Eckes & Eckes

 

Meandering gently through the valleys of the Hunsruck Hills and traversing the gentle landscape of vineyards, orchards and meadows often interspersed with dramatic rock formations, runs the river Nahe and one of Germany’s best kept wine secrets. Flowing between the country’s wine producing giants, the Rhine and Mosel, the Nahe possesses an extraordinary range of soil types and for this reason is able to produce a diverse range of wines from an equally diverse range of grape varieties and it is here in the heart of the Nahe region, that we find the family run vineyard of Wolfgang & Anke Eckes.

The current Eckes & Eckes vineyard has developed from two individual historic German vineyards. The vineyard of Anke Eckes was originally Weingut Rothlander - Anke’s maiden name - and was founded over 400 years ago and still remains an original family business. In 1995, Anke, who is the youngest daughter of Felix Rothlander, took over the ownership of the company from her father. She still remains the owner under her married name of Anke Eckes whilst the vineyard of Anke’s husband Wolfgang Eckes, has been a family concern since 1885 and Wolfgang is now the fourth generation owner.

Through combining the talents of both Wolfgang and Anke the vineyard is now at the cutting edge of vine technology in pioneering the development of growing vines on the looms and using cutting techniques and procedures to produce optimum quality rather than quantity of grapes.

Anke has specialised in producing only organic wines using just the natural combinations of soil, climate and the traditional method of growing on the loom. She is a member of the German National Organic Wine Growers Association and on all the labels of her wines is the term “Ecovin” which relates to the fact that there is no use of any artificial herbicides or insecticides in the production of the wine.
Their philosophy is be gentle in the treatment of their wine from start to finish and to produce wine organically and as naturally as possible with great flavours and tastes, which they do in abundance.

As a family run vineyard, all the grapes are harvested by themselves and the wine is then made, blended and bottled within the confines of the vineyard and the future of the vineyard is assured as the three young sons of Wolfgang & Anke have already shown their intention to be involved

Key Vineyard Facts:

• Vineyard Owners: Wolfgang & Anke Eckes
• Head Winemakers: Wolfgang & Anke Eckes
• Total area under cultivation: 10 hectares.