Although originally founded as a monastery winery in 1743, the history of the Van Volxem winery has been shaped more by beer than by the church. Because after the takeover by the Trier brewer Gustav van Volxem at the beginning of the 19th century, the winery was run by his family for four generations. After a few changes of ownership in the 1980s and 1990s, which were difficult for German viticulture, the winery on the Saar was again taken over by a brewer in 1999. Roman Niewodniczanski from the brewing dynasty of the Bitburger brewery is now the proud owner of the winery. He obviously has more than just interesting plans. A visit to the Van Volxem winery and a wine tasting with a view of the Saar are more worthwhile than ever!
Tradition and progress on the Saar
Nowhere else can you see both the tradition and the future of winegrowing and winemaking as clearly as on the Saar at Van Volxem. The parent company is located in the center of Wiltlingen right next to the church. The original, venerable monastery winery was extensively restored by Roman Niewodniczanski in line with the protection of historical monuments. Dark wooden floors, wood-panelled walls and ceilings, a heavy wooden table and antique leather armchairs characterize the setting. Outside a picturesque mature garden with old trees and shady spots.
100 years ago, Saar wines were among the most expensive wines in the world. And so the Van Volxem headquarters presents itself as one imagines the residence of a wealthy winegrower. At the same time, the parent company presents itself as a glimpse into the past. Roman Niewodniczanski obviously intends to add something new to this, to give the winery and with it the entire region a new vision for the future.
Departure at the Van Volxem winery
Van Volxem has set out to return to the golden age of winegrowing on the Saar. The basis for this is, today as in the past, the uncompromising focus on first-class, handcrafted quality. At Van Volxem, the keyword sustainability quickly comes into play, one of the main reasons for the new building on the Wiltinger Schlossberg. The modern Van Volxem winery is located high above Wiltingen and the Saar. The facades are made of bright, friendly shell limestone and the buildings have modern, straight lines. The tower, where wine tastings take place and guests are received for events, offers beautiful views of the surrounding vineyards, many of which Van Volxem has bought in recent years, from windows over 8 meters wide. Only top locations, of course, steep slate locations, most of them facing south or south-west, because the goal is "world class".
In viticulture and in the cellar, Van Volxem relies on natural cultivation and expansion. The reduction of yields, harvesting exclusively by hand, the greatest possible avoidance of treatment substances and 100% spontaneous fermentation in the cellar. The new construction of the winery makes it possible to ensure traditions that are essential for achieving first-class quality and at the same time to support them with modern methods and modern logistics.
Driving force for the entire wine industry
The modern form of staging a winery is also new for the visitor. Because such stagings, which are already normal in the New World in particular, whether in California, South Africa or Australia, we have not yet seen that often in Germany. In my opinion, while we often celebrate the joy of wine in the Drosselgasse too much, the development continues elsewhere. But with a view to the generational change among wine buyers, such further development is just as important for the German wine industry as it is for the tourist attraction of the region. Hopefully, what is being created at the Van Volxem winery on the Saar is also a signal to the entire wine industry. It needs game changers like Roman Niewodniczanski, who value tradition and use it to develop something new.
Wine tasting at Van Volxem on the Saar
Our visit to the Saar at the Van Volxem winery took place before the official opening of the new building. It is possible that visitors will be received more flexibly in the future, we had made a binding reservation in advance for a wine tasting with an appointment. You should plan two hours for the wine tasting at Van Volxem, it was charged at 25 Euros per person. The price may seem high, especially to us German visitors, unlike in other regions of the world we are often not used to paying for a wine tasting. It's basically different on the Moselle anyway, but 25 Euros per person is already pricey for some. Personally, I don't have any problems with it, because it reduces the subjective feeling of having to buy something after a wine tasting. In addition, I have often had the experience that you don't get to taste the really good wines if the wine tasting doesn't cost anything.
Van Volxem's wines
And that's exactly why the 25 Euros at Van Volxem were worth it for me. Because in return we tasted a selection of more than 10 wines, from Riesling sparkling wine to simple wine to the great growths, from dry to finely fruity. With the exception of two Pinot Blancs and a sparkling wine made from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, the Van Volxem winery on the Saar produces exclusively Rieslings.
The focus on quality is reflected in the fact that even his base wines are produced from top locations. And yet I was really surprised by their local wine, the 2017 Wiltinger Riesling. Admittedly, the bottle had been open for a while when the wine was tasted, but I had never smelled such a scent of white flowers from a Riesling. On the palate, however, its salty minerality was so wonderfully refreshing that I almost wanted to have more. The price of 13.90 Euros per bottle ensures a value for money that is second to none. For me, the second highlight was a Riesling from the world's most famous location on the Saar, the Great Growth of the 2017 Scharzhofberger Riesling. A straightforward Riesling with elegant fruit and also a wonderful, salty minerality. At 38 Euros per bottle, this quality has its price, like any other Great Growth. With a look at the prices of large crus from other regions or a look at historical documents from 100 years ago, these 38 Euros are put into perspective very quickly.
My conclusion: I am happy about this detour to the Saar during my wine trip. And Van Volxem was not only a nice experience, but also successfully promoted an entire region. I will gladly come again!
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