In Ellerstadt since 1648: From grape supplier to winery with its own standards
The Kesselring winery is one of the oldest family businesses in the Palatinate – its roots go back to 1648, when the Peace of Westphalia reorganized Europe and the Kesselring family was already growing wine in Ellerstadt. For generations, the business supplied grapes to neighboring wineries and cellars; they rarely bottled their own wines. This changed fundamentally when Lukas Kesselring took over management in 2009. He had previously studied viticulture in Geisenheim and had developed his own view of the profession through internships at wineries at home and abroad. With the takeover, he began to consistently convert the winery to its own production – and in 2012 he officially became the owner. Today, the business manages around 25 hectares of vineyards in and around Ellerstadt.
Since 2009 without synthetic plant protection
Since 2009, the Kesselring winery has been working without synthetic plant protection products. Instead, Lukas Kesselring relies on organic fertilization. The vineyards are located around Ellerstadt on sandy loam and gravel soils – a soil type that stores the heat of the Palatinate sun well and at the same time ensures natural drainage. The vines are left hanging as long as possible so that the grapes come into the cellar fully ripe. Lukas Kesselring formulates this clearly himself: "High quality can only be achieved if synthetic plant protection products are avoided, organic fertilization is used, and a nature-friendly way of working in the vineyard is ensured." In the cellar, work is done without fining agents or clarifiers of animal origin – the wines are vegan.
Fruity directness, Palatinate breadth: what awaits you in the glass
The range reflects the variety of grape varieties in the Palatinate: Riesling, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, and Muscat form the backbone of the white wines. In addition, there are more unusual items such as an alcohol-free Pinot Grigio – both as a still and as a frizzante variant – and a cuvée of Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc. The style is designed for fruit clarity: ripe, accessible aromatics, restrained acidity, creamy finish. Wines that immediately reveal their origin – the generously sun-drenched Palatinate plain, the warm sandy soils. Lukas Kesselring describes his standard briefly: "I am only satisfied when the grape, just as it is, can be tasted in the glass." The result is wines that work without detours – for the end of the day on the terrace just as much as with a meal.
