Winemaker: Andreas Schumann
Where: Germany, Pfalz - Wachenheim and Hexheim
Size: 5 ha & 5 ha in each site (10 ha total)
Main Varieties: Riesling, Pinot Noir, Weissburgunder & Gewürtztraminer
Certifications: Demeter, VDP
Quick note: Monopoly vineyards, long lees contact, mainly stainless steel and Low-intervention winemaking
Weingut Odinstal is a Demeter certified winery, originally located on a 5 hectares estate in the hills above the Pfalz region in Germany. The estate itself dates back to 1802, when the main house was built as the Mayor’s private residence, overlooking the valley and town of Wachenheim. The Odinstal estate wines as we know them, properly began in 1996, when Thomas Hensel and his family bought the estate, bringing Andreas Schumann to the property as he was finishing his thesis in Geisenheim in 2004. He completed the first harvest and for the ensuing years, converted the estate into biodynamic working agriculture under the Demeter certificate.
After many successful years of work on their original site, in 2024 the Odinstal family expanded to include a mirroring 5 hectares estate in Hexheim. Mainly planted with Burgundian clone Pinot Noir and a little Riesling, this gives Andreas some opportunity to get his hands into some red wines! Uniquely the estate is also old vines, and is the site of an ancient monastery, with 6m high walls enclosed vineyards or ‘clos’, and the cellar has been constructed originally from beautiful locally produced bricks and a vaulted barrel room. In 2021 Weingut Odinstal entered the VPD, so from the 2021 vintage the monopoly vineyards are certified Grosses Gewächs.
There are a great many things to say about Andreas, as he is dear to our hearts! He was our first winemaker in our portfolio, and has believed in us from the beginning. Most importantly, however, we see him as a true inspiration; a teacher of wine, biodynamic agriculture, life lessons and absolute dedication to his craft.
With a methodical approach to both his vineyard and cellar work, he creates precise and pure wines. Andreas also likes to experiment, push boundaries and encourage new ways of thinking. An excellent example of this is a particular Silvaner (Nakt) vineyard, that has not been pruned in more than 10 years, or the Altenberg vineyard where he avoids the use of sulphur and copper, utilising only different tea treatments instead. All his experiences he generously shares with colleagues around the world through consulting and masterclasses.
All vineyard work is done by hand. Pruning is methodical and built on the principles of Simonit & Sirch. Compost and spraying teas are made from their surrounding vegetation, additionally with help from the estates cows.
Wachenheim
The vineyards are rather unique as the majority of the vineyards are high on a hillside, surrounded by old growth forests and backing on to a disused Basalt quarry. This ensures its own microclimate within the confines of the forest, with almost its own weather system and soil nutrition. With an elevation of roughly 350m above sea level, they are the highest elevated single vineyards in Pfalz.
Main soil types are Buntsandstein, Muschelkalk and Basalt, but unusually these are all located within the 5 hectares, due to a volcanic eruption millions of years ago that turned the layers of soil from horizontal to vertical shafts, and left the magma as solid Basalt.
The majority of the vineyards are planted with Riesling, however they also have vineyards of Weissburgunder, Rieslaner, Auxerrois, SilThevaner and Gewürtstraminer.
Hexheim
This is another such unique site within the Pfalz/Palatinate region, with the main ‘clos’ being encircled by 6m high limestone walls, entirely south facing and rather sheltered slope comprised of weathered Tertiary limestone and loess. The winery has been worked organic since 2012, with Andreas continuing on with the usual Odinstal Demeter certification.
Vinification
The cellar work is mainly focused on steel tanks or old oak and an amphora for the Silvaner (Nakt) grapes. Everything is spontaneously fermented, with no temperature control, a low use of sulphites and pad filtration only on some wines. Andreas tends to use 10-20% of the stems and skins during fermentation to add some nutrition to the yeast, and provide a slight tannin structure to the wine. Some cuvees receive 2 years on the lees, others just one year. Pinot Noir from Herxheim will go into either small format or large 1500 L oak, age until appropriately matured in the cellar.
