Weitzel Eckhard

The "Bioweingut Eckhard Weitzel" is located in the municipality of Ingelheim (Bingen area) in the German wine-growing region of Rheinhessen. It is run in the fourth generation by Eckhard and Elke Weitzel; their daughter Romy, who trained as a viticultural technician, has been working with them since 2006. The vineyards cover seven hectares of vines, about half in the single vineyard Bockstein (Groß-Winternheim). They are 60% planted with the red wine varieties Pinot Noir, Blauer Portugieser, St. Laurent, Dornfelder and Cabernet Sauvignon, and 40% with the white wine varieties Riesling, Silvaner, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris.

Organic viticulture has been practised since 1993. The cultivation is carried out according to the certified guidelines of Bioland. Insect diversity is promoted through cover crop. The grapes are always harvested by hand. The red wines are vinified with open mash fermentation for up to 12 days on the berries, biological acid reduction, storage on the fine yeast until March and weak filtration. The top Burgundy wines mature for 10 to 12 months in barriques. The white wines are vinified with slow fermentation, storage on the fine lees until February and gentle filtration. Grape juice, sparkling wine, bottle-fermented sparkling wine and noble brandy are also produced.