Weingut Markus Schneider

What Markus Schneider has achieved in recent times almost defies belief. After more or less starting from scratch in the 1994, he now farms 92 hectares with the help of his own dedicated team, filling around 800,000 bottles per vintage. The German wine press have called him a ‘phenomenon’ and the ‘linchpin of Germany’s wine resurgence’.

Markus Schneider has created something really quite special in Ellerstadt. The winery that he established in 1994 comprised just one hectare of vineyard. It has since become an international brand. Markus Schneider wines are now served around the world in top restaurants and hotels as well as on the best cruise lines. 

A mix of local and not-so-local grapes

Markus’s vineyards extend from Ellerstadt to the edge of the Haardt mountains. His winery in Ellerstadt, with includes an elegant villa as well as an imposing state-of-the-art cellar facility, is situated on a slight rise in the Rhine plain within the Kirchenstück vineyard. Markus not only grows traditional varieties like Riesling, Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc, but also grapes from further afield such as Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Red wine and white wine each account for half of the 800,000 or so bottles that he produces every year.

Managing vineyard plots individually

The expanse of the Pfalz gives Markus and his team plenty of options. While high summer temperatures in the Rhine valley drive physiological ripeness, the vineyards near the edge of the mountains have cooler soils and winds, allowing for longer hang time. Time itself is an important factor, necessitating an individual approach to each and every vineyard plot. Markus eschews the use of herbicides, insecticides and artificial fertilisers and instead favours careful under-vine cultivation, the use of organic composts, and the sowing of various grasses and herbs to boost vineyard health. 

“My life began when I started making wine.”

Markus Schneider

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