Ahnatal wine: A new treasure from northern Hesse blooms

Ahnatal wine: A new treasure from northern Hesse blooms

In the idyllic community of Ahnatal in North Hesse, a remarkable development in viticulture has been carried out in recent years. Simon Völker, a passionate landscape gardener and hobby winemaker, wrote a true success story with his vineyard Dörnbergblick.

Ahnatal: An unexpected wine town

Although you usually think of sunny realms in wine, Ahnatal still has its own wine production, which conquers the hearts of wine lovers. Völker has been running around 450 vines on an area of 1200 square meters since 2021 and offers a special variety. The previous range includes blue Pinot Noir, White Riesling and Cuvée. Through his committed family, he receives valuable support in maintaining the vineyard and production.

successful in marketing

The last approval for marketing his products received Simon Völker this year. This brought an upswing for the young winemaker, since his wines were sold out shortly after the start of sales, which was initiated via social media and his network of friends and acquaintances. Völker explains: "The demand was much larger than we thought." With a price of 12.50 euros per bottle, he was able to quickly win a loyal clientele.

The challenges in viticulture

Nevertheless, not everything is rosy in viticulture. In 2024, peoples were faced with enormous difficulties when 80 percent of its plants were damaged by late frosts. Such weather extremes show the risks that small winemakers wear like peoples. While large wine producers can often use measures such as fire tonnes, peoples lack the funds.

Discover the potential for the region

peoples have big plans for the future. In addition to selling via social media, he would also like to offer his wines in local shops, for example in the Schmidt bakery or in the town hall of Ahnatal. This could strengthen the Ahnatal wine as a figurehead of the community and promote awareness of local products. The integration into the German Wine Construction Association and the official listing as a cultivation area open up even more options for Völkers wine.

a small vineyard with great influence

Passion that Simon Völker and his family put into the care of the vineyard is not only evident in the quality of the wines, but also in the sustainable and manual production method. The wines are therefore not only a product of the climate, but also the engagement and the community in Ahnatal. In the future, the wine harvest, which normally begins in September, will help to increase the production quantities again and to consolidate the economic basis for the vineyard.

Overall, the development in Ahnatal represents an exciting example of how local initiatives not only enrich the economic diversity of a region, but also help to promote awareness of one's own culture and identity.

- Nag