Geschwister Köwerich

Winery Geschwister Köwerich - what Beethoven has to do with wine

The winery Geschwister Köwerich is located in the village of the same name in the Moselle valley. The logo of the estate features the portrait of Ludwig van Beethoven, whose ancestors came from the village and whose house is still preserved in the village today. His mother also still bore the name Keverich, as it used to be spelled. Moreover, the Köwerich family managed the winery itself until 1959. Today, it is run by vintner Marcus Regnery, whose parents took over the estate from Beethoven's family. He studied viticulture at the Geißenheim University and gained international experience in South Africa as a winemaker, where he discovered his love for the Sauvignon Blanc grape. As early as during his studies, he also developed a soft spot for sparkling wines. He realized these interests in his winery, where he is now cultivating sparkling wines and Sauvignon Blanc besides the famous Riesling. Marcus Regnery is one of a group of vintners who have dedicated themselves to the renewal of the Moselle wine image, since it had a somewhat dusty character. The success of the past few years shows that he has succeeded.

Siblings Köwerichs new horizons in Mosel winegrowing

The winery Geschwister Köwerich with its vineyards forms an interesting case among the Moselle wineries. Classically, in this region, where vines have been grown continuously since Roman times, the plants are planted on steep slopes along the river. This allows for optimal exposure to the sun, which benefits the plants. The steep slopes consist mainly of slate, which gives the Mosel Riesling its distinctive taste. The winery grows on three sites:

• Köwericher Laurentiuslay
• Klüsserather Bruderschaft
• Thörnischer Ritsch

The special feature, however, are the additional flat sites on which the estate has recently started to cultivate. These are located around the village of Köwerich near the river and have mainly sandy soils. On these sites, mainly Burgundy, Riesling and Gewürztraminer are cultivated. Behind the village, the soils become gravelly and rise slightly; Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc also grow here. The development on these sites is on the one hand due to the increased demand for Mosel wines, on the other hand because they are much easier to cultivate than the steep slopes and thus allow wines in the lower price segment.

The wine from the winery Geschwister Köwerich

Today the winery offers 4 lines:

• Estate Rieslings
• classic Steillagen wines (exclusively Rieslings)
• "everything but Riesling
• Sparkling wines

In addition to Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc is grown, as already mentioned, but also Pinot Blanc and Gewürztraminer have recently been added. The sparkling wines of the estate are vinified from Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and Gewürztraminer. Only the classic bottle fermentation method is used. These wines reach such a quality that they have already been put on the same level as champagne by wine journalist Stuart Pigott, for instance, a distinction Marcus Regnery is very proud of.