Weingut Schwedhelm
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At Strauch, every decision leads to a singular goal: to craft exceptional sparkling wines in harmony with nature that authentically reflect the region.
Location: Osthofen, Rheinhessen, Germany
Hectares: 25
Farming: Certified organic
People: Isabel Strauch-Weißbach and Tim Weißbach
Website: https://strauchsektmanufaktur.de/
At Strauch, every decision leads to a singular goal: to craft exceptional sparkling wines in harmony with nature that authentically reflect the region.
Tim and Isabel Strauch-Weißbach set clear intentions when they decided to convert the estate of Isabel’s parents (Weingut Dalbergerhof Strauch) from a traditional Weingut to one of Germany’s leading sparkling wine facilities. That was in 2011, and by 2017 they stopped producing still wines altogether. The winery on Dalbergstrasse in the Rheinhessen village of Osthofen produces 100,000 bottles of Sekt annually, with another 100,000 bottles of Alkohol-frei sparkling wine. The production numbers reflect the wisdom of their decision to specialize and the market strength for top-quality grower Sekt and alcohol-free sparkling wine. Equipped with cutting-edge technology from France and their philosophy to use only estate-grown, certified organic grapes, and vinify exclusively in the traditional method, has put Strauch at the top of Germany’s Winzersekt scene.
Isabel, who graduated from Geisenheim, is responsible for sales and marketing, while Tim focuses on the vineyard and production. Tim initially studied beer, but the couple knew that becoming a great Sekt producer meant focusing on sparkling wine exclusively. Everything from cépage to equipment to harvest timing calculates towards high-quality Sekt. Planted on their 25 hectares are mainly Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, and Pinot Meunier, with a bit of Siegerrebe. The soils in Osthofen are “more or less limestone,” said Tim, who consolidated and traded vineyards with neighbor’s vineyards so their neighbor’s practices do not interfere with Strauch’s organic philosophy. Sites include the Osthofener Goldberg, Osthofener Liebenberg, and Mettenheimer Michelsberg, which produces a special cuvée from Gewürztraminer.
Technically all wines are Crémant though they don’t use the term on most of their labels. Crémant is an EU-regulated term for quality sparkling wine with specific production requirements such as mandatory hand-harvesting, whole-bunch pressing, a maximum of 100 liters of juice from 150kg of grapes, compulsory traditional method vinification, and at least nine months aging on the lees. In Germany, Crémant must also come from one of thirteen Weinanbaugebeite. Isabel explains the term Crémant can be helpful in Germany to distinguish it from the large volumes of industrial Sekt on the market. Strauch exceeds the Crémant requirements, however, with all of their wines staying on the lees for a minimum of 15 months and vinifying in wooden barrels or barriques for most of their best cuvées. They plan to increase the stock of reserve wines “so we can increase the reserve wine in our blends in the future,” says Tim. At Strauch, every decision leads to a singular goal: to craft exceptional sparkling wines in harmony with nature that authentically reflect the region.
Tech sheets/Shelf talkers/Ratings:
Strauch Sektmanufaktur Blanc Pur Non-Alcoholic NV
Strauch Sektmanufaktur Rosé Pur Non-Alcoholic NV
Strauch Sektmanufaktur Riesling Brut NV
Strauch Sektmanufaktur Sekt Riesling Vieilles Vignes Extra Brut Rheinhessen NV
Strauch Sektmanufaktur Sekt Rosé Brut Rheinhessen NV
