Winemaker: Dominik himself!
Where: Dolgesheim, Rheinhessen, Germany
Size: 5 ha vines, 20 ha total polyculture (vines, grains, forest)
Main Varieties: Riesling, Weissburgunder, Rülander, Chardonnay & Silvaner
Certifications: Polycutural agriculture methods, long term goal to be organic certified
Quick note: Low-intervention winemaking and 20-30% limestone marl
Dominik’s roots in Dolgesheim can be traced all the way back to a family coat of arms from 1604, and the family has certainly been farming for centuries following historical methods, Dominik’s grandfather most recently was planting in a polycultural method, with not planting just 20 hectares of monoculture vineyards but also planting fields of grains (mainly barley), and fruit trees. While his family history is extensive, Dominik’s own winemaking at the family estate only begins in 2020!
After studying at the University of Geisenheim, and a lot of drinking and investigating the world of natural and low intervention wine, Dominik interned with Andreas Gsellman in Burgenland in 2019. Burgenland and the wines of Styria, particularly the Blauer Wildbacher from Strohmeier, crystallised his ambition to make his own tense, direct, pure and low intervention wine from his vines back home.
The family vineyards sit on rolling hills, made up of about 20-30% of limestone, ocean marl, clay and loess, and his work with these Jurassic soils emphasise the structure his grapes are able to take up and develop into strong acid structures, with dense mouthfeel and expressive fruit character. Dominik aims to vinify in a mixture of stainless steel and neutral oak, with as long elevage as possible, this helps develop his by now characteristic reduction. His labels clearly reflect his wine's energy; fun, wild, direct, bold, and yet with a restrained feeling running through them.
The next few years will see Dominik working more vineyards and taking on more polycultural work. What also impresses us is his friendship group and the network of other young winemakers in the region, who all work together for the education and betterment of the group. Dom is a big part of the Tour de Natur events in the region and yet also hits the gym regularly focusing on his health, additionally he and his wife have just had a baby daughter, so obviously Dominik is quite a busy man these days!
