Summary
Weingut Holz-Weisbrodt in Weisenheim am Berg is a typical Palatinate family business – just on a large scale. What began in 1908 as the cooperage of barrel maker Karl Holz has been expanded step by step by the Weisbrodt family since the 1970s into a wine and Sekt estate with around 90 hectares of vineyards. The lead variety is Riesling, which the estate bottles in several versions, joined by Pinot varieties, Sauvignon Blanc and a growing share of red wine. What sets Holz-Weisbrodt apart from many other estates in the Pfalz is the close bond between wine and hospitality: with the Stammhaus wine taverns, the Artrium wine shop and the Secco-Hütte, the estate is one of the best-known destinations at the northern end of the Mittelhaardt.
History
The roots of the estate lie not in the vineyard but in the workshop: in 1908 Karl Holz founded a cooperage in Weisenheim am Berg – on the spot where the Stammhaus stands today. Barrels for the winegrowers of the area were the business, and the name 'Karl Holz' had a good ring to it in the region. In 1948 his son-in-law Erich Reimertshofer carried on the business.
The switch from wood to wine came with the next generation: in 1970 master cooper Willibald Weisbrodt married into the family, and two years later he and his wife Helga took over the business. The cooper became a winegrower, the workshop became a wine estate – and the double name Holz-Weisbrodt keeps the history of both families alive to this day.
From the start the family thought of wine and hospitality as one. In 1985 the 'Pfälzer Stammhaus Weinstuben' opened, and in 1992 a function room with a terrace followed. 1997 brought the next big step: the founding of the Sektgut Holz-Weisbrodt and of the 'Mandelgarten' producers' association, through which the estate works with contract growers from the area. Later came the Artrium wine shop (around 2005), the Secco-Hütte (2011) and, in 2017, a climate-controlled barrique cellar.
Today the fourth generation runs the business: Sebastian Weisbrodt (born 1976) is responsible for the cellar and the wines, his older brother Christian (born 1972) for administration, sales and the Secco-Hütte; Helga and Willibald Weisbrodt are still present in the business.
Location & Terroir
Weisenheim am Berg sits at around 230 metres above sea level on the edge of the Palatinate Forest, in the district of Bad Dürkheim and thus at the northern end of the Mittelhaardt. The Haardt hills shield the vineyards from westerly winds and rain, while the Rhine plain opens up to the east – the result is one of the warmest and driest climates in Germany. Figs, almonds and sweet chestnuts are not exotic here but everyday sights; the Mandelgarten site (almond garden) carries that in its very name.
The estate's vineyards surround the village and include the Weisenheimer Mandelgarten, Sonnenberg and Vogelsang sites. The soils of the northern Mittelhaardt are varied: weathered red sandstone along the edge of the Haardt, plus limestone, loess and loam in the flatter areas. This range explains why the estate can grow so many varieties side by side – from the cool, mineral Riesling of the upper sites to Merlot and Cabernet, which ripen well in the warm foreland.
Style & Philosophy
Holz-Weisbrodt sees itself less as a specialist in a single variety and more as a full-range producer with a clear Riesling focus. The portfolio splits into roughly 65% white and 35% red wine – with red on the rise. In-house, Riesling is regarded as 'the king' and is bottled in several versions, from the light estate wine to the dense, mineral Riesling 'Vadder'. Alongside it stand the Pinot family with Weißburgunder and Grauburgunder, Auxerrois and Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and aromatic bouquet varieties such as Gewürztraminer, Goldmuskateller and Scheurebe.
For the reds the estate relies on international varieties such as Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Syrah, complemented by Spätburgunder and Dornfelder. The wines are aged in both stainless steel and wood; since 2017 a dedicated, climate-controlled barrique cellar has been available for this. The Spätburgunder comes in two versions – as a hand-harvested barrique wine and as an oak-aged red.
All wines bear the signature of Sebastian Weisbrodt. The top of the range is the premium SEBASTIAN family, where traditional methods, new approaches and modern cellar technology come together. Playful special projects are also typical of the house: the Jazzwein, presented every year on the last weekend in January, the Kellerkind wine developed entirely by the apprentices, or the Waves & Grapes collaboration with a wine house on the island of Sylt.
The second pillar is Sekt: since 1997 the estate has produced Winzersekt by traditional bottle fermentation, plus light Seccos and alcohol-free alternatives. And above it all stands the philosophy that Willibald Weisbrodt puts like this: the finest gift is when guests stay loyal to the next generations too.
Notable Sites & Wines
The estate's most important sites all lie in Weisenheim am Berg:
- Weisenheimer Mandelgarten – the site that gave the producers' association its name, warm and sheltered on the edge of the Haardt
- Weisenheimer Sonnenberg – sun-exposed site for ripe Rieslings and red wines
- Weisenheimer Vogelsang – source of fresh, aromatic white wines
Among the best-known wines and ranges are:
- Riesling 'Vadder' – the deep, mineral Riesling of the house
- Premium SEBASTIAN family – the cellar master's top wines
- Cuvée Karl Holz – homage to the founder of the cooperage
- Cuvée Augenblick – red blend of Merlot, Dornfelder and Spätburgunder
- Jazzwein – a red Pinot blend composed afresh every year
- Syrah trocken and Merlot Blanc de Noir – two examples of the courage to work with unusual varieties
- Winzersekt from traditional bottle fermentation as well as Secco Verde and Secco Rosé
Awards
Holz-Weisbrodt is not an estate that defines itself by guide stars – its reputation rests more on loyal customers and hospitality than on tasting rankings. Even so, the estate regularly appears in the major wine guides: Falstaff rated the 2018 Syrah trocken with 90 points and the 2019 Spätburgunder trocken with 89 points. The Artrium wine shop is also repeatedly cited as one of the most architecturally remarkable addresses in the Pfalz. Anyone visiting the northern Mittelhaardt will find in Weisenheim am Berg a wine estate that brings Palatinate joie de vivre together in glass and kitchen.
