From a South Moravian estate to Hochheim: one family, two new beginnings
The viticultural history of the Künstler family dates back to 1648 — initially in Untertannowitz in South Moravia, where the family tended their vines on the slopes of the Thaya. After expropriation and expulsion at the end of the Second World War, Franz Künstler re-founded the winery in 1965 in Hochheim am Main, after having previously worked for about 15 years as an estate manager in renowned businesses. The listed estate building in which Künstler resides today was built in 1837 and was once the oldest sparkling wine cellar on the Rhine — Gunter Künstler acquired it in 1996 together with the coveted vineyard sites of the former Aschrott winery. Gunter, son of Franz, bottled his first own vintage in 1982 at the age of 19, studied viticulture and oenology in Geisenheim, and officially took over the business in 1992 — together with his wife Monika and a young team. Two years later, they were admitted to the VDP.
Site loyalty, hand-picking, and the abandonment of herbicides since 1992
Over 70 percent of the vineyard area carries the VDP.GROSSE LAGE classification — a concentration that is unparalleled in the Rheingau. The vineyards extend from the lime-rich Hochheim sites via the Rüdesheimer Berg Schlossberg and Berg Rottland to the red wine site Assmannshäuser Höllenberg as well as the Erbacher Marcobrunn and the monopoly site Hattenheimer Pfaffenberg. Since 1992, the winery has completely refrained from using herbicides; since 2016, Künstler has been a member of Fair'n Green. The vine rows are greened, the grapes are predominantly hand-picked and gently pressed. In the cellar, origin decides: white wines mature depending on the site and desired style either in stainless steel tanks or in large classic wooden barrels — with long yeast contact, which gives the wines melt and texture. For the red wines, basket presses over 60 years old are still used today; after mash fermentation, they mature in barriques and then for another year in the bottle.
Powerful Hochheim minerality, site-specific Riesling with aging potential — and more than just white wine
Riesling is the clear focus with around 79 percent. The terroir of Hochheim differs noticeably from the central Rheingau: limestone shapes the soils more strongly than elsewhere, which gives the wines a creamy texture, rich yellow fruit, and a special depth. The Grosses Gewächs wines from sites like the Hochheimer Hölle, the Kostheimer Weiß Erd, or the Erbacher Marcobrunn show how different Rheingau Riesling can be — from dense-mineral to clear-taut, with an aging potential that often goes well beyond ten years. Pinot Noir accounts for around 15 percent of production: the red wines from Assmannshausen and the Hochheimer Reichestal are aged in barriques and develop velvety, complex profiles. In addition, there is Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and a Brut Nature sparkling wine from Assmannshausen grapes — proof of a range that depicts the Rheingau in its entire breadth without losing focus.
