It?s not every day that you get meet the head of the oldest continuously functioning vinery in the world. And one that makes some of the best wines in the world. Its current head is a first generation wine maker who got into the business ?because he was fascinated by the by taste and smell of wine.? Rowald Hepp now heads Schloss Vollards, the 62-hectare farm in Germany?s Reisling growing region, Rheingau. As the name suggests the vineyard consists of rolling hills in the verdant valley of the Rhine as it meanders to the North Sea.
Hepp has applied to the Guinness Book of World records for recognition as the oldest continuously running vinery in the world. It started making wine in the year 850, and then commercially started selling in 1211. Even today it has wine dating back to the year 1857 in its cellars, located in a building that has its foundations in the first century.
While Schloss Vollards is steeped in history, its present is as perfect, designed by characteristic Teutonic perseverance by Hepp. ?We only make Reisling, as this is very terroir expressive wine, best suited for our climate and soil,? he says. And the vinery produces about 7,00,000 bottles annually, of which 60% is consumed domestically and the rest is exported to about 50 countries around the world. ?We have been in India for three years and the people are asking for our wines,? he happily says. He sees similarities between the way Japan adapted wine decades ago and ?the way India is going at present ? the growth will be slow, but wine and food pairings will go very well in India.?
Perfectionist that he is, the wine is produced through a number of innovations that bring the best in tradition and science together to make some of the most aromatic white wines, rated among the world?s top three, along with Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. The picking is late and selective and follows a two-bucket system, by which the luscious red grapes go in one bucket and the greens to another. The former become part of the noble sweet wines collection. ?We do not irrigate as we want our roots to go deep and reach the minerals in the soil,? explains Hepp. Which is also a reason the vines are interspersed with green cover crops, whose short roots ensure the vine roots go deeper, especially to reach soil levels dating back to about 400 million years ago. Reisling grapes are small, and even within that, smaller grapes are picked as they ensure greater intensity. He also explains that the climate is crucial with an ideal of 1,650 hours of sunshine annually and winter rainfall making conditions ideal. Great wines have to show a distinct, tastable character of origin, mainly based on influence of climate, soil and variety (influence of nature).
Quality is not a fixed recipe in viticulture, which can be copied year after year, he explains. ?It?s a dynamic process with the target of ultimate quality.? The way to reach the goal is to improve quality step by step, from vintage to vintage, from wine to wine. ?Before planting a new vineyard we keep the field without vines for a few years to give sufficient time to recover the soil structure and natural balance.? Even the bottling is special, and the traditional cork has been replaced by a cork stopper to prevent the former?s smell from affecting the wine.
Hepp is on the road for the coming few weeks, travelling to Japan next. For as the proprietor and chief winemaker he gets only a small annual window to be away from his vines.
