Region: Ahr

The name of the wine estate goes back to the marriage of grandparents Paula Meyer and Willibald Näkel in 1950. They cultivated an area of just 1.5 hectares, yet were able to make a name for themselves because Willibald’s production of dry red wines represented thoroughly pioneering work at the time.
During the post-War years, and for some decades afterwards, German wine was simply always sweet. This also applied, most significantly, to red wine, which may seem hard to understand today, but it matched the tastes of the time. What’s more, it helped to mask often inadequate ripeness.
The grandfather had the idea of going against the grain by producing dry wines. In 1982 father Werner took over the estate as a self-taught newcomer. He had previously worked as a high-school teacher of physical education and math and took over the grandfather’s ideas one step further. It’s no secret that he did so with tremendous success. With an uncompromising claim to quality, he succeeded in establishing an entirely new Pinot Noir style on the Ahr, and by the end of the 1980s Werner was already considered one of the most important vintners in Germany.

And now there are two sisters!

Together with mother Claudia, Werner gradually expanded the wine estate to its current size, and got involved in numerous other initiatives and projects. Alongside all this he ensured very early on that his two daughters, Meike and Dörte, could follow in his mighty footsteps. Both sisters initially completed training as vintners, then went on to study for a degree in wine cultivation in Geisenheim before gradually taking over the operation of the wine estate. Now their father gives them entirely free rein but is al-ways there with advice and assistance when needed. The generational handover could not have gone more smoothly.
The sisters are now proceeding with precisely that which always was, and is, so important to their father: making the magnificent terroir of the steep slopes by the Ahr tangible in mineral-laden and fruity wines. This requires a great deal of care in the vineyard as well as reduced yields, which are harvested by hand and carefully selected. This is only possible with the help of a truly committed team. The work in the cellar focuses exclusively on preserving this high level of quality through a gentle working method.