Weingut Ziereisen, Gestad Syrah 2021

Right on Germany’s southern edge, in Efringen-Kirchen, the Ziereisen family run their estate in the Markgraflerland also known as the Dreilandereck, the “three-country corner” where Germany meets France and Switzerland. It’s a spot with plenty of cultural overlap and for Hanspeter and his wife Edel it’s the perfect base to push German wine in a completely different direction.

Hanspeter’s spark came pretty early in life. As a teenager he set out to taste the world, a journey that eventually lead to Burgundy, where Pinot Noir struck a chord that never left him. Back home the family vineyards sit on limestone-rich slopes that share the same backbone as Burgundy’s Côte d’Or. That geology, paired with south-facing exposures and serious vineyard graft give these wines their precision and depth.

The Ziereisen's work as a team, keeping things straightforward in the vines and cellar: minimal treatment, hands on farming, long time on lees and as little intervention as possible. No recipes, no over-engineering, just giving the wines the space and time to become themselves. The result is wines that feel balanced and energetic, alive and always anchored to their origin but unmistakably individual.

Within Germany Hanspeter has also been a driving force behind the Landwein movement in Baden- a small revolution by growers who reject rigid classifications in favour of freedom and authenticity. For him, bottling as Landwein isn’t a step down in quality but a conscious choice: it allows him to make wines true to his sites and philosophy, without compromise.

For Hanspeter and Edel, the estate is as much about family and continuity as it is about Pinot Noir and Gutedel- their calling cards and one they have mastered in a truly unique style.