The Nik Weis – St. Urbans-Hof winery is one of our estates, located not on the Saar, but in the beautiful Mosel village of Leiwen. The founder of the winery, Nicolaus Weis, was involved in the reconstruction and preservation of viticulture after the war, for which he was awarded the rare title of "Ökonomierat" (Council for Economics). He laid the foundation stone for the winery in 1947. However, the premises in the village center soon became too small, and the operation was relocated to the outskirts of Leiwen, into the vineyards. Instead of simply calling the new winery Nik Weis, it was named St. Urbans-Hof, after the patron saint of winemakers, Pope St. Urban I. The Weis family, however, had owned plots in the Leiwener Laurentiuslay long before the founding of their own winery, where some of the estate's best wines are grown today. Directly adjacent to the winery, Nik Weis's grandfather also founded a vine breeding operation, which today supplies some of the world's best Riesling vines. His son took over the winery in the 1960s and expanded for the first time to the Saar. He was early convinced of the excellent quality of the Saar vineyards and gradually acquired plots in Ockfener Bockstein, Schodener Saarfeilser, and Wiltinger Schlangengraben. In Ockfener Bockstein, one of the best vineyards on the Saar, Nik Weis is now the largest owner. The plots are all located in the best part below the Bockstein rock face in the original area of the Bockstein, as well as in the Zickelgarten, a prime piece of land planted with old Riesling vines in single-pole cultivation. These wines present themselves as incredibly delicate and balanced, with a fine mineral backbone and outstanding aging potential. This location is particularly close to winemaker Nik Weis's heart: "For me, Ockfener Bockstein is certainly the location with the most character in my portfolio." Not far from the Bockstein lies the Schodener Saarfeilser, a special south-facing location directly on the old arm of the Saar. The prevailing warm climate and unique soil conditions (river gravel overlay and slate underneath) result in very finely woven Rieslings with a delicate melt and elegant, floral aromas. Not to mention the Wiltinger Schlangengraben, a comparatively flat location with very good water supply. Here stand the oldest vines of the winery, some over 100 years old! These produce incredibly dense and juicy wines, often with an earthy-spicy aroma. In total, the winery now owns over 45 hectares of outstanding vineyards, including three VDP.Große Lagen on the Mosel and Saar. The vast majority (95%) is planted with Riesling, the remaining 5% are distributed among Pinot Noir, White and Grey Pinot Noir, and some Rivaner. The current owner, Nik Weis, took over the winery in 1997 and now runs it in the third generation. Since his studies in viticulture and oenology at the renowned Geisenheim University, he has intensively researched and propagated old Riesling clones. His work has shown that the clones used and their diversity in the vineyard can significantly influence the later wine quality. With this knowledge, he set out to search for old, rootstock vines on the Mosel, Saar, and Ruwer. He took cuttings from vines with particularly positive characteristics, such as loose, aromatic berries, and propagated them in his own nursery. Over the years, he has thus collected a unique variety of old Riesling clones from world-famous vineyards such as Scharzhofberger, Ockfener Bockstein, or Wehlener Sonnenuhr. He now sells this so-called "Selektion Marsalle," a colorful mix of old Riesling genes from the best vineyards of the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer region, to many colleagues, and his vines thus provide the best planting material for future top wines. It is thanks to his persistent pursuit of quality that the winery is now considered among the top German wineries by experts. Since 2000, the winery has been a member of the Association of German Prädikatswein Estates (VDP) and is rated with top marks by the relevant trade press: 4 grapes Gault-Millau, 4 stars Eichelmann, 5 Gourmet points and numerous special awards such as the "best sweet and noble-sweet collection of the year" in Eichelmann (2017) or the title "Riesling Champion 2018", to name just a few.



"With nature, not against it!"

A closer look at the label of Nik Weis wines reveals a Latin inscription on the family crest: "Con Natura – Non Invicem" – with nature, not against it. All vineyard practices are based on this conviction. A diverse range of grape varieties is cultivated. This means that Nik Weis no longer removes a single vine, but rather replaces individual damaged vines, thus maintaining a diverse age mix in his vineyards. Old single-pole systems with old vines and high planting density are preserved and traditionally cultivated by hand. The classic "Mosel hearts," where the two arched vines are tied together in a heart shape on the single pole, are, in Nik Weis's view, perhaps the best cultivation method for our region and a traditional commitment. The vines are fertilized exclusively organically and managed in a nature-friendly way. However, organic certification is not sought, as the use of fungicides is desired in years with high disease pressure. Instead, the winery carries the FAIR'N GREEN label. This organization not only ensures sustainable, environmentally friendly management but also incorporates other factors, such as fair treatment of its employees, in a holistic approach. Furthermore, Nik Weis winery implements other quality-enhancing measures, such as leaf removal from the grape zone and grape sorting, to reduce yields and ensure optimal aroma development in the grapes. The highly aromatic grapes are selectively hand-picked as late in the year as possible, often not before mid-October, and carried in traditional "Hotten" (wooden containers) on their backs from the vineyard to the vats. From there, they are taken to the winery and, depending on the wine, macerated briefly or for several hours to better release the aromas contained in the skins. After the grapes have been gently pressed, the must is allowed to settle overnight so that the sediment settles to the bottom. The clear grape juice is then drawn off into stainless steel tanks and fermented there at a controlled temperature with native yeasts. Some of the wines mature on the fine yeast in stainless steel tanks after fermentation, until shortly before bottling. However, the top wines are allowed to mature further in the classic 1,000l oak barrels, the so-called Mosel-Fuderfässer, before they are bottled.



"Black and white labels for better orientation"

The wines of Nik Weis – St. Urbans-Hof are known above all for their intense aroma with fully ripe fruit, floral notes, their silky texture and great balance. Six years ago, the labels were redesigned to make it easier for you, our valued customers, to find your way around the wines and to provide clear orientation. Dry wines – according to the house philosophy, these are wines that are legally dry and semi-dry – bear a white label. Wines with fine residual sugar and sweet wines, on the other hand, bear a black label.

Wirft man einen genauen Blick auf das Etikett der Weine von Nik Weis, so erkennt man in dem Familienwappen eine lateinische Inschrift: „Con Natura – Non Invicem“ - mit der Natur, nicht gegen sie. Aus dieser Überzeugung heraus sind alle Maßnahmen im Weinberg an das Familienmotto angelehnt. Es wird auf eine vielseitige Rebgenetik gesetzt. Das bedeutet, dass Nik Weis keinen einzigen Weinberg mehr rodet, sondern lieber einzelne kaputte Reben ersetzt und so auf eine bunte Altersmischung in seinen Weinbergen setzt. Alte Einzelpfahlanlagen mit alten Reben und hoher Pflanzdichte werden so erhalten und traditionell von Hand bewirtschaftet. Die klassischen „Moselherzen“, bei denen die beiden Bogreben herzförmig an dem Einzelpfahl zusammengebunden werden, sind dabei aus der Sicht von Nik Weis die für unsere Region vielleicht beste Anbaumethode und traditionelle Verpflichtung zugleich. Die Reben werden ausschließlich organisch gedüngt und naturnah bewirtschaftet. Eine Bio-Zertifizierung wird allerdings nicht angestrebt, da man sich den Einsatz von Fungiziden in Jahren mit hohem Krankheitsdruck offenhalten möchte. Stattdessen trägt das Weingut das FAIR`N GREEN Label. Diese Organisation achtet nicht nur auf eine nachhaltige, umweltschonende Bewirtschaftung, sondern bezieht ganz im Sinne eines ganzheitlichen Ansatzes auch weitere Faktoren wie z.B. einen fairen Umgang mit seinen Mitarbeitern mit ein. Des Weiteren setzt das Weingut Nik Weis weitere qualitätsfördernde Maßnahmen, wie etwa die Entlaubung der Traubenzone und das Traubenteilen ein, um so die Erträge zu reduzieren und eine optimale Aromenbildung in den Trauben zu gewährleisten. Die hocharomatischen Trauben werden möglichst spät im Jahr, oft erst ab Mitte Oktober, selektiv von Hand gelesen und in den traditionellen „Hotten“ auf dem Rücken aus dem Weinberg auf die Bütten getragen. Von dort werden sie zum Weingut gebracht und je nach Wein nur kurz oder für einige Stunden eingemaischt, um den Aufschluss der in den Schalen befindlichen Aromen besser zu ermöglichen. Nachdem die Trauben schonend abgepresst wurden, wird der Most über Nacht absitzen gelassen, damit sich die Trubpartikel am Boden absetzen. Anschließend wird der klare Traubensaft in Edelstahltanks abgezogen und dort temperaturkontrolliert mit natureigenen Hefen vergoren. Ein Teil der Weine reift nach der Gärung bis kurz vor der Füllung auf der Feinhefe in den Edelstahltanks. Die Spitzengewächse dürfen jedoch in den klassischen 1.000l Eichenfässern, den sogenannten Mosel-Fuderfässern, weiter reifen, ehe sie auf die Flaschen gezogen werden.

Die Weine von Nik Weis – St. Urbans-Hof sind vor allem für ihre intensive Aromatik mit vollreifen Früchten, floralen Noten, ihre seidige Textur und großartige Balance bekannt. Vor 6 Jahren wurden die Etiketten neugestaltet, um Ihnen, liebe Kunden, den Überblick über die Weine zu erleichtern und so eine klare Orientierung zu geben. Die trocken schmeckenden Weine, das sind nach der Philosophie des Hauses Weine, die gesetzlich trocken und feinherb sind, tragen ein weißes Etikett. Weine mit feiner Restsüße sowie edelsüße Weine, tragen hingegen ein schwarzes Etikett.