WEINGUT MEYER-NÄKEL

The winery in Dernau, in the Ahr Valley was created by Willibald Näkel in 1950 when he married Paula Meyer and consisted of 1.5 hectares of vines. His son Werner Näkel took over operations in 1982 and increased the size of the vineyard to 15 hectares.  He learned how to make exceptional Pinot Noir wines by visiting Burgundy and learning from local winemakers like Henri Jayer how to bring out the best characteristics of this grape varietal.  Today the winery is run by the fifth generation, Werner’s daughters Meike and Dörte who joined the family business in 2005 and 2008.  They embrace organic and sustainable viticulture and environmental responsibility. They are currently in the process of converting the estate to certified organic. Notable wines include Blauschiefer Dernauer Spätburgunder dry VDP.Ortswein that is a pure expression of the slate dominated terroir and Kräuterberg Spätburgunder GG VDP.Grosse Lage that comes from an old terrace that requires one hundred percent manual cultivation. Ninety percent of the wines are red. Despite being the third smallest wine region in Germany, the Ahr Valley is the largest producer of red wine and Pinot Noir reigns supreme here. The winery specialises in the production of Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) and Frühburgunder (Pinot Noir Précocé).  The majority of the vineyards are in Dernau with other vineyards scattered around Neuenahr, Arhweiler, and Walporzheim. The top vineyards of Pfarrwingert, Kräuterber, Sonnenberg, and Siblerberg are some of the finest in Germany. Eighty percent of the vineyards are planted in Pinot Noir and Pinot Noir Précocé. The rest of the vineyards are planted in Pinot Blanc, Riesling, Shiraz, and Cabernet Sauvignon. The main focus is on low yields and biodiversity in the vineyards.  Different plants grow among vines to help create a balanced ecosystem that attracts plants and animals and also help to prevent erosion on the steep slate rich slopes. The location of the vineyards means that the Pinot Noir in particular can reach perfect maturity as the area enjoys more hours of sunshine during the year than other regions and the climate is almost Mediterranean in the summer which  The grapes are carefully hand harvested and undergo a meticulous selection.  Meike and Dörte’s winemaking philosophy is to make wines that reflect the unique terroir in the vineyards, striving to create quality authentic wines that are elegant with rich minerality and refined tannins. The main focus is on Pinot Noir production. Minimal intervention in the cellar means less extraction, punchdowns, the use of gravity and creating wines that have lower alcohol levels along with minimal use of new oak. The wines from the estate's finest vineyards can age for many years. In November 2024, Meike and Dörte received the Winzerinnen des Jahres (Winegrowers of the Year) at the Wine Awards 2024 which was hosted by Der Feinschmecker Magazine (The Oscars of the Wine Industry) in Hamburg) for their resilience. They lost most of their 2021 vintage from floods that decimated Ahr Valley and most of their harvest. They still managed to produce some excellent Pinot Noirs with what remained of the tiny harvest. Meyer-Näkel is a member estate of the German association Fair’N Green which provides the guidance, standards, and certification for winemakers that practice biodynamic and sustainable viticulture.
WEINGUT MEYER-NÄKEL
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