Tobias Knewitz

Origin & Style: Coral limestone in Appenheim

The Knewitz Winery is located in northern Rheinhessen, in the Welzbach Valley, in the small town of Appenheim. Its holdings include plots in the prestigious vineyards of Hundergulden, Steinacker, and Honigberg. Tobias Knewitz runs the winery together with his wife Corina and his brother Björn. The climate is rather cool, and the soils consist of sparse coral limestone - perfect conditions for elegant, vibrant wines with a distinct character. Over the years, the brothers’ wines have developed a style all their own: precise, cool, powerful, and chalky.

Riesling from the Knewitz Winery

As is typical of Rheinhessen, Riesling takes center stage. The barren coral limestone soil produces crisp, well-structured Rieslings with salty, mineral notes and plenty of bite. Year after year, they continue to rank among the region’s best. A preliminary highlight is the Riesling Honigberg, which was bottled for the first time as a VDP.Großes Gewächs with the 2024 vintage and immediately ranked among the best Rieslings of the year.

Chardonnays & Pinot Blancs from Knewitz

But it is above all the Burgundy varieties with which Tobi Knewitz, together with friends such as Julian Huber, Friedrich Keller, and Andreas Rings, is causing quite a stir in the German wine world. Following the great example of France, the grapes are harvested early, pressed whole, and aged in wooden barrels with plenty of lees. The result is acidity-driven, reductive Chardonnays and Pinot Blancs with a chalky, salty structure that stand up to comparison with Burgundy wines, yet are significantly more affordable. Over the years, the reduction has become more subtle, and the wines display more terroir and depth even when young.

Knewitz Pinot Noirs Are Becoming Increasingly Refined

There have also been significant developments in the red wine sector. The Pinot Noirs are becoming increasingly refined, elegant, and Burgundian. A particular highlight is the 2023 Pinot Noir Eselspfad 1G, a wine of which Tobias and Björn vinified just a single barrique. We are able to offer this rarity exclusively at Weinfurore. Stuart Pigott is enthusiastic and awards it an outstanding 97 Suckling points.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Knewitz Winery

Where is the Knewitz Winery located?

The Knewitz Winery is located in northern Rheinhessen, in the Welzbach Valley, in the municipality of Appenheim. The vineyards are planted on barren coral limestone, which gives the wines their salty, mineral character.

Who runs the Knewitz Winery?

The winery is run by Tobias Knewitz together with his wife Corina and his brother Björn. Together, they shape the winery’s precise, crisp, and terroir-driven style.

What is the Knewitz Winery particularly known for?

The Knewitz Winery is known for its complex Rieslings as well as reductively aged Chardonnays and Pinot Blancs with distinct limestone characteristics and a Burgundian character.

Which vineyards belong to the Knewitz Winery?

The Knewitz Winery’s holdings include parcels in the Appenheim “Große Lagen” (Great Vineyards) of Hundergulden, Steinacker, and Honigberg.

What sets the Riesling from the Knewitz Winery apart?

The Rieslings from the Knewitz Winery are crisp, structured, and salty-mineral. A particular highlight is the Honigberg Riesling, which was bottled for the first time as a VDP.Großes Gewächs with the 2024 vintage.

How would you describe the style of Knewitz’s Chardonnays and Pinot Blancs?

Knewitz’s Burgundy wines are harvested early, pressed as whole clusters, and aged in wooden barrels with plenty of lees. They exhibit a reductive, acidity-driven style with a chalky structure and increasing depth.

Does Knewitz also produce outstanding Spätburgunder wines?

Yes, the winery’s Pinot Noirs are becoming increasingly refined and elegant. A particular highlight is the 2023 Pinot Noir “Eselspfad 1G,” which was vinified in a single barrique and received outstanding reviews.