Outstanding Vinotheks Details

Want to get the perfect first impression of the grand tradition and long history of Weingut Emmerich-Koebernik? It's simple. Shortly after walking in the entrance, look up. There on the ceiling is a gallery with nine generations worth of photos and images. In this case, a glance up is a glance back.

The Emmerich-Koebernik family has for centuries pursued the winegrower life amidst the Rhine slate mountains that shape the wild landscape of the Nahe. It's a striking region with three long-extinct volcanoes. While the fire has gone out below the mountains, the passion for winegrowing is not going anywhere. The farm is documented as having grown grapes since at least 1730. By the 1920s, bottles were being packed into wooden crates and sent off by rail. The love for winemaking was passed on to Hermann Emmerich and his wife Emmi. Wine was very much the center of the couple's lives, and the pair transformed the firm into a dedicated winemaking estate.

Doris Emmerich, who in 1974 toured the world for a week as German Wine Queen, now runs the show with her husband Ernst-Günter Koebernik. They cultivate 14 hectares in total. The many different soil types in the Nahe region allow for a broad spectrum of varieties and styles. Volcanic rock, weathered sandstone, clayey silt, limestone, loess-loam and clay shale form the ideal substrate for thrilling wines in eight different varieties, first and foremost Riesling, Silvaner, Weißburgunder and Grauburgunder. It should come as no surprise that the Schlossböckelheimer Königsfels is considered the estate's flagship Riesling, as the site is known as one of the finest on the entire Nahe.

Daughter Christiane has brought new momentum to the estate. After taking a degree in International Wine Management and a stay in the Chilean wine industry, she has now returned to her parents' estate. They granted her space to create her own line, with cheeky labels and — as a passionate hunter — punning titles that use wordplay such as between "Rehbock" (roe buck) and "Rebstock" (vine).

Whether pouring Christiane's "Bock" line or the parents' more classic range, there's plenty of options in the vinothek, with its eye-catching exterior facade in a powerful wood design. The interior is marked by windows stretching down to the floors, offering fine views on the old manor house from 1857, as well as a look into the barrique cellar. A variety of small delicacies are available to pair with the wines, including wild game from the game store at the Soonwald forestry office, Waldböckelheimer wine truffles and chocolate from Chocolatier Eberhard Schell. Grandma Emmi and Aunt Trude serve as the official nurturing souls of the estate, and ensure that guests are never left wanting. The ladies are there in the entranceway as well — just remember to look up to see them.