Summary
Weingut Hammel & Cie in Kirchheim an der Weinstraße is one of the oldest family estates in the Pfalz: wine has been made here since 1723 – today in the ninth generation under Christoph Hammel. Across around 42 hectares in the northern Mittelhaardt, Riesling and Pinot varieties dominate, complemented by Sauvignon Blanc and Grüner Veltliner. The estate is defined by the pairing of a historic red-sandstone cellar with modern, precise cellar work. The range spans dry whites and reds, Pinots and traditional bottle-fermented sparkling cuvées – much of it made vegan.
History
The estate's roots reach back to 1723, making Hammel & Cie one of the oldest continuously family-run wineries in the Pfalz. Its seat is the more than 1,200-year-old wine village of Kirchheim on the German Wine Route, north of Bad Dürkheim. Across nine generations the Hammel family has shaped the business; today Christoph Hammel and oenologist Markus Nordhorn run the estate. In recent years the range has been carefully modernised and expanded with varieties such as Sauvignon Blanc and Grüner Veltliner, without abandoning the Riesling and Pinot tradition.
Location & Terroir
Kirchheim lies in the northern Mittelhaardt, one of the mildest wine-growing climates in Germany. The Haardt escarpment, the eastern spur of the Palatinate Forest, shelters the vines from weather extremes and ensures long, sunny growing seasons. In the sites around Kirchheim, Kleinkarlbach, Dirmstein and Bissersheim, red sandstone, calcareous marl and loess shape the terroir – a diversity that yields both taut Rieslings and full-bodied Pinots.
Style & Philosophy
Hammel focuses on terroir-driven, site-typical wines, combining traditional craft with modern oenology. In the historic red-sandstone cellar the wines mature under controlled conditions; the predominantly dry style puts fruit, minerality and structure to the fore. Alongside the still wines, the estate maintains its own sparkling programme with traditional bottle fermentation, and many wines are made vegan.
Notable Sites & Wines
The range is tiered from estate and village wines to single-vineyard wines. Among the estate's well-known sites and wines are:
- Kirchheimer Steinacker – Riesling and Pinot from the home village
- Kleinkarlbacher Herrenberg
- Dirmsteiner Mandelpfad
- Bissersheimer Held
- Sparkling cuvées in traditional bottle fermentation, including a rosé brut
Awards
Hammel & Cie is regularly listed and praised in the leading German wine guides, including Falstaff, Eichelmann, Gault&Millau and Vinum. More than 300 years of family tradition, the historic red-sandstone cellar and consistent quality work make the estate a fixture of the northern Pfalz.