The winery is located in the municipality of Bad Neuenahr in the German wine-growing region of Ahr at the foot of the Red Wine Trail. It was founded in 1980 by the Görres family, Marc Linden's grandparents, with 1.5 hectares at the time. The manor house, an art nouveau villa, was built by the Mülhens family, better known as "4711". A wine tavern is attached. Wine tastings and wine walks are organised. The premises can be used for private and commercial events. The winery has been run by Marc Linden and his wife Michaela since 2005. The work in the vineyard and cellar is guided by the two principles of "class not mass" and "kissed by wood, but not beaten to death".
The vineyards cover seven hectares of vines in the single vineyards Daubhaus, Forstberg, Riegelfeld, Rosenthal, Silberberg and Ursulinengarten (Ahrweiler), Schieferlay and Sonnenberg (Bad Neuenahr), as well as Alte Lay, Himmelchen and Kräuterberg (Walporzheim). Around 70% of the vines are planted with Pinot Noir and 30% with PinotGris, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris. Natural, environmentally friendly viticulture is practised with cover crop, as well as compost and straw cover to protect against erosion and to promote soil life. Insecticides have not been used for many years. With the help of our own weather station, infections caused by fungal diseases in the vineyard can be optimally determined and the necessary plant protection measures can be kept to a minimum.
As a quality-enhancing, yield-reducing measure, the vines are "cut in half"(thinning) shortly after flowering. Only physiologically ripe grapes are processed through selective manual harvesting. The old vaulted cellar is equipped with the most modern cellar technology. The winery specialises in producing classically matured, fruity wines that are typical of the region and matured in traditional wooden barrels. Around 80% of the wines are vinified dry. The estate's premium wines include Neuenahrer Sonnenberg Spätburgunder Auslese "A", Spätburgunder "R" unfiltered and Frühburgunder. Around 50,000 bottles of wine are produced annually. Fine brandies and bottle-fermented sparkling wines are also produced.
Picture: © Dominik Ketz
