A cosmopolitan in Rheinhessen
Winery Peth-Wetz, Bermersheim, Germany
Christian Peth and his wife Maja run the Peth-Wetz winery in Bermersheim, a small winegrowing village in the heart of Rheinhessen, Germany. It used to be a small barrel wine business, which was run by Christian Peth's parents alongside their farming and livestock farming.
Christian Peth wanted to become a winemaker from an early age, but he didn't realize at first that it would be in his home country. That's why he first embarked on a journey to find his wine style and himself. His journey took him around the world and he immersed himself in the wine cultures of the USA, Chile and Australia.
When he returned, he had found his style and decided to join his parents' barrel wine business. That was in 2004, and from then on the Peth family began bottling and marketing the wine themselves. It was also important to Christian Peth to incorporate his new impressions and experiences into his work and to offer something special: internationally inspired wines. Christian Peth began to plant new grape varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Merlot. Thanks to this development, the Peth-Wetz winery is successful in business today and runs largely on recommendations.
However, white wines are also still popular: "Although our winery has become known for its red wines, capacity here is limited and white wines are still consumed more," explains the winemaker. In addition, wine consumption has declined overall, but quality awareness is increasing: "More and more people are realizing that good wine can also be made in Germany. It is therefore a good way to focus on producing something of high quality, even if not so many bottles."
Christian Peth also follows his quality standards when choosing his tanks, which is why he has been using stainless steel containers from Speidel for years. Their paths met by chance. In the past, the family only used plastic tanks and a few wooden barrels. At some point, the winegrower came across a used 2000-liter Speidel tank at a local dealer, which he bought and with which he had good experiences.
The second purchase consisted of several used 750-liter tanks, which Christian Peth's father discovered by chance on the back of a passing truck and spontaneously took up the chase. The money for new tanks was still lacking at the time.
The last purchase was made only recently and consisted of several mash dippers, which are a great help to the Peth family when making red wine. This time, too, the price was convincing, but not only that: Christian Peth also greatly appreciates the expertise and flexibility of the Speidel team: "We received super competent help. Speidel simply always accommodates you!"
