A Real Monastic Winery
I am a trained vintner - and a nun. Our monastery is the only winery in Germany that is run by religious members and in which they also actively participate.
Quotes
I am a trained vintner - and a nun. Our monastery is the only winery in Germany that is run by religious members and in which they also actively participate. For me as a nun, the biggest challenge of the wine business every year is the interplay between what nature gives us and our own ability and knowledge. As winegrowers, we can never fully rely on our abilities, but are always dependent on what the Creator gives us. For me, wine is always a gift from God. With this goal in mind, to create a good drop of wine, a lot can be endured.
For example, the weekend around October 3rd, 2007. On the Saturday we went through our vineyards in joyful anticipation. The grapes were golden and healthy, full of aromas as they hung on the vine. But then the heavy rain suddenly started. Monday morning was a tragedy! The berry skin had become porous and quickly burst open.
Haste was required, but there were not enough helpers for the harvest. So, with a heavy heart, we made the decision to harvest with a machanical harvester for the first time in order to save as many berries as possible. Later in the cellar we found that there was no difference between the hand-picked and the machine-picked grapes! At the optimum time for harvesting, the quality of the grapes and speedy processing are what count. It is worthwhile to be open to innovations!
What doesn't matter at all when working the vineyards, but seemingly does at wine fairs, is our appearance! Some time ago, our monastery was represented in a joint Rheingau booth at ProWein, and a young man came to us agitated and asked if we were real. It took a few minutes to convince him that we weren't actually dressed up in costume. One has to suppress a smile. In the end, this encounter resulted in a very nice conversation about life in the monastery and viticulture.
Contact
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Klosterweingut St. Hildegard
65385 Rüdesheim am Rhein Abtei St. Hildegard 1 Germany
