Weingut Bretz

Ernst Bretz Winery

Weingut Ernst Bretz e.K. can now look back on a 300-year history, as it was founded as early as 1721 in Bechtolsheim in Rheinhessen. Since 1987 it has been run in the 9th generation by the brothers Horst and Harald Bretz and Horst’s wife Heike. Harald Bretz is responsible for managing the vineyards, his brother Horst looks after the cellar and production, while his wife Heike is in charge of customer relations.

It all began as a mixed farm with agriculture and viticulture; the first vines that were planted served to produce wine for the Welschnonnen Monastery in Mainz. Almost 200 years after its founding, Weingut Bretz was expanded in 1907 and bottled wine marketing was introduced. It was not until 1931 that agriculture was completely discontinued; from then on only wine was produced.

In 1956, with Ernst Bretz, the 8th generation took over the management of the estate. He expanded production and exports, which now even reached as far as Japan and the USA, where people particularly appreciate the noble sweet ice wines.

About 60% of the total production of Weingut Bretz is sold directly from the estate to private customers, the rest is distributed through the trade.

The Bretz grape varieties

The almost 40 hectares of vineyard area of Weingut Ernst Bretz are planted in equal parts with red and white grape varieties.

White grape varieties:

• Riesling
• Pinot Blanc
• Pinot Gris
• Chardonnay
• Silvaner
• Rivaner
• Sauvignon Blanc
• Gewürztraminer
• Scheurebe
• Huxelrebe
• Bacchus
• Kerner

Red grape varieties:

• Pinot Noir
• Dornfelder
• Blauer Portugieser
• Regent
• St. Laurent
• Cabernet Sauvignon
• Merlot
• Pinot Noir Précoce

The vineyard sites of Weingut Bretz

The almost 40 ha of vineyard area of Weingut Bretz are located mainly around the Bechtolsheimer Petersberg. Here, the Bretz family owns vineyard land in the single sites:

• Bechtolsheimer Klosterberg
• Bechtolsheimer Homberg
• Bechtolsheimer Wingertstor
• Bechtolsheimer Sonnenberg

The soils in these sites consist of loess and calcareous loam with shell limestone. The Bretz wines owe their mineral character to this composition.

Vinification at Weingut Bretz

Yields in the Bretz vineyards are consistently reduced by targeted pruning of the vines and the removal of surplus grapes; vineyard management is environmentally friendly and sustainable.

In the cellar, the white grape varieties are gently pressed and destemmed, then matured in stainless steel. The red grape varieties undergo mash fermentation and are aged in stainless steel and barrique. Maturation in barrique lasts up to 18 months.

Awards for Weingut Bretz 

Since the 1960s, under the aegis of Ernst Bretz, Weingut Bretz has been receiving award after award. Since 2008, Weingut Bretz has also been permanently listed in the Top 100 wineries recommended by the DLG and has been steadily working its way up. In 2019, Bretz had already reached 28th place in this list. Some of the awards and medals:

• State awards for wine and sparkling wine: State Honorary Prize of the Rhineland-Palatinate Ministry of Economic Affairs and Viticulture from 2008 to 2015
• International Green Week Berlin 2010 and 2013: Award “Best Regent Producer” from the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection, presented by the then Parliamentary State Secretary Julia Klöckner
• Selection 2012: 27th place among the 50 best winemakers in Germany
• Der Feinschmecker: Listing of Weingut Bretz among the best German wineries
• International Austrian Wine Challenge Vienna 2011: 1 star and gold
• Wine fair Interwine China 2011: Chardonnay as “Best ice wine”
• DLG Federal Honorary Prize ceremony 2013: Winemaker of the Year 2013 with Federal Honorary Prize for Wine in Gold
• Oskar Patzelt Foundation 2016: Grand Prix for Medium-Sized Enterprises
• Great Wine Capitals 2019: “Best of Wine Tourism Award” in the Wine Tourism Service category
• German Agricultural Society (DLG) 2020: named Weingut Bretz “Winemaker of the Year 2020” with Federal Honorary Prize in Gold and also “Wine Producer of the Year”