The family winery is located in the municipality of Burrweiler (Südliche Weinstraße area) in the German wine-growing region of Pfalz. It was founded in 1960 by Elisabeth and Herbert Meßmer with the purchase of a traditional estate. In 1984, the eldest son Gregor Meßmer and his wife Sieglinde joined the business. In 2003, the second eldest son Martin also became a partner in the winery, which he has now been managing alone since 2019. Since this year, Jonas Bosch has also been acting as farm manager.
The vineyards cover 30 hectares of vineyards in the single vineyards Altenforst, Schäwer and Schlossgarten (Burrweiler), Michelsberg (Weyher), and Hölle (Gleisweiler). About 75% of the vineyards are planted with the white wine varieties Riesling( 40%), Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Rieslaner, Gewürztraminer and Muskateller, and about 25% with the red wine variety Pinot Noir. The vineyards are cultivated using environmentally friendly methods in accordance with the principle of sustainability and the rules of organic viticulture, which have been certified since 2020. This includes, among other things, a cover crop between the rows of vines and the renunciation of herbicides, fungicides and insecticides.
The wines are produced according to the four-stage VDP classification model, which are identified on the bottles by the capsule colour. Origin (location) and terroir(exposition,microclimate, rainfall) play the main role in combination with quality. Depending on the wine type and grape variety, the wine is matured in stainless steel tanks, large wooden barrels, tonneaux or barriques. A speciality are the Natural Wines (Riesling, Muskateller) vinified according to traditional methods. Sparkling wines are also produced (by means of bottle fermentation and transvasation processes), which mature on the yeast for 24 to 48 months, as well as noble brandies(marc, brandy). Around 175,000 bottles of wine are produced annually. The winery has been a member of the VDP (Association of German Prädikat Wine Estates) since 1997.
Pictures: Herbert Meßmer Winery
