Nahe, Germany
Weingut Emrich-Schönleber
The Schönleber family have been growing wine for over 250 years, farming their top-class vineyards in Monzingen with great commitment and dedication. Their wines are particularly striking and reflect this exceptional terroir.
Great wines are authentic on account of their provenance, character and history. For this reason, the Schönlebers have spent decades investing much time and effort into maintaining and recultivating the best vineyard plots, most of them very steep, within the Frühlingsplätzchen and Halenberg ‘Grosse Lagen’ (grands crus).
A family with a long winegrowing tradition
Viticulture in the Schönleber family dates back over 250 years, but it was not until the end of the 1960s that today’s winery began to take shape. It was Werner Schönleber who quickly grew the property into a fully fledged wine estate that would eventually be considered one the ‘Germany’s 100 best wineries’ in 1991. Werner’s son Frank now manages the winery. He farms 20 hectares of vineyard, with Riesling covering 85% of this area. “Schönleber single-vineyard wines always have distinctive personalities. We don’t just want to produce ‘good’ wine,” say the family.
The Schönleber ethos
Humans are an essential component of terroir, and is up to the winegrower to nurture both soil and vine. The Schönlebers are careful to ensure that everything in the vineyard is in good balance and, most importantly, that the yield of the vines is in harmony with the water and nutrients available in the soil. In terms of the process from grape to wine, the family also believe that every cask or tank is different. Each wine has a unique story to tell, each has a distinct personality and terroir imprint. And that is how it should be.
