Meßmer wine estate, Pfalz

The Palatinate wine village of Burrweiler forms part of the Southern Wine Route and is, as one would expect, surrounded by vineyards. It is home to the Herbert Meßmer winery. The winery itself has existed for over 240 years and has belonged to the Meßmer family for more than 60. Martin Meßmer and Özlem took over its management in 2019, at a time that was anything but easy. Yet their determination and perseverance in leading the estate into a responsible, sustainable future remain unbroken. "Everything will be all right in the end, and if it isn't, it isn't the end." This is their guiding principle and favourite saying.

The Meßmer family and their team produce wines that express their origins as clearly as possible. Living, healthy soils, organic cultivation, hand harvesting, spontaneous fermentation and plenty of time are essential to this.

The different geological substrata of each site allow the right vines to be planted in the right soils. Riesling grows on mineral-rich slate and granite, Pinot Noir on coloured sandstone and limestone, and Pinot Blanc on shell limestone and loam.

With the right treatment and enough time, nature takes care of much by itself. It sounds simple, but it is not quite that easy. The real challenge is to do, or refrain from doing, the right thing at the right moment – in the vineyard, during harvest and in the cellar. We believe this is exactly what Martin Meßmer and his team achieve.