Weingut Graf von Kanitz

Weingut Graf von Kanitz is a family-owned wine estate in Lorch, at the far western edge of Germany's Rheingau wine region. The property has belonged to the von Kanitz family since 1924, when it was passed down from the estate of Freiherr Heinrich Friedrich Karl vom und zum Stein to Albrecht Graf von Kanitz. Since 1926 the winery has been a member of the Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter (VDP), the association of Germany's leading quality wine estates. The estate farms about 13.5 hectares of vineyards around Lorch, on steep south- and southwest-facing slopes whose dominant soil is weathered slate, with quartzite in some sites. The vineyards — Bodental-Steinberg, Kapellenberg, Krone, Pfaffenwies and Schlossberg — were already documented in the 13th century. Riesling is the leading grape variety, complemented by the Burgunder family (Pinot Noir/Spätburgunder and related varieties) and, as a rarity in the Rheingau, Gewürztraminer. The wines are made in dry, semi-dry and fruity styles, with the top tier being the Erste Lage and Grosse Lage site wines and noble-sweet specialties. Organic viticulture has deep roots here: the estate has followed the ANOG organic farming association's rules since 1968 and has been a member of Ecovin, the German association of organic winegrowers, since 1992. According to the winery's own website, all of its wines are vegan, certified organic (BIO) and made by genuine handcraft. The portfolio includes everyday wines such as Lorcher Riesling Schiefer trocken and Lorcher Riesling Quarzit feinherb as well as VDP-classified site wines from the Lorcher Schlossberg, Kapellenberg, Krone, Pfaffenwies, Röder and Bodental-Steinberg vineyards. The estate also has a cultural dimension. Schloss Cappenberg in Selm, Westphalia, has been in the possession of the Counts of Kanitz since 1926; the former monastery houses a museum and the winery's Vinothek, and once a year hosts the Musiktage. In summer 2017, 1,000 vines were planted on the Cappenberg vineyard, with the hope of harvesting the first wine in what may be the northernmost vineyard in North Rhine-Westphalia. Until the late Middle Ages, monks of Cappenberg Monastery had already cultivated wine there. The winery's own Gutsausschank in the ground floor of the Hilchenhaus in Lorch operated until the 1990s. Today visitors can taste the wines at the estate in Lorch — Rheinstraße 49, 65391 Lorch im Rheingau — or buy them online through the winery's webshop.

The estate's history is tied to two families and two regions. In 1924 the operation was passed down from the family property of Freiherr Heinrich Friedrich Karl vom und zum Stein to Albrecht Graf von Kanitz, and it has remained in the possession of the von Kanitz family ever since. Two years later, in 1926, the winery joined the Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter (VDP), the association of Germany's leading quality wine estates — a membership it still holds. Also in 1926, Schloss Cappenberg in Selm, Westphalia, came into the possession of the Counts of Kanitz; the former monastery is today a cultural site with a museum and the winery's Vinothek, and it hosts the Musiktage once a year. Organic viticulture is not a recent conversion at this estate. From 1968 the winery implemented the rules of ANOG, the organic farming association, and in 1992 it became a member of Ecovin, the German federal association of organically working wine estates. The winery's own website states that it has practiced organic viticulture in Lorch since 1968 and that all its wines are vegan, BIO-certified and made by hand. Until the 1990s the estate ran a Gutsausschank (estate tavern) on the ground floor of the Hilchenhaus, the former residence of the Rheingau noble Hilchen von Lorch family. A second tavern operates at Schloss Cappenberg. In summer 2017, 1,000 vines were planted on the Cappenberg vineyard, with the hope of harvesting the first wine there in three years — potentially the northernmost vineyard in North Rhine-Westphalia. Wine had already been cultivated there by the monks of Cappenberg Monastery up to the late Middle Ages. Today the winery farms about 13.5 hectares of vineyards around Lorch, at the extreme western end of the Rheingau wine region, according to the guidelines of Ecovin. Its sites — Bodental-Steinberg, Kapellenberg, Krone, Pfaffenwies and Schlossberg — were already mentioned in documents in the 13th century. The dominant soil is weathered slate, with quartzite at some sites; the south- and southwest-facing steep slopes provide optimal sun exposure. Riesling is the leading variety, alongside the Burgunder family and, as a special rarity in the Rheingau, Gewürztraminer. The wines are produced in dry, semi-dry and fruity styles, with Erste Lage site wines and noble-sweet specialties at the top of the range. The estate sells through its own Vinothek in Lorch (Rheinstraße 49, 65391 Lorch im Rheingau), through the Vinothek at Schloss Cappenberg, and online via its webshop.

• 2017

  1,000 vines are planted on the Cappenberg vineyard in Selm, with the hope of harvesting the first wine in three years.

• 1992

  The winery becomes a member of Ecovin, the German federal association of organically working wine estates.

• 1968

  The winery begins implementing the rules of ANOG, the organic farming association, and practices organic viticulture in Lorch.

• 1926

  The winery joins the Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter (VDP); Schloss Cappenberg comes into the possession of the Counts of Kanitz.

• 1924

  The estate is passed down from the family property of Freiherr Heinrich Friedrich Karl vom und zum Stein to Albrecht Graf von Kanitz and remains in the von Kanitz family.

Family-owned, organic-certified VDP estate winery specializing in handcrafted, vegan wines from steep Rheingau slate slopes.

• Lorcher Riesling Schiefer trocken

  Dry Riesling from slate soils, listed at €10.00 per bottle.

• Lorcher Riesling Quarzit feinherb

  Off-dry Riesling from quartzite soils, listed at €10.00 per bottle.

• Sommerwein Wisper Brise

  Fruity summer wine, listed at €9.00 per bottle.

• VDP site wines

  Erste Lage and Grosse Lage wines from Lorcher Schlossberg, Kapellenberg, Krone, Pfaffenwies, Röder and Bodental-Steinberg.

1. 1Wein | Weingut Graf von Kanitz | Lorchweingut-kanitz.de
2. 2Weingut Graf von Kanitz – Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Weingut Graf von Kanitz – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org