German wine is synonymous with Riesling in the minds of many US consumers, and there is certainly some historical precedent that has shaped this assumption. The barons along the Rhine forbade the production of other varieties during the days of the Holy Roman Empire. Even in modern times, Germany’s controversial wine law of 1971 used Riesling-based wines as a template for its Pradikat system. However, in the sunny southern reaches of Baden, it is actually the Pinot family that dominates, with Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris making up 50% of the region’s exports. For this deep dive into Germany’s warmest wine-growing region, we have chosen a historic winery with five centuries of experience in cultivating these “other varieties.”
Baden is Germany’s southernmost wine region, and one of the country’s largest. The vast majority of vineyards here are sandwiched between the Rhine river and the Black Forest and benefit from several unique microclimates. Chief among these, and arguably the most famous for production of Pinot Noir, is the Kaiserstuhl, a volcanic mountain range near the Swiss border. Founded at the end of the 15th century, and owned by the same family since 1634, Weingut Freiherr von Gleichenstein has produced world-class Pinot Noir since its inception. Today, Johannes and Chrissi von Gleichenstein, the Baron’s direct descendants, are charged with the upkeep of not only the historic property, but also their numerous vineyards located throughout the Kaiserstuhl.
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