Weingut von Othegraven

Weingut von Othegraven is a historic German wine-growing estate in Kanzem on the lower Saar, a tributary of the Moselle. The estate stands opposite the village of Kanzem and is associated with the Mosel wine region, although its vineyards are specifically located in the Saar valley. Wine-growing at the site has archaeological roots reaching back to the Roman period, with evidence of cultivation or viticultural activity dating from approximately the second to fourth centuries. The estate also has a documented wine-growing tradition extending for more than six centuries. The present owner family traces its connection with the estate to 1805, when Emmerich Grach acquired it from Reichsgraf Philipp von der Leyen-Hohengeroldseck. The property remains family-owned in its seventh generation and is currently associated with Grach descendant Günther Jauch. The estate’s ownership history links it to the long-established wine culture of the Saar and to the civic history of Trier. Emmerich Grach served as an alderman and was recorded as having welcomed Napoleon during his 1804 visit to Trier with wine from his vineyards. Von Othegraven follows a highly focused production model. Its wines are made exclusively from Riesling, and the grapes come only from vineyards classified as Grosse Lage, the German top classification for prime vineyard sites. The estate farms approximately 12.5 hectares across the Kanzemer Altenberg, Wiltinger Kupp and Ockfener Bockstein vineyards. These sites are characterized by steep slopes and mineral-rich soils containing weathered slate, quartzite, iron and greywacke. The Kanzemer Altenberg is especially notable for its extreme gradient, reported to exceed 200 percent in places, making it one of the world’s most dramatically steep vineyard sites. The estate’s core identity is therefore built around terroir specificity rather than a broad portfolio. Its wines express the combination of Saar Riesling, cool-climate conditions, steep cultivation and slate-based soils. The range includes traditional German Riesling styles, including Kabinett and other wines associated with the Prädikat system. A 2008 Kanzemer Altenberg Riesling Kabinett Erste Lage received an exceptional assessment from Fine Wines International, which named it its Greatest Wine of the Year. Weingut von Othegraven is also a cultural-heritage property. Its manor house, English-style garden and the Kanzemer Altenberg vineyard form part of a listed heritage site. The manor was severely damaged by United States troops at the end of the Second World War and was subsequently restored and enlarged between 1954 and 1956. The estate’s historical importance is reinforced by its participation in major German quality-wine organizations: it was a co-founder of the Grosser Ring Mosel-Saar-Ruwer in 1908 and of the Association of German Prädikat Wine Estates in 1910. These institutional affiliations place it within the development of modern German fine-wine classification and producer organization. Today, the estate is best understood as a small, heritage-oriented Riesling producer whose reputation rests on a limited acreage of highly regarded Saar vineyards. Its positioning combines historic continuity, family ownership, classified grand-cru sites and a deliberately narrow commitment to Riesling from steep slopes.

Weingut von Othegraven is situated on the lower banks of the Saar River near Kanzem in Germany’s Mosel wine region. The site has a long viticultural background: evidence indicates wine-growing activity in the area during the second to fourth centuries, while the estate’s documented tradition extends for more than 600 years. The modern ownership story begins in 1805, when Emmerich Grach purchased the estate from Reichsgraf Philipp von der Leyen-Hohengeroldseck. Grach became the first member of the current owner lineage connected with the property. He was also an alderman of Trier and was noted for receiving Napoleon during the latter’s visit to the city on 6 October 1804. Grach presented wine from his St. Maximin vineyard at Oberemmel in a seventeenth-century gold-plated silver goblet. The historic vessel was later sold at Sotheby’s in New York in 2001 and has been on permanent loan to the Museum of Trier since 2004. Grach’s civic role also appears in the history of Karl Marx: in 1818, while serving as an alderman of Trier, he issued Marx’s birth certificate. These associations illustrate the estate’s connection with the civic and cultural history of the region, although the property’s principal significance remains its wine production and vineyards. During the early twentieth century, Von Othegraven participated in the institutional development of German fine wine. It was a co-founder of the Grosser Ring Mosel-Saar-Ruwer in 1908 and of the Association of German Prädikat Wine Estates in 1910. These organizations helped establish producer standards and quality classifications for wines from the Mosel, Saar and Ruwer areas. The estate’s manor house, English garden and Kanzemer Altenberg vineyard are protected as a listed cultural-heritage site. The manor sustained heavy damage from United States troops at the end of the Second World War. It was restored and enlarged during 1954–1956, preserving the estate’s architectural presence while adapting the property for its continuing use. Von Othegraven remains family-owned in the seventh generation and is associated with Günther Jauch, a descendant of Emmerich Grach. Its vineyards cover approximately 12.5 hectares and include Kanzemer Altenberg, Wiltinger Kupp and Ockfener Bockstein. The estate’s production is deliberately specialized: all grapes are Riesling, and the vineyards are classified as Grosse Lage. The sites contain weathered slate, quartzite, iron and greywacke, while the Kanzemer Altenberg is distinguished by exceptionally steep gradients, reported at more than 200 percent in some sections. The estate’s contemporary identity is consequently based on small-scale, site-specific Riesling rather than on varietal diversification. Its wines are made in recognized German quality styles, including Kabinett, and the property’s 2008 Kanzemer Altenberg Riesling Kabinett Erste Lage received a notable international review from Fine Wines International. The combination of family continuity, protected heritage, classified vineyards and steep-slope Riesling defines Von Othegraven’s position within the Saar wine landscape.

1. 2008Kanzemer Altenberg Riesling receives top recognition

   The 2008 Kanzemer Altenberg Riesling Kabinett Erste Lage was named Fine Wines International’s Greatest Wine of the Year.

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2. 2004Historic goblet placed on permanent loan

   The Napoleon-associated goblet entered the Museum of Trier on permanent loan, replacing an earlier reproduction.

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3. 2001Historic Grach goblet sold at Sotheby’s

   The seventeenth-century goblet associated with Emmerich Grach’s encounter with Napoleon was auctioned at Sotheby’s in New York.

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4. 1954Manor restoration begins

   Following severe wartime damage, the estate manor was restored and enlarged during the 1954–1956 period.

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5. 1910Co-founds the Association of German Prädikat Wine Estates

   Von Othegraven participated in the founding of the Association of German Prädikat Wine Estates, linking it to Germany’s organized fine-wine movement.

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6. 1908Co-founds the Grosser Ring Mosel-Saar-Ruwer

   The estate became a co-founder of the Grosser Ring Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, an important regional producer organization.

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7. 1818Connection to Karl Marx’s birth record

   Emmerich Grach, serving as an alderman of Trier, issued Karl Marx’s birth certificate.

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8. 1805Emmerich Grach acquires the estate

   Emmerich Grach purchased the property from Reichsgraf Philipp von der Leyen-Hohengeroldseck, establishing the current owner family’s connection with the estate.

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9. Roman-period viticulture at the site

   Archaeological and historical material associates wine-growing at the site with the second to fourth centuries.

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Heritage German Riesling estate focused exclusively on wines from steep, classified Saar vineyards.

• Kanzemer Altenberg RieslingSingle-vineyard Riesling

  Riesling from the estate’s signature Kanzemer Altenberg site, a classified Grosse Lage vineyard on exceptionally steep Saar slopes. The vineyard’s slate-, quartzite-, iron- and greywacke-influenced soils are central to the estate’s terroir-focused identity. The range includes traditional German quality styles, including Kabinett.

• Wiltinger Kupp RieslingSingle-vineyard Riesling

  A Riesling offering sourced from the Wiltinger Kupp vineyard, one of the estate’s three named Saar sites. It forms part of Von Othegraven’s exclusive focus on Riesling grown in classified top vineyard locations rather than a broad multi-variety portfolio.

• Ockfener Bockstein RieslingSingle-vineyard Riesling

  Riesling from Ockfener Bockstein, another classified vineyard associated with the estate. The wine reflects the producer’s emphasis on steep Saar sites, mineral soils and traditional German Riesling expression.

• Kanzemer Altenberg Riesling Kabinett Erste LageKabinett Riesling2008

  A Kabinett-style Riesling from Kanzemer Altenberg. The 2008 vintage received an especially strong international review and was selected by Fine Wines International as its Greatest Wine of the Year.

• 2008 Kanzemer Altenberg Riesling receives major international wine recognition

  Fine Wines International named the 2008 Von Othegraven Kanzemer Altenberg Riesling Kabinett Erste Lage its Greatest Wine of the Year, praising it as an outstanding expression of German Riesling.

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1. Weingut von Othegraven
2. Weingut von Othegraven official website