Weingut Wageck-Pfaffmann

The winery is located in the municipality of Bissersheim (Mittelhaardt/Deutsche Weinstraße area) in the German wine-growing region of the Palatinate. The Wageck family has been living here for centuries, the winegrowing was founded by Wilhelm Wageck. The Wageck-Pfaffmann winery was founded in 1973, when Gunter Pfaffmann from Walsheim near Landau married into the business. His two sons Frank and Thomas Pfaffmann joined the business after graduating from the University of Applied Sciences in Geisenheim and are now the fifth generation to run the business.

The vineyards comprise 58 hectares of vineyards in the individual locations Goldberg, Held, Orlenberg and Steig (Bissersheim), Steinacker (Kirchheim an der Weinstraße), as well as Burgweg and Osterberg (Großkarlbach). About 60% of the vineyards are planted with the white wine varieties Riesling, Chardonnay,Pinot Gris, PinotBlanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Müller-Thurgau, Auxerrois, Kerner, Silvaner, Faberrebe and Ortega, and 40% with the red wine varietiesPinot Noir, Blauer Portugieser, Dornfelder, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, St.. Laurent, Schwarzriesling(Pinot Meunier), Frühburgunder, Cabernet Dorsa, Cabernet Dorio, Cabernet Mitos, Cabernet Cubin, Dunkelfelder and Lemberger (Blaufränkisch) stocked. The land is cultivated in a natural, environmentally friendly manner by dispensing with herbicides, plant protection with environmentally friendly recycling sprayers for over 20 years, and fertilization with compost (pomace and horse manure). The basis for low yields is laid by moderate pruning in spring and extremely extensive vine care in the foliage/clusters zone and thinning out (green harvest) in July and August. After a meticulous manual harvest, a further selection is made at the sorting table.

The vinification does not follow a rigid scheme, but is individually oriented and adapted to the variety, location and vintage. For example, for the white varieties, the maceration time, the press fractions and the degree of turbidity of the must are decided specifically for each variety. The white and red wines are partially fermented spontaneously in the case of the estate wines, and 100% spontaneously in the case of the local wines and above. The site wines are aged 100% in wooden barrels. The white wines in half-piece, tonneau or barrique, the red wines in principle in barrique with up to 100% new wood, depending on the variety and vintage. Depending on the variety, the local wines are aged up to 100% in barrique or in large wooden barrels. The white estate wines mature, depending on the variety, in wooden barrels (Sauvignon Blanc, Burgundy) or sometimes in steel tanks (Riesling), the red estate wines always mature to 100% in barriques with multiple occupancy. The premium wines of the house are Chardonnay Sülzner Weg as well as Spätburgunder Burgweg, Geisberg and Goldberg. The winery is a member of the Forum Pfalz winegrowers' association.