German "island wine" in Schleswig- Holstein and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania

German wine is not only increasingly moving northward beyond the 50th parallel formerly known as the northern wine-growing boundary, but is also making its way to the German islands.

Wine islands: Rügen Sylt and Föhr

It all started at the 55th parallel on Sylt, where the Balthasar Ress winery planted Solaris and Müller-Thurgau varieties on 0.3 hectares in 2009 with the permission of the Schleswig-Holstein state government and was able to harvest its first crop in 2013. The high number of sunshine hours on the island (more than in the Rheingau) made it possible. Part of the vines is leased to wine fans, who receive bottles of the result (crisp, slender, quite bite). The "Söl'Ring" is vinified on site, the finishing touches are applied to the young wine in the Rheingau. At the price (65 euros), the rarity character was expressed. With the 2019 vintage, there were two changes. The already small Müller-Thurgau stock was replaced by more Solaris vines. Christian Ress had made the experience that the "Müller" had to struggle a lot in this field. And lately there is no more wine, but sparkling wine. It will be launched before the end of this year.

Sylt was followed by Föhr. Here, ten years ago, Swedish-born Frederik Paulsen, head of the internationally active pharmaceutical giant Ferring (headquartered in Switzerland), had the idea of planting vines on his second home. The now 70-year-old has strong ties to wine. Through a holding company, he not only has a majority stake in Schlumberger, including sparkling wine, but also owns two of the best wineries in Georgia (GWS and Château Mukhrani). Föhr, like Sylt, belongs to Schleswig-Holstein, where former Prime Minister Peter Harry Carstensen took over ten hectares of planting rights for viticulture from his colleague Kurt Beck from Rhineland-Palatinate at the time. Paulsen applied, was immediately allocated two hectares, had a specialist carry out soil tests to determine feasibility, and was given the green light for the wine island of Föhr. Solaris and Johanniter were planted. The first few years were somewhat improvised, with a mobile press and bottling plant, but in the meantime the Waalem winery has become a technically well-equipped attraction on the island. Föhr farmer Christian Roeloffs became familiar with wine and takes care of the vineyard. The wines are not out of the ordinary in price; the flagship is a more than passable sparkling wine (just under 30 euros). Paulsen is pleased with the results: "The white wine is fresh and fruity, my favorite is the sparkling wine." It is sold mainly through regional retailers such as the Weinhaus am Meer in Wyk.

And since planting rights for viticulture have also been granted for Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania for several years, it was also possible to plant vines on Rügen, which belongs to this federal state. And this rather unconventionally and by a couple with a somewhat curious history. Simone Hantke (53) and Mario Hohmann (61), she from Brandenburg, he from Saxony, married since 2011, fulfilled a dream in their wedding year with a cottage with quite a large plot on Rügen, with the lake in view. Reference to the wine was always present, so a proposal of the neighbors to breed sheep on the property, was notin their mind. In the meantime, he had an ob in Luxembourg, but lived in Nittel on the Mosel and got to know the winegrowing family Apel, which runs one of the best wineries on the Upper Mosel. For their suggestion - "why not make wine" - was already more receptive, and after soil tests found that viticulture on Rügen is quite feasible. In spring 2018, 4100 vines of the piwi variety Souvignier Gris (robust berry skins, good resistance) were planted, some of which already bore grapes in autumn 2019. 350 liters with 86 degrees Oechsle were a remarkable result. In 2020, there were 600 liters with 83 degrees. All this was not easy to manage with a second home in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland. Frequent commuting up to Rügen, some 1200 km away, was the order of the day. In addition, the harvest could not be expanded on the island. This is where the professionals from Nittel stepped in. The grapes were transported to the Apel winery, vinified there, bottled and the bottles delivered to Rügen. Here there are wine merchants who have them in their assortment. The retail price is 20 euros for the 0.5-liter bottle. Among tourists, the gently spicy, hearty wine is quite sought after, even as a souvenir. Mario and Simone have had a hard time coming to terms with the situation since they became winemakers. She is still employed in a private clinic in Switzerland, he recently gave up his professional work in Switzerland completely, because the work with one hectare of vines is simply too time-consuming and requires full concentration. In addition, the Hohmann winery should really get going.

Source: Weinfeder

Author: Rudolf Knoll