The winery is located in the municipality of Dernau in the centre of the German wine-growing region of
Ahr. It was founded in 1953 by the then managing director of the Dernau Winegrowers' Association, Hermann-Josef Kreuzberg. Today, the winery is managed by Ludwig Kreuzberg and Frank Josten. A wine tavern is attached. The vineyards cover about 8.5 hectares of vineyards, of which more than 6 hectares are on steep slopes. These are the single vineyards
Hardtberg and
Pfarrwingert (Dernau),
Rosenthal and
Silberberg (Ahrweiler),
Trotzenberg (Marienthal),
Alte Lay (Walporzheim), as well as
Kirchtürmchen,
Schieferlay and
Sonnenberg (Bad Neuenahr). All sites are approved for the production of Grossen Gewächsen according to the
VDP classification model. They are largely planted with the red wine varieties Pinot Noir, Pinot Noir, Dornfelder, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Regent. In Dernau, there are small stocks of Riesling and Pinot Blanc.
Management is carried out according to the guidelines of integrated viticulture and
integrated p est management (IPM).
Fertilisation with manure, straw, bark mulch or
cover crop play an important role. By pruning and
thinning out the vines, a yield of between 25 and 40 hl/ha is achieved in the top vineyards. Further quality-enhancing criteria are
defoliation in late summer and selective hand harvesting. All dry red wines are traditionally fermented in open vats and, after
malolactic fermentation, aged slowly and gently for between 10 and 18 months in large conventional wooden barrels or new barriques.
Vinegars, noble brandies and bottle-fermented sparkling wines are also produced. The winery is a member of the
VDP
