Weingut Weiser-Künstler

Weingut Weiser-Künstler was founded in 2005 by Konstantin Weiser and Alexandra Künstler, who began their estate by leasing just 1.8 hectares in the Enkircher Ellergrub without any family winemaking inheritance behind them. Konstantin had trained at Immich-Batterieberg on the Mosel, then broadened his experience at Leitz in the Rheingau and Minges in the Palatinate, while Alexandra brought a background rooted in Franconia. The estate is based in Traben-Trarbach, a town with a remarkable historical pedigree: at the turn of the 20th century it was the second largest commercial wine center in western Europe, surpassed only by Bordeaux. The vineyards they chose to cultivate had long histories of their own, appearing as Grand Cru-classified sites on the authoritative 1897 Mosel map.

• Founded 2005; initial holding was 1.8 leased hectares in Enkircher Ellergrub.
• Konstantin trained at Immich-Batterieberg (Mosel), Leitz (Rheingau), and Minges (Palatinate).
• Traben-Trarbach was the second largest wine trading center in western Europe around 1900, after Bordeaux.
• Core vineyards Ellergrub, Gaispfad, and Steffensberg were classified as Grand Cru on the 1897 Mosel map.

Konstantin Weiser and Alexandra Künstler remain the sole owners and operators of the estate as of 2025, making Weiser-Künstler a genuine first-generation project built entirely on their own ambition and expertise. The estate's name combines both surnames, and the iconic owl on their labels encapsulates the philosophy behind it: Weiser translates as 'one who knows,' and the owl is universally recognized as the symbol of wisdom. Alexandra, originally from Franconia, brought a complementary perspective to the partnership. The estate is headquartered at Wilhelmstraße 11 in Traben-Trarbach and has grown steadily from its modest 1.8-hectare beginning to approximately 4.2 hectares today, all devoted to Riesling.

• Konstantin Weiser and Alexandra Künstler are the sole owners and winemakers; no multi-generational family succession involved.
• The owl label is wordplay on 'Weiser' (one who knows) and the owl as symbol of wisdom.
• Alexandra Künstler has roots in Franconia, providing a different regional winemaking perspective.
• Estate has grown from 1.8 hectares at founding to approximately 4.2 hectares today.

Weiser-Künstler farms approximately 4.2 hectares across seven named vineyard holdings on the Middle Moselle, concentrated around the villages of Enkirch and Traben-Trarbach. The vineyards include Enkircher Ellergrub, Enkircher Steffensberg, Trabener Gaispfad, Trabacher Schlossberg, Wolfer Sonnenlay, Enkircher Zeppwingert, and Trarbacher Taubenhaus, which was added after the 2016 harvest. All holdings are planted entirely with Riesling, and a defining characteristic of the estate is that virtually all vines are wurzelecht, meaning ungrafted on their own roots, because none of the main vineyards were replanted through the Flurbereinigung land consolidation program. Many of these ungrafted vines date to around 1900 and escaped phylloxera. The plots rank among the steepest in the Mosel and many are still cultivated using the traditional single-pole method without wire frames.

• Seven named vineyard holdings totaling approximately 4.2 hectares, all Riesling, in Enkirch and Traben-Trarbach.
• Trarbacher Taubenhaus added to the portfolio after the 2016 harvest.
• Vines are predominantly wurzelecht (ungrafted), many dating to around 1900, spared by phylloxera due to no Flurbereinigung replanting.
• Many plots cultivated with the traditional single-pole method without wire frames on some of the Mosel's steepest gradients.

Weiser-Künstler's winemaking philosophy centers on transmitting precise, site-specific character through minimal intervention. Fermentations are conducted using ambient yeasts in a deep cellar, and the estate employs a combination of stainless-steel vats, old oak Fuder casks, and some second-hand barriques depending on the wine's intended style. Farming is certified organic and biodynamic, and production volumes are deliberately micro-scale with exact quantities undisclosed. The range spans from an entry-level off-dry Gutsriesling through Kabinett wines, Spätlese and Auslese to the pinnacle Grosse Eule (GE), produced only in the finest vintages from the Ellergrub. The GE name is an intentional wink at the VDP's Grosses Gewächs designation. In 2024, late April frost and severe downy mildew pressure further restricted already limited yields.

• Fermentation uses ambient (native) yeasts in a deep cellar; vessels include stainless steel, old oak Fuder, and second-hand barriques.
• Certified organic and biodynamic farming across all 4.2 hectares.
• Grosse Eule (GE) is produced only in best vintages from Enkircher Ellergrub, a deliberate play on the VDP Grosses Gewächs (GG) designation.
• 2022 Riesling Brut Nature was disgorged without added sulfur in April 2025, illustrating experimentation beyond still wine.

Weiser-Künstler is one of the most compelling success stories in modern German wine: a first-generation estate, founded without inherited wealth or family reputation, that rapidly established itself as a benchmark producer for Middle Moselle Riesling. The estate's commitment to ancient ungrafted vines, steep manual viticulture, and minimal-intervention winemaking articulates a clear argument for what the historic Mosel villages of Enkirch and Traben-Trarbach can achieve. At a moment when interest in site-specific German Riesling is at a high globally, Weiser-Künstler occupies a unique position: small enough to be fiercely sought-after, yet distributed to Switzerland, Great Britain, Scandinavia, and the United States. Their work on the 1897 Grand Cru-classified parcels helps restore the historical prestige of a subregion that was once among the most celebrated wine addresses in Europe.

• First-generation estate achieving international critical recognition within two decades of founding.
• Approximately 60% of production is exported, reaching Switzerland, Great Britain, Scandinavia, and the United States.
• Restores focus to historically elite Middle Mosel villages whose Grand Cru status dates to the 1897 classification.
• Micro-production and biodynamic farming of century-old ungrafted vines make the estate a reference point for authentic Mosel terroir expression.