Our History
The Markgräflerland is located in the far southwestern corner of Germany, where the country borders both Switzerland and France. It is a region of storied traditions, including a legacy of winegrowing in the realm between Freiburg and Basel. The town of Schlatt was first mentioned in official documents as a site for viticulture in 1298.
Our Philosophy
The real secret to an exceptional wine involves more than just precise and deliberate work in vineyard and cellar. It requires humility, passion and dedication, vigilant attention and consistent diligence to soil, vine and fruit. That love is what gives extra nourishment to each grape.
Our Work
With established experience cultivating several exceptional vineyard sites and a keen admiration for grand Burgundy wines, our family began producing its own wines in 1997. Over the years a distinctive style emerged — influenced by Burgundy yet undeniably shaped by the signature Martin Waßmer touch. The clear character of these wines also beautifully reflects extraordinary sites such as the Dottinger Castellberg, Schlatter Maltesergarten, Staufener Schlossberg, Ehrenstetter Ölberg, Auggener Letten, Achkarrer Schlossberg and Glottertäler Roter Bur. Our vineyards are planted at a high density of 10-12,000 vines per ha, and cultivated with an average yield of 40 ha/hl. That's just one of the ways we show love and respect for our plants and soil along each and every step of the process. Cultivation is designed to be nature led and have a low impact on the environment, with hand harvesting and careful selection and sorting so that only the best fruit ever makes it to our cellars.
Our Style
If you want to be dedicated to the true Burgundian style, then you can pull no punches in the cellar. Our high plant density and low yields mirror the conditions and ethics of the renowned growers of Burgundy. We also buy our barriques from the very best coopers Burgundy has to offer. Wild yeast fermentation occurs in open wooden vats, followed by extended maceration and 18-months barrique aging. The sort of wines we like to drink need both time and patience — two things that we are really good at. To make the process flow more smoothly, we opened a new pressing and cellar house in 2016. It holds stainless steel tanks for our young Gutswein — wines we treasure for their lively and refreshing character.
Our Favorite Wine
Two generations of our family are constantly at work with our estate team to develop our own distinctive Markgräfler wines laced with a traditional Burgundian influence. This blend of vines and soils reflects our ties to our beloved home. We can’t imagine a wine we'd like more.