You will find many women in wine in Rheinhessen. All of them are talented and special in their own way. May we introduce you to three of them?
Rising Star
Growing up in a family of winemakers, Julia Oswald knew very early that she would follow their example. After finishing school, she did a winemaker training, which inspired her to also pursue a Bachelor degree in Viticulture and Enology. All the while, she still helped her family in their winery. This experience and in-depth knowledge helped her come in second place as Young Winemaker of the Year in 2020. Another success that Julia and her family can be proud of is the great state honorary award of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate in 2021. After several state honorary awards, the great award honoured the family’s commitment to quality wines.
Julia Oswald in the family winery
Credit: Jörg Sänger
However, it did not end there for Julia. Now that she has finished her master’s degree in Enology, she is preparing to extend her role at the winery. One could say just at the right time: “Burghof Oswald” is planning some changes. For example, the reorganization of their wine range. They want to focus on grape varieties, which are resistant to fungal diseases. Moreover, many events, among them new formats, will take place in and around the winery. From now on, they will also be part of the “Weinsalon Rheinhessen”, an established series of after work events in Mainz and Darmstadt. Last but not least they plan to transition to an organic management of their vineyards. Exciting times lie ahead – make sure to keep an eye on Julia and her family!
An authority
One woman, one goal: to make red wine from Ingelheim popular again. Since taking over her father’s winery in 2010, Simone Adams rose from being an insider tip to a wine authority.
Simone Adams in her vineyards
Credit: Johannes Ritter
Together with her team, she cultivates 10 hectares in the best vineyards of Ingelheim. An ideal size to implement the careful vinification that is so important to Simone. For years, she and her team have merged biodynamics and regenerative viticulture with their wine philosophy to give nature even more space in the wines. Their aim is to transfer the Ingelheim terroir to the wines as authentically and vividly as possible. In effect, their wines can compete with the best of their kind.
No wonder, then, that experts of a popular German newspaper have recently named her “Winemaker of the Year”! This award came as quite a surprise – yet a pleasant one. On the one hand, Simone sees it as a confirmation that her past decisions have been correct. On the other hand it is an incentive to keep developing their quality further. This sounds like something to look forward to!
The Sauvignon specialist
The Weedenborn winery in Monzernheim is located on one of the highest elevations in Rheinhessen.
The grapes for their wines ripen on 20 hectares of family-owned vineyards around Monzernheim and Westhofen. Sauvignon Blanc certainly plays the main role here. However, Weedenborn also stands for the Burgundy varieties with all their facets and sparkling wine produced with the traditional bottle fermentation. Extensive and natural care of the vines, low yields and healthy and fully ripe grapes are the fundamental requirements.
At work: Gesine Roll in the wine cellar
Credit: Sandra Fehr
At the heart of the winery is Gesine Roll. She learned the winemaking trade at the Bassermann-Jordan winery and at Vergelegen Wine Estate in South Africa. In addition to this, she studied trade management. Her aim? “Elegance and traction are particularly important to me in the wines. The wines should be very precise and ‘easy to drink’, not fattening or filling. The high altitude of our winery’s vineyards, with cool nights and lots of wind, just lends itself to my favoured style of wine.”
This style earned her quite a bit of success: the renowned Gault&Millau attests to the excellent level of her Sauvignon Blancs and recently named her “Wine Personality of the Year” 2023. Congratulations!