Weingut Prinz

Weingut Prinz - Biodynamics in the Rheingau region

The Weingut Prinz is located in Hallgarten in the Rheingau. Here the Prinz family grows wine, but only since 2004 in the main business. Since then, however, they have already been able to make a name for themselves with the Rheingau-typical wines that are produced here in the vineyards and in the cellar. The winery is run by Fred Prinz, who is supported by his wife Sabine and their children Anna and Florian. While the parents focus more on the work in the cellar and on the estate, Florian is more active in the vineyards themselves.

The vineyards of the Prinz winery

11.1 hectares of vineyard and four sites are available to Weingut Prinz 

• Hendelberg: steep slope with a south/southwestern orientation, slate weathering and intense sunlight
• Frühernberg: also south/southwestern orientation, the vineyard is shaped like an amphitheater and thus protected from wind, poor soils of gravel and sand
• Schönhell: south/southwest orientation, gravel, sand, loess and clay soils, open to the wind on the slope
• Jungfer: south/southeast exposure, gravel, quartzite and loess loam characterize the soil, open to the wind on the slope

On these vineyards, the family cultivates 90% Riesling, another 5% Pinot Noir, the rest red Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and Traminer.

The estate has been fully certified for organic viticulture since 2013. Florian Prinz also discovered his interest in biodynamic viticulture during his studies. Out of conviction, the estate was completely converted to this farming method in 2018. Although the estate is not certified for this viticulture, it does follow the principles. For example, horn silica and horn manure are used to regulate the growth of the roots and the plants.

A special coup was achieved by Weingut Prinz in 2022: the estate was awarded the management of some parcels of the vineyards of Schönbrunn Palace, which are among the best Riesling sites in the world.

Into the cellar and into the bottle

In the cellar, the Prinz family works gently to preserve the quality of the grapes. The material is not pumped, but fed to the tanks via a tipping system. Pressing takes place at low pressure, the must is given 24 hours to settle naturally and fermentation is drawn out slowly over several weeks. Quality winemaking takes time. White wine is bottled in early spring after it has been allowed to rest on its lees for several months. In the case of Pinot Noir red wine, on the other hand, the mash is fermented in open vats, followed by storage in half-barrels or barriques. At least 10 months pass between harvest and bottling.

True to the VDP principles, the wines of the Prinz winery are divided into four categories: Estate Wines, Local Wines, First Sites and Great Sites. In the estate wines, one finds the full range of varietal wines; they are, so to speak, the winery's calling card. From there on up, Riesling dominates all categories, only Pinot Noir is additionally vinified in First Site quality. With their wines, the Prinz family has been able to convince such greats as Vinum, Eichelmann, and Falstaff in recent years; the former even named them Rising Star of the Year 2022.