Weingut Knipser

The family-run Weingut Knisper is picturesquely located in Laumersheim in the Palatinate. 

The Knipser family winery from the Palatinate – pioneers of top-quality wines

Viticulture in the Palatinate has been practiced since the days of the ancient Romans and has earned a position in Germany that stands for the highest quality. One reason for this reputation is the Knipser winery from Laumersheim. In the northern part of the Vorderpfalz, picturesquely situated between Bad Dürkheim and Grünstadt, the Knipser brothers create, year after year, wines with varietal-typical site character. Unique expressions of their origin. In doing so, Volker and Werner Knipser continue a family tradition dating back to 1876 with exemplary quality. The two of them began back in the 1980s to take independent responsibility for their parents’ mixed agricultural farm. But they soon realized that they wanted to focus 110% on viticulture. A milestone in this development was their appointment to the Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter, or VDP for short, in 1993. This association of Germany’s best winemakers has stood for the highest quality aspirations for over 100 years and has invigorated German viticulture in an extraordinarily positive way. What the VDP is for Germany, the Knipsers are for the Palatinate. Through their own very high standards, they put the picturesque village of Laumersheim on the maps of many top restaurants and on the lips of the entire German wine world.

Knipser wine – tradition meets modernity

Tradition and innovation by no means exclude each other in the Knipsers’ craft. On the contrary, they actually depend on one another. At Weingut Knipser, things are constantly questioned, tested, and redeveloped. Of course there are classics such as Palatinate Riesling or Pinot Noir (Spätburgunder), which rank among the best the wine world has to offer, but there are also other world-class grape varieties that have found a new home here. In particular, the Bordeaux varieties Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot, but also the French noble grape Syrah, are firmly rooted in Knipser’s portfolio. And so it is no surprise that the most renowned of all German Bordeaux blends, the “Cuvée X”, comes from the northern Palatinate. In winemaking as well, the Knipsers already oriented themselves in the late eighties towards the best that was being drunk at the time – wines from Bordeaux. Their membership in the Barrique Forum impressively underlines their ambitions and gives us wines that captivate with complexity and longevity.

The Palatinate offers the best conditions for producing top wines at Weingut Knipser

The ideal climate for viticulture does not exist, but something special does. Especially in the Palatinate, many favorable factors come together to produce white and red wines of world-class level. On the one hand, the imposing Palatinate Forest provides a unique rain shadow, which, with only little precipitation, spurs the vines on to peak performance. The almost 2,000 hours of sunshine per year bring an almost Mediterranean flair and optimal growing conditions, which are also outstanding for French red wine varieties. The gnarled vines were planted in the plains on loess/loam soils or soils with a calcareous marl layer. On the slopes you find significantly less humus but more of what gives the wines their unmistakable Palatinate character. The meagre sandy soils from the Großkarlbacher Osterberg and Laumersheimer Kapellenberg make the wines appear delicate and filigreed. They almost dance on the palate as you drink them. Solid, millennia-old limestone soils are found in the sites Laumersheimer Kirschgarten, Laumersheimer Steinbuckel, Großkarlbacher Burgweg and Dirmsteiner Mandelpfad. The best results on these hard soils are usually achieved by Burgundy varieties such as Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Noir. Thus the vineyard sites form the foundation for the success of the Knipsers.

Knipser: Pälzer Bube

One does not get the impression that the very positive press or the large number of awards and fans has changed the family. The “Pälzer Buben” (Palatinate lads) prefer to be in the “Wingert” (vineyard) and in the cellar – taking care of their grapes and their wine. Even though Feinschmecker, Gault&Millau and the renowned wine critic Eichelmann all award the winery the highest scores, the only thing that matters is the best possible wine quality. And what comes next? Stephan Knipser will soon fully take the reins and serve us top wines year after year, which we can enjoy at our leisure.

Knipser bestselling wines

• Clarette Rosé dry – Knipser
• Laumersheimer Kapellenberg Riesling – Knipser
• Sauvignon Blanc dry – Knipser
• Cuvée X – Knipser