Weingut Gysler’s 12 hectares of vines are located in the western Rheinhessen of Germany. Built in 1750, Gernot Gysler began bottling his own wines there in 1969. After his death in the late 90’s his son Alexander took over, having just graduated with a degree in engineering. In 2004 Alexander converted the farm to biodynamic practices, with the goal of producing “living wines from living soil,” and they stopped using mineral fertilizers and herbicides. The estate has been certified as biodynamic since 2007. This shift was motivated by the early death of his father from cancer as well as the desire to bring his new daughter into as healthy a world as possible.

Alexander’s winemaking reflects his philosophy of “striving for less,” producing pure, honest wines that receive minimal treatment in his cellars. Working with nature rather than trying to manipulate it, almost no additives are used in the process, and no fining or filtration results in all of his wines being vegan as well. Producing elegant and unique wines with authentic character, Weingut Gysler is at the forefront of respectful, organic wine agriculture.

The Staffelter Hof estate, located in Kröv in the Mosel region, is not only the oldest winery in the world, it’s also one of the world’s oldest companies of any kind. It was founded in the year 862 (yes, 862!) as a winemaking abbey. In 1805 the land was purchased by Peter Schneiders, and seven generations later his descendant, Jan Matthias Klein, manages the estate.

Staffelter Hof is anything but stuck in the past. In line with their philosophy of land conservation, they have been practicing organic farming since 2011, becoming certified since 2014, one of the few to do so in the Middle Mosel. Though they do still produce more traditional Rieslings, they are also local pioneers of natural winemaking. For these, they use natural insect repellants, minimal cellar intervention and added sulfur, and the wines are unfiltered, unfined, and hand-bottled. Such avant-garde techniques are rare in this region, but typical of Jan’s approach to winemaking. In 2018 he hired a Peruvian woman, Yamile Abad, as his cellar master and assistant winemaker, as a progressive movement towards more inclusivity in European wine culture. Staffelter Hof’s wines are offbeat, quirky, and fun, but above all, as exceptional as their approach.