The winery is located in the municipality of Nackenheim (Nierstein area) in the German wine growing region of
Rheinhessen. It was founded in 1890 by the Mainz banker Carl Gunderloch (1846-1935). He is considered a pioneer of quality viticulture on the Rhine and was a co-founder of today's
VDP. Until 2015, Gunderloch's great-great-granddaughter Agnes ran the winery with her husband Fritz Hasselbach. Since then, the sixth generation of the family has been led by son Johannes Hasselbach. He is supported by the cellar technician Markus Weickert. The vineyards comprise 15 hectares of vineyards in the individual locations
Pettenthal (Nierstein) and
Rothenberg (Nackenheim) in the Red Slope
(Rhine front). They are 85% planted with Riesling and smaller stocks of Silvaner, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc and Blauer Portugieser. The cultivation is carried out under the premise of the house, "that it must never be our aim to impose our will on nature"
The management is based on the premise that "it must never be our aim to impose our will on nature". An average yield of around 50 hl/ha is achieved by
short pruning. The aim is to achieve a balance between aromas, fruit acidity and berry ripeness in order to obtain concentrated wines with a
mineral character. The German writer Carl Zuckmayer (1896-1977), in his comedy "
Der fröhliche Weinberg" (
The Merry Vineyard), first performed in 1926, lets the figure of Jean Baptist Gunderloch appear, who praises in the highest tones a Riesling Spätlese Nackenheimer Rothenberg of the 1920 vintage. In the cellar of the winery even some bottles of this legendary
century wine are still stored. The winery is a member of the
VDP (Verband deutscher Prädikatsweingüter). Since 1996, the Balbach Erben winery has also been leased.