung Riesling, which comes in classic style with cross, anchor and heart on the label, and continues with Paranoia Pinot Noir, his red wine Herzschlag, his Chardonnay Nettswerk and many others.

The wine nomenclature of Bergdolt-Reif & Nett

• Tradition – forms the entry level
• Creation – usually cuvées or innovatively crafted single-varietal wines
• Black Edition – high-quality wines with lower yields per hectare
• Avantgarde – long maceration times and particularly sensitive vinification further enhance quality
• Prestige – the top segment, consisting of Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Noir, grown in the Mandelberg site