The von Hövel winery is located in Oberemmel, a wine-growing village in a side valley on the lower Saar. A founding member of the VDP Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, it has been family-owned for over 200 years and is currently managed by Max von Kunow. On 21.5 hectares of vineyards, 87% Riesling is cultivated, along with some Weißburgunder and Spätburgunder. Besides 2.85 hectares in the world-famous Scharzhofberg, the winery also owns two monopole vineyards. One is the Oberemmeler Hütte, a 5-hectare vineyard classified by the VDP as a GROSSE LAGE, whose fruit-rich Rieslings with their distinctly exotic aromas are the winery's flagship. The other is the Kanzemer Hörecker, a roughly 0.5-hectare plot that can rightly be called the "finest piece of the Kanzemer Altenberg"! The wines from this vineyard also impress with their fruit richness and fine spicy notes and are usually found at the annual wine auction in Trier. In addition, the winery cultivates plots in the Oberemmeler Karlsberg, Oberemmeler Rosenkamm, Wiltinger Klosterberg and, since taking over a vineyard from the "Konzer Tälchen", also plots in the Krettnacher Silberberg, Krettnacher Euchariusberg and Krettnacher Altenberg. The winery receives excellent ratings in the relevant trade press. For example, Gault & Millau awards 3 red grapes, Eichelmann 3.5 stars, and Feinschmecker four "F". Furthermore, the trade magazine Feinschmecker awarded Max von Kunow the internationally renowned Wine Award "Newcomer of the Year 2016" – a preliminary crowning of his work. Besides developing his winery, winemaker Max von Kunow is also passionate about professional and cultural exchange with winemakers from other regions and countries. The winery is a member of the "Twin Wineries Initiative". This association is a network of German and Israeli winemakers who exchange experiences on the problems and challenges of viticulture in modern times. The aim is to promote cultural exchange between Jewish and German viticulture and to raise awareness of the wines of both countries through joint activities. In addition, the von Hövel winery was a co-founder of the "WURZELWERK & WINZERS BEITRAG" project. In this project, winemakers from Germany and Austria exchanged grapes from their best vineyards to find out whether the vineyard or the winemaker has the greater influence on the wine. The von Hövel winery is therefore a traditional and innovative company in one! It is also worth taking a look at its interesting history:



"Gault & Millau's best dry sparkling wine in Germany"

The Von Hövel winery was formerly church property, belonging to the St. Maximin monastery in Trier. Under the reign of Napoleon Bonaparte, many ecclesiastical institutions in the region were confiscated. Thus, during the secularization in 1803, it came into the possession of Emmerich Grach. The Trier merchant bought the winery, along with the farmland and property, and founded the Von Hövel winery. His son, Johann Georg Grach, continuously developed the winery. His granddaughter married the royal forester Balduin von Hövel in 1902, who took over the winery and gave it its current name. In 1950, Balduin von Hövel's granddaughter, Irmgard von Kunow, together with her husband Friedrich, took over the winery from an inheritance community. Her son, Eberhard von Kunow, was the one who brought the estate to its current fame. He managed the winery until 2010, and his aromatic Rieslings with delicate fruit delighted enthusiasts worldwide. In 2011, his son and current owner, Maximilian von Kunow, finally took responsibility for the traditional winery. After his winemaking training at the renowned Baden winery Salwey, he studied "International Wine Business" at the renowned Geisenheim University of Applied Sciences and then worked for many years as a consultant for Luxembourg private winemakers. He brought the diverse impressions of his apprenticeship and journeyman years into his family business, which he now runs in the 7th generation. During his time in Luxembourg, he also developed a close friendship with the well-known Luxembourg Michelin-starred chef Lea Linster. Together with her, he launched the "CrossMosel" wine project in 2010 and created the semi-sweet Riesling "LMEAAX", which has enjoyed great popularity since its premiere in the 2010 vintage. For Max von Kunow, his first vintage at the winery was a resounding success, as his Von Hövel Scharzhofberger Spätlese semi-sweet 2010 was immediately awarded the title of best semi-sweet wine in Germany by Gault & Millau! 2010 was a complete success for him, not least because Max von Kunow followed in his father's footsteps that year and has since been the auctioneer of the Großer Ring Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, leading the traditional Prädikatswein auction in Trier.
"One of the oldest wine cellars in the Saar region with a unique atmosphere"
The Hövel winery has gradually converted its external operations to organic farming in recent years. Therefore, the use of pesticides and herbicides, as well as mineral fertilizers, is avoided to promote biodiversity in the vineyard. The vines are consequently fertilized exclusively organically and managed in a nature-friendly way. However, organic certification is not sought, as the winery wants to keep the option of using fungicides open in years with high disease pressure. Instead, the winery carries the FAIR'N GREEN label. This organization not only focuses on sustainable, environmentally friendly management, but also incorporates other factors, such as fair treatment of its employees, in a holistic approach. In autumn, the grapes are harvested selectively by hand as late as possible, often not before mid-October, and brought to the winery. Here, depending on the type of wine, the grapes are either pressed directly whole or first crushed and left to stand on the mash for several hours at a cool temperature before being pressed. The must is then allowed to settle overnight in a stainless steel tank, so that the coarse sediment particles collect at the bottom of the tank. The next morning, the clear must is transferred to its fermentation tank, where it spontaneously ferments with native yeasts. Depending on the type of wine, fermentation takes place either in stainless steel tanks or in 1,000-liter oak barrels. Over 40 of these traditional large barrels are located in the historic, over 1,100-year-old vaulted cellar of the winery. After fermentation, the wines are allowed to mature on the yeast until bottling, giving them a fine, silky texture and inner balance.



"Invigorating, juicy wines with great drinking pleasure!"

The style of von Hövel wines can be described as elegant and light-footed. A delicate fruit runs through all the wines, paired with pronounced herbaceous/mineral notes. On the palate, the wines are incredibly juicy, well-structured, and equipped with an invigorating, ripe acidity and low alcohol. A fantastic drinkability and a lot of enjoyment in the glass are guaranteed here!