Weingut Spreitzer, Oestrich
Over the past 15 years, brothers Andreas and Bernd Spreitzer have catapulted their 17-hectare family wine estate to the upper echelons of Rheingau supremacy. Andreas sternly and justifiably insists that their home village Oestrich-Winkel (eat at Altes Rauthaus!) is at the very heart of the Rheingau, and indeed their holdings in the Lenchen, Doosberg, Jesuitengarten, Wisselbrunnen and Hendelberg vineyards serve as an all-star lineup in this famed winegrowing region.
Spreitzer’s wines manage to be eminently accommodating should you seek mere casual engagement, yet cerebrally complex for those who care to dissect them. They offer the elegance and peachy power that one expects from the Rheingau, yet a vivid sense of vibrancy and frank fruitiness that many elder estates, guilty of resting on their laurels, have managed to neglect.
It made perfect sense to me when I met Andreas and Bernd that they obviously love what they’re doing; their happy wines, no matter how modest or sophisticated, convey this enthusiasm for their work and love for their terroirs. Happy wines made by happy people… share a bottle of Riesling 101 with an old friend and you’ll know what I mean!
For those keeping track, Spreitzer’s winemaking facilities are solar-powered, their new tasting room heated by a geothermal transfer system and the beloved vineyards farmed by sustainable (not “sustainable”) methods. The wines are amongst Germany’s best and they seem to be getting better every year.
