Below are the winemakers who participated in Riesingfeier 2013

Weingut A.J. Adam
Attending winemaker: Andreas Adam
Country, region: Germany, Mosel 

Beginning in the vintage 2000 with little more than a hectare of vines in the relatively unknown Dhroner Hofberg, Andreas Adam has very literally stormed the German winemaking scene. In just over 10 years, he has proven himself to be one of the most talented young winemakers in Germany with the international following to prove it. The style of winemaking is a breathtaking balance of deep concentration, rich mid-palates awash with ripe fruit and pulled into focus by a slinky, elegant acidity. Andreas seems to have the magic touch and has proven his abilities with dry wines all the way to luxurious dessert wines.

Currently, Andreas farms 3.8 hectares, with holdings in both his hometown Dhroner Hofberg as well as small parcels in the Piesporter Göldtropchen that he owns/farms with Julian Haart. Andreas is a confident winemaker with an uncompromising approach to his work: while he is not certified organic (it’s too difficult with the small sizes of the parcels he holds), his approach in the vineyard is close to nature – fertilizing is minimal and is never chemical. In the cellar Andreas works only with natural yeasts and does not employ a sweet reserve for the wines. This is one of the most exciting new addresses in German wines, without question.

Weingut Keller
Attending winemakers: Klaus Peter and Julia Keller
Country, region: Germany, Rheinhessen

Founded in the late 18th century, there can be no doubt that winemaker Klaus Peter Keller and his wife Julia have brought this family estate to a pinnacle of German winemaking. In the last decade, they have refocused the winery on dry Riesling and have become a critical force in the renaissance of dry Riesling in Germany. Few estates have achieved the level of critical praise or have inspired such a fanatical following (a double-magnum of 2009 G-Max recently auctioned for nearly 4,000 euro, an unprecedented price for a dry German Riesling). Jancis Robinson, writing in the Financial Times, called Keller’s wines the “German Montrachets.” The German wine review Gault Millau has given Keller basically every award out there including "Producer of the Year," "Collection of the Year" and in 2007, "Dry Riesling of the Year.”

Located in the southern Rheinhessen, the home of Liebfraumilch and other ponderous horrors, the Keller’s home village of Flörsheim-Dalsheim is an unlikely hot spot for German winemaking. Yet, in the middle ages these were some of the most storied vineyards in Germany; the wines of Morstein, Hubacker, Kirchspiel and the Abtserde (currently considered a subplot of the Brunnenhäuschen) were all reserved for the top church officials, including the Bishop of Worms himself. Keller has almost single-handedly brought these sites back to fame (this time, a fame that far surpasses the clergy in Worms); these are statuesque wines, forceful and dense with a polished fruit yet, above all else, they flaunt their minerality and dance across the palate.

Weingut Peter Lauer
Attending winemaker: Florian Lauer
Country, region: Germany, Saar

Although Weingut Peter Lauer has existed for several generations, the wines have only seen a wider distribution in the U.S. for the last few years, thanks to the inspired work of Lars Carlberg at the now defunct Mosel Wine Merchant. In no time at all, this has become one of the most talked about estates among German wine geeks. The style at Lauer is 180 degrees from their famous Saar neighbors Egon Müller and Zilliken – the focus is on dry and off-dry Rieslings as opposed to the residual sugar (Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese) wines of the latter two. Yet the hallmarks are similar: purity, precision, rigor, mineral. This is, after all, the Saar. Florian Lauer took over the winemaking duties from his father in 2005 and has done an extraordinary job in bringing to light many overlooked and/or forgotten vineyards/parcels in the Saar. His focus is clearly on the tapestry that is the Ayler Kupp – numerous bottlings (Stirn, Kern, Unsterstenbersch, Neuenbersch) are a testament to the diverse expressions of this hillside. However, Florian has also reintroduced to the larger vocabulary of German wines simply awesome vineyards such as the Schonfels. This January, 2013, Lauer was welcomed into the VDP winegrowers association.

Weingut J.J. Prüm
Attending winemaker: Katharina Prüm
Country, region: Germany, Mosel 

The estate of J.J. Prüm is perhaps the most iconic winery in Germany. Although Prüms have been living in or around Wehlen since 1156, the history of the estate of J.J. Prüm begins in 1911. With a track record of winemaking that goes back over a century, any number of 20th century monuments have come from this famous cellar – the great wines of the 20s, 30s, 40 and 50s continue to drink well and the wines from the 60s, 70s and 80s, in some cases, may still be considered young!

Dr. Manfred Prüm took over the estate with the death of his father, Sebastian, in 1969. With over 30 acres of holdings in Wehlen, Zeltingen and Graach, the Prüms have an incredible arsenal of vines, of which nearly 70% are ungrafted. Manfred’s daughter Katharina has been working with her father for a number of years and should ensure the continued high-standing of this estate for the future.

Weingut Schloss Lieser
Attending winemaker: Thomas Haag
Country, region: Germany, Mosel 

In 1875 the great castle of Lieser (Schloss Lieser) was built by the Baron von Schorlemer; in 1905 a winery was erected next door to the castle and by the mid-20th century the vineyards, the wines, of Lieser had achieved great fame. In the 1970s the estate was sold and quality began to decline. By the early 1990s, the estate was in bad repair, it had no clientele, its cellar of historic wines was emptied and its history of greatness nearly forgotten.

It was with the harvest of 1992 and the arrival a new general manager that things began to change. Thomas Haag, the eldest son of Mosel legend Wilhelm Haag (of Weingut Fritz Haag), had come aboard to change the direction of this estate. In 1997 Haag purchased Schloss Lieser and since then it has quickly risen to among the very best in Germany. With holdings in Niederberg Helden and Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr, Schloss Lieser’s style is unapologetically sharp. These are chiseled Rieslings of mineral and purity.

Weingut Forstmeister Geltz Zilliken
Attending winemaker(s): Dorothee Zilliken
Country, region: Germany, Saar 

Hanno Zilliken is a living legend in the Mosel. Taking over the estate with the baroque, botrytis-inflected 1976 vintage, the wines of Zilliken have epitomized the lightness and elegance of Saar Riesling for well over 30 years. The 1983s are masterpieces of this complex vintage, the 1990s and 1997s remain young and fresh. There are many who feel the 2005 vintage marked Hanno’s crowning achievement; this is a legendary collection.

Yet, the best of Zilliken may still be to come; Hanno’s daughter Dorothee has been working with her father since 2007 and is in a great position to continue the estate. Geltz Zilliken has exceptional holdings in the Saarburger Rausch and Ockfener Bockstein and one of the most impressive, deepest and coldest cellars in the Mosel. Few have descended into this multi-level cellar and forgotten the experience. Zilliken is one of the few German winemakers to exclusively use old wooden Fuder in the fermentation and elevage of the wines – the estate has about 80 Fuder in the vaulted cellar. Most famous for their sweet dessert wines, this is an estate that has in recent years begun to show a keen sense of balance with their dry Rieslings.