Premier Award-Winning Wines: Nik Weis Winery has consistently produced exceptional wines that have gained international recognition. Their wines have been featured in Wine Spectator's prestigious "Top 100" list seven times since 2008, with the distinction of being the only German wines on the list in 2024.
VDP Membership and Classification: Since 2000, Nik Weis Winery has been a member of the Association of German Quality Wine Estates (VDP), an elite group that harvests only 2% of Germany's total wine crop annually. Five of their vineyard sites have achieved the coveted VDP.GROSSE LAGE (Grand Cru) classification, placing them among top-tier producers like Egon Muller, Dr. Loosen, and Keller.
Noah's Ark of the Mosel Riesling: Nik Weis has undertaken a unique preservation project, cultivating new vines from century-old plants to create a "Noah's Ark of the Moselle Riesling." This initiative not only enhances genetic diversity but also contributes to the exceptional quality of their wines. Each wine is fermented using only natural yeasts, resulting in distinctive flavor profiles that truly reflect their terroir.
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "Nik Weis has quickly become one of the Mosel's rising stars."
Vinous Media: "Weis continues to hone and chisel the house style. In 2023, this was evident in the uncommon brilliance that defines all the wines, from dry to sweet."
Egon Müller is widely hailed as the "King of German Riesling," reflecting his preeminent status and widespread international recognition (Jancis Robinson, 2023). The Scharzhof Estate has been passed down through four generations of the Müller family, with each generation contributing to its esteemed reputation for excellence, embodying the family's relentless pursuit of quality (Decanter Magazine, 2022). Egon Müller’s wines are among the most sought-after and rare in the world, with limited production making them highly prized by collectors (Wine Spectator, 2021). This also makes Egon Müller a regular fixture in auction houses, with his Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA) frequently topping the charts as the world’s most expensive sweet white wine for many years.
These wines perfectly reflect the unique terroir of the Saar region, providing an authentic expression of this exceptional growing area (Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media, 2020). Through meticulous vineyard management, Egon Müller ensures only the highest quality grapes from his vineyards are used, resulting in wines of unparalleled depth and complexity (Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate, 2019). His wines have earned international acclaim, solidifying his position as one of the world’s premier winemakers (Wine Enthusiast, 2023). As a distinguished member of the Premier Familles du Vin (PFV), Egon Müller stands alongside other world-renowned estates, collectively illuminating the global landscape of premium wines.
Located in Ahr, the winery was established in 1950 by Paula Meye and Willibald Näkel couple and named after their family names. A fourth generation family producer, it is now headed up by two sisters Dörte & Meike Näkel, daughters of the owner Werner Näkel, under the help of their mother Claudia. With limited planted area, instead of the pursuit of quantity, from the first generation Näkel family's pioneering making quality Pinot Noir(Spätburgunder) has written the red wine history on the northwestern fringe of Germany's wine producing region in Ahr. Meyer-Näkel became a member of VDP in 1994 and won Decanter International Pinot Noir Trophy Award in 2008.
Meyer-Näkel has a total of 23 hectares mostly grown organically with parcels in four different Grosses Gewächs (Grand Cru) sites. The vineyards are planted on steep slopes which gives good exposure to ripen the grapes and also supplies freshness due to altitude which can reach 300m above sea level. In Ahr, most of the soil is made up of stony loam with weathered slate. The slate collects the heat from the sun in the day and releases the heat slowly to the vineyard in the night, which also contributes to the ripening. The soil of Meyer-Näkel's vineyards differs subtly from parcel to parcel which makes their wines fascinating with dedicated minerality.
All the Spätburgunders are hand harvested and fermented in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks with varying times ageing in oak. They share a precision with alluring Pinot fragrance and fruit. They are consistently stunning and will win over even the fussiest of Pinot Noir lovers.
The ambassador of quality German Riesling.
The Dr. Loosen estate has been in the same family for over 200 years, they are a prestigious member of VDP, German Wine Grower’s Association. When Ernst Loosen assumed ownership in 1988, he realized that with ungrafted vines averaging 60 years old in some of Germany's high-quality vineyards, he had the raw materials to create stunningly intense, world-class wines. His vision and uncompromising pursuit of quality are not only reflected in his wines but also recognized by Decanter Magazine, naming him Man of the Year in 2005.
