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Authentic wines - originals with character


"WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ACCORDING TO ECOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES FOR GENERATIONS."

FRIEDRICH GROEBE ABOUT HIS WINES AND HIS WINERY IN WESTHOFEN.

VDP: What is so special about your winery?

Friedrich Groebe: In the eighth generation, we bring professional competence, experience, passion and love of viticulture to our WEINGUT K. F. GROEBE. These strengths characterise family life in its own special way and distinguish our wines. We have been working according to ecological principles for generations, without being blocked by legal regulations. Herbicides never got to know our vineyards. The sustainable and careful handling of the nature entrusted to us is more important to us than an organic label on the bottle.

All our wines come from our own grapes, which have grown in our own vineyards. This is what is particularly important to us in the age of "ever more and ever greater". Traditional craftsmanship has no renaissance with us, but forms the basis of our work. The large barrel cellar of the winery is over 500 years old and lies deep below the historic market square of Westhofen. The wooden cask extension is in the foreground, but we also give space to modern extension methods and develop techniques for the coming generations.

We give our customers the freedom to get to know the wines in their own personal way and therefore do without flowery wine descriptions as far as possible, because everyone experiences taste, harmony and quality in a very individual way, this experience is unique and we do not want to withhold this from our guests.

VDP: What is your winery philosophy?

Friedrich Groebe: Reflection on the essentials! That means for wines from our house: We produce all our wines exclusively authentic, characterful originals and do not copy any other wine styles. And this with 100 percent personal commitment in the vineyard and cellar. Working in the vineyard gives me a deep feeling of freedom and satisfaction and shapes my life and my basic attitude towards it.

VDP: What wine style do you strive for and do you have a favourite grape variety?

Friedrich Groebe: My wine style is characterized by experience, expertise and a little bit of courage and serenity what you should keep in today's world. Riesling, is the grape variety that I particularly love and that challenges and inspires me every year anew. But I also devote all my attention to the Burgundy varieties and the Silvaner, which is typical for our region, because authenticity is also the most important thing for me here. In the end, it is a very personal wine style, which is particularly characterized by the harmony and balance in the wines.

VDP: Which of your wines would you recommend to someone who doesn't yet know your winery - as an introduction, so to speak?

Friedrich Groebe: Riesling 1763, from its origin a cabinet dry and named after the year the winery was founded. Simply a wonderfully refreshing wine.

VDP: Which wine are you particularly proud of?

Friedrich Groebe: Of course, all of them, but the small and large wine bottles in our treasure trove make me particularly proud. We look back on wines from our family until 1911. Such values form the backbone of every renowned winery and are proof of competence and winery history. Basically every new vintage makes me proud, because every year it is exciting to accompany the grapes to individual wines, to steer them and finally to present them. "WE PRODUCE ALL OUR WINES EXCLUSIVELY AUTHENTIC, CHARACTERVOLLE ORIGINAL AND COPY NO OTHER WINE STYLES".

VDP: Why did you become a vintner?

Friedrich Groebe: There has never been another professional question for me. Being a winegrower means passion for wine, for creativity and for freedom.

VDP: Do you have role models?

Friedrich Groebe: Many people have made a lasting impression on me in my life so far and have shown me interesting perspectives, among them: Bernhard Breuer and Prof. Helmut Becker who accompanied me during my studies as mentors. Fritz Hasselbach from the VDP Gunderloch Winery was a good friend and mentor. I accepted many ideas from him and then, together with him and his wife Agnes, was able to lay the foundations for the VDP.GROSSEN GEWÄCHSE® in Rheinhessen. A friendship developed which still connects our families. In Burgundy I am still fascinated by Felix Clerget, a winegrower in Pomard. His special understanding for the harmony of food and wine has strongly influenced me.

VDP: How do you combine tradition and innovation?

Friedrich Groebe: The one does not exclude the other for me. I see my task in preserving and passing on the winegrowing experience from my family that I have gained over the centuries, but at the same time bringing in my own handwriting.

VDP: Why should you still visit their winery?

Friedrich Groebe: Here in Westhofen, it's simply beautiful. There are numerous favourite places, including our Weinbergs-Häuschen in der VDP.GROSSEN LAGE® KIRCHSPIEL or one of the oldest cadastral sites "Auf der Schenk" with its old natural stone enclosures are among our favourite places. I also like to be in our old family vineyard in the MORSTEIN with a view of the Mittelhardt and the vastness of the old cultural landscape. We are also happy when we can sit in the garden around the winery with a glass of Riesling. We are happy to share this with our friends, colleagues and customers.

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