The winery is located in the municipality of Neuweier (Ortenau area) in the German wine-growing region of
Baden. The origin of the castle dates back to the 12th century. In 1785, the former lord of the castle, Baron Philipp Franz von Knebel-Katzenellenbogen (1733-1816), had "Niersteiner and Laubenheimer vines" (Riesling) planted in his vineyards. Furthermore, he had the Rieslings from the Mauerberg vineyard bottled in
Bocksbeutel (this exemption for the use of the bottle form otherwise reserved for Franconia still applies today). In 1992, the castle was extensively renovated. In addition, major investments were made in the cellar technology. In the mid-1990s, right next to the core vineyard, which is supported by dry stone walls, a prime piece of land - the "Golden Loch" - was developed in the Mauerberg, which until then had lain fallow and was threatened by landslides due to a layer of clay at a depth of 20 metres, and provided with transverse terraces. Since 2012, it has been owned by the Schätzle family.
The vineyards cover 17 hectares of vineyards in the Neuweier single vineyard sites
Mauerberg and (under sole ownership)
Schlossberg. They are planted exclusively with the white wine varieties Riesling (13 ha), Pinot Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, as well as Pinot Noir. The vineyards are cultivated according to the rules of
integrated p est management. The animal and plant diversity is impressive; among others, there are castle falcons and pheasants. After the selective harvest, the grapes are gently pressed. Different yeasts are used for the controlled, cooled fermentation. While the Rieslings and Gewürztraminers are aged entirely in stainless steel, the Pinot Blanc and Pinot Noir are also partly aged in large wooden barrels. Fine brandies are produced in the estate's own distillery. The winery is a member of the
Pro Riesling and
VDP (Verband deutscher Prädikatsweingüter) associations
