English

Dielheim is a village situated about 15 km south of Heidelberg. The region is called Kraichgau (don't try to pronounce it, just enjoy it!). It boasts a beautiful landsape with small hills and slopes, vineyards, fields and woods. Our own vineyards can be found between the villages of Dielheim and Rauenberg.

In the 1960's Karl-Friedrich's father started growing vines as a hobby. He had a good friend in Dielheim and this was the reason for him later buying his first vineyard here. For Karl-Friedrich it grew from a hobby into a profession and in the 1980's the family bought an old trade building and turned it into a winery and guest house serving bed and breakfast.

Karl-Friedrich spent his apprenticeship as vintner in one of the pioneer wine estates producing organic grapes. But soon he learnt the difference between learning and actually doing. Although he objected to weed killers and chemical fertilizers, he did not dare to do completely without chemical plant protection. In the first years it was simply a question of time: Three little children need both their mother and their father to take care of them. But in 2003 we joined the organic wine growing advisory service  and over the next three years Karl-Friedrich began testing organic spraying. After that, our estate was converted into an organic viticulture and since 2008 we have been certified as EU organic estate (DE-022-Eco-Inspection Body).

As yet there are no regulations for making organic wine. And I am pretty sure it will be some time before this is the case as vintners tend to be rather stubborn when it comes to accepting new regulations. 

There are many new methods of vinification that have in the meantime become international  standards, such as the use of artificial enzymes, yeast food preparation, and additives improving the mouth feeling. We like to do without them and let the wines develop slowly their own way. Thus our wines are not necessarily trendy and mainstream but do without doubt have their own character.

If you want to try our wines, we can make it possible: We visit the UK every year in February or March. We normally stay near London, Oxford and around Birmingham.

'Porta patet cor magis' - The door is open and our heart is open even wider

This is the motto of the painting in our foyer. It welcomes the visitor who would like to spend a day or two in our winery. The guest rooms are fitted with TV, radio, telephone, wireless LAN and a kitchenette and all have ensuite bathrooms (shower/WC). You can choose our house as starting point for excursions to Heidelberg and Speyer to visit any number of historical sights, or to Mannheim and Karlsruhe with their interesting museums, or for hiking tours into the Kraichgau region.

Twice a year, after Easter and after the grape harvest, we open our temporary restaurant, located in our sales room, for four weeks. There you can try our wines, eat home made meals and talk with friends and other guests.

Next year the wine pub will be open from April, 12 until May, 6 2012.