Outstanding Vinotheks

It came as a complete, but wonderful, surprise to his parents when Nico Espenschied revealed his career plans. Given that he had already finished his university admission exams, parents Heike and Wilfried presumed their son would pursue an academic career.

Ingelheim's reds have been famous for centuries, and Josef Neus rose here as one of the "Kings of Red Wine." Neus was born on the Mosel, but came to Ober-Ingelheim in 1881, opened a wine store and soon thereafter began with his own cultivation.

Weingut Meyerhof in the Rheinhessen town of Flonheim prides itself on seven generations of family ownership. The estate has sat in this location only since the early 1980s, when Artur Meyer built new buildings here on the edge of town.

Pauser is a young, fresh and creative family-run winery, and a relatively new one at that. Founded at the end of the 1970s, Friedrich Pauser and his daughter Eva Pauser-Brand cultivate over 30 hectares of vineyards.

For Mirjam, there was never any question in her mind that she would someday be a winemaker. As a child, she spent much time in the vineyards, learning all aspects of viticulture at her father's side.

One absolute must in Ingelheim is an excursion to the former 13th century Cistercian Monastery. A historical monument that has been brought back to life through the dedication of the Wasem family.

The "VinoPeth" vinothek was created from a former cow stall back in 2011. The space had already once hosted a wine tasting room during 1976.

Bright and modern, tailored entirely to their entirely personal tastes: the new vinothek in a Bauhaus style represents the fulfillment of a dream for Carolin and Jürgen Hofmann. It is a place to be at ease and for shared exploration.

Wein- und Sektgut Hubertus Triebe stands in Schnaudertal near Zeitz, an area best known for Schloss Moritzburg. Active viticulture stopped here in the Middle Ages, so its resumption in 1999 represented a historic moment for the region.

1990 was a year of change, as Germany rejoined East and West and 35-year-old Walter Schuh left the Mosel Valley to start his wine estate in a small village called Sörnewitz on the Elbe.

The "Wein-Schatzkeller" from the Heilbronn Winegrowers Cooperative opened in May 2015 to immediate acclaim as an architectural jewel, with an airy feel that invites guests to relax and try new things, to explore and enjoy.

The Bihlmayers set up their new vinothek with love and dedication. The bright, open design with a sandstone colored floor and large windows overlooking the surrounding vineyards, was opened in 2015 after a year of construction.