Weingut Staffelter-Hof
Mosel Valley, Germany

Staffelter-Hof is one of the oldest working winemaking Estates in the world. Records show that this Estate long owned by the Belgian Benedictine Abbey of Stavelot (hence the “Staffelter” name) was already active ... in 862AD! Secularised in early 1800s and has been in the Klein family ever since.

At almost 1,200 years old, it is also one of the oldest companies of any kind in the world. The vineyard holdings span 10.2ha of diverse vineyards such as Paradies, Kirchlay, Letterlay, Steffensberg, and as far south as the Dhroner Hofberg. The winery itself is located in Kröv, a village in the heart of the middle Mosel on a sweeping 180⁰ curve of the river between the old, quiet winemaking villages of Wolf and Kinheim. This is not a hotbed of avant-garde creativity. Yet Jan Matthias Klein, a 7th generation winemaker at this estate, is doing something extraordinary here, crafting naturweine the likes of which have rarely been seen in the history of the Mosel.

These wines are certainly atypical for the Mosel; certified organic, wild fermented and finished without additions - a far departure from what you’d expect of the region. Labelled as ‘landwein’ - a denomination that belies the magic in the bottle & allows experimental freedom of expression.