Vintage report 2013 Keitum (Sylt)

Our efforts of the past few years were rewarded with 80 degrees Oechsle and some 800 kilograms of grapes. We're very proud of this achievement, particularly in a year of such extreme conditions. Here in the Rheingau, vegetation and ripening were much later than usual, and it was no less challenging on Sylt. Despite the whims of nature, we were able to bring in a completely healthy crop of highly aromatic Solaris grapes, thanks to the untiring commitment of our vineyard manager, Birger Sparr. In the meantime, the juice has fermented and the new wine shows well: fresh, crystal clear, and reminiscent of Sauvignon Blanc.

Due to the fact that the grapes were brought to our estate in Hattenheim for pressing and fermentation, the 2013 "island wine" will simply be labeled as a Deutscher Wein (German wine) rather than a Schleswig-Holsteinischer Landwein (vin de pays from Schleswig-Holstein). Next year's crop will be processed on Sylt, and we'll have a wine that's been born and bred on the island from start to finish. With it, we'll have come full circle with our ambitious endeavors on Sylt.