The Rheingau, one of Germany’s most esteemed wine regions, is a picturesque stretch along the Rhine River, renowned for its exceptional Rieslings and Spätburgunders. The vineyards are typically planted on south-facing slopes that benefit from ample sunlight, while the proximity to the Rhine moderates temperatures and reflects sunlight onto the vines. The soil composition, primarily composed of slate, quartzite, and loess, provides excellent drainage and imparts a distinct minerality to the wines. Within this storied landscape, Alexander Schregel (b. 1996) has emerged as one of the region’s most vibrant and exciting young winemakers.
Schregel’s path was shaped by a combination of family background, formal education, and hands-on experience. His journey began in childhood, learning much from his father, the technical director at Weingut Künstler, a ‘Lion of the Rheingau’. When Alexander finished oenology and viticulture studies at the renowned Geisenheim University in 2018, he was hired at Joseph Leitz, where he rapidly advanced to become its technical director. With 130 hectares of vineyards under his care, it’s more than a full-time job! Yet, in 2021, when Schregel was offered the opportunity to lease some small parcels in two prestigious terroirs in Rüdesheim (Bischofsberg and Roseneck), it was too great an opportunity to resist. While continuing at the helm with Leitz., Alexander set out to simultaneously follow his own muse.
Although his estate comprises only 1.5 hectares, it includes plots in some of the Rheingau’s most esteemed vineyard sites, such as Rüdesheimer Berg Roseneck, Rüdesheimer Berg Schlossberg, Bodental-Steinberg, and Assmannshäuser Höllenberg.
He practices organic and biodynamic viticulture (though not certified) The vineyards are managed with cover crops planted between the rows to enhance soil health, prevent erosion, and promote biodiversity. Canopies are carefully managed to ensure optimal phenolic maturity, and hand-harvesting is strictly observed to select only the finest grapes, preserving the integrity of the fruit.
While Alexnder greatly respects the work of his father and other traditional German winemakers, he has charted a somewhat different course for making his own wines. Classically, German Rieslings are proudly interventionist: yeasts are inoculated with cultured strains, fermentation temperatures are scrupulously controlled, malolactic conversion is religiously blocked, and SO2 is liberally employed. In contrast, Alexander takes a laissez-faire approach, allowing the natural characteristics of the grapes to shine through: he ferments over ambient yeasts, remains parsimonious with SO2, allows temperatures to fluctuate, and refrains from actively blocking malolactic fermentation. Most notably, he does not fine or filter his wines.
His wines are thus genuinely expressive of the natural evolution of his grapes into wine, but they do not fit comfortably into what the regulating authorities demand in terms of typicity. Accordingly, the German authorities, rejecting especially the less than crystalline appearance of his unfiltered wines, have declined to allow Schregel’s wines to be categorized Qualitätswein, thereby disallowing any vineyard designation. In symbolic protest, Alexander directed the graphic designer of his labels to artfully mark through the vineyard name, thereby complying and objecting at the same time.
Schregel’s philosophy embraces experimentation while avoiding dogmatism. “My philosophy is to try a lot of things and never be dogmatic,” he declares. Despite his deep dedication to crafting distinctive wines, Schregel remains most grateful for the simple pleasure of spending time in nature. “Being every day in one of the most beautiful places in the world is a gift,” he reflects. Savoring, as he often does, a glass of Riesling made by his great-great-grandfather, Schregel adds thoughtfully: “When I am old, I want to taste the wines I am making today and have them speak to me as vibrantly as my ancestor’s wines now speak to me.”
