REGION: Mosel & Saar – VILLAGE: Ayl

Nicolas Weber

Weingut Margarethenhof is nestled in the small town of Ayl, near the Luxembourg border, and is surrounded by the two iconic rivers, the Mosel and Saar. The region as a whole is known as Mosel, and the family’s motto is “Zwei Flüsse. Zwei Terroirs. Ein Weingut,” which translates to “Two rivers. Two terroirs. One winery.” Their vineyards span two distinct terroir zones, with the Saar River flowing to their southwest and the Southern Mosel (“Südliche Obermosel”) to their northeast.

This was the first winery I worked with in Germany, and it has been a family-run business since 1986, managed by Doro and Jürgen Weber.

With the 2020 vintage, their son Nicolas Weber joined the operation. He brings a wealth of knowledge from his studies in enology and viticulture, along with valuable experience from internships in New Zealand and South Tyrol, Italy. Nicolas is thrilled to be back home, proud to represent the next generation of the family winery.

Nicolas creates wines with great tension, highest quality possible, showcasing the unique terroir. Since Nicolas took over, the wine style has become more elegant and complex at the same time while being on the lower alcohol content with 9-11 % Vol Alc in his Riesling. 

The Saar region is known for its slate-driven vineyards, producing exceptional Riesling. Their Riesling grapes come from the renowned “Ayler Kupp” vineyard, famous worldwide.

On the other hand, the “Südliche Obermosel” (Southern Mosel) is known for its ancient shell limestone soils, called “Muschelkalk.” This terroir is ideal for Burgundian-style grapes like Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris), Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc), Auxerrois, and Elbling. Elbling, one of Germany’s oldest grape varieties, was introduced to the Mosel region over 2,000 years ago.

The family’s connection to wine began in 1925 when Jürgen’s parents opened a small restaurant and grocery store in Ayl. Their love for wine grew, and for two generations, the Weber family has been dedicated to crafting high-quality wines. A significant moment in their history was the acquisition of “Winzerverein Ayl,” a winery with grand underground cellars, in 1986. Since then, Doro and Jürgen have run Margarethenhof with passion and dedication.

For soccer fans, Jürgen opened the “Wein Bar” at Allianz Arena in Munich, showcasing German wines to fans from all over the world. A true soccer enthusiast, he felt German wines deserved a place at German soccer matches. 

Margarethenhof classifies their wines in three categories like many German producers do these days which is based on the quality pyramid from Burgundy in France. Estate, Village, and Singe-Vineyard classification. This is used among many producers including VDP members, for dry wines. The classic Predicate System is still used for off-dry and sweet wines. 

Here is a more detailed description of the German Quality system.