Meet the producers: Daniel and Jonas Brand
Fifth-generation winemaker Daniel Brand first brought organic production to his Bockenheim family farm in 2007 and joined by brother Jonas, started producing wines without sulphur in 2014 (Pur). Riesling and Pinot Blanc dominate their collection, and they make wines with youthful attitude but also care and precision. Their 16 hectares are mostly on the windy Bockenheimer hillside, planted on loam with a lot of shell limestone. It is one of the coolest climate sites in the Pfalz.
WEINGUT Brand
DOMAINE
Weingut Brand
WINEMAKERS
Daniel & Jonas Brand
VINEYARD
18 ha, organic (certified)
BOTTLES PRODUCED
50,000
COUNTRY, REGION, SUBREGION
Germany, Pfalz, Bockenheim
Fifth-generation winemakers Daniel and Jonas Brand took over the family winery from their father Jürgen in 2014 – with his support they expanded from 12 to 18 hectares and transitioned production to fully organic and natural.
In this year, Jonas produced his first 900 bottles of natural wine, from an old-vine Sylvaner vineyard. Two thirds of it was undrinkable. Undaunted, the brothers now have the whole estate under organic cultivation and are producing a large amount of wine with no added sulphur.
Bockenheim has a cooler climate than most of the Pfalz (therefore the grapes ripen slower). The weather in their area is influenced by the Donnersberg mountain (around 650m high) which shields them from incoming weather systems, the wind is then funnelled down two valleys which means it is fairly breezy and this helps keep the vineyards free from mildew.
A dozen hectares of their plots are situated on the Bockenheim Sonnenberg hill. Vineyards range from 150m up to 350m.
WINES
SPARKLING
ROSE
WHITE
RED
SKIN CONTACT
Harvested early to retain crispy acidty, saline and pithy, the perfect opener or sharpener.
Style: Sparkling
Producer: Brand
Country: Germany
Region: Pfalz
Grapes: Silvaner, Pinot Blanc
Sulphur: none added
ABV: 10