A thoughtful yet outspoken vigneron, Ulrich ('Ulli') Stein is fighting for the future of the Mosel. With a degree in oenology from Geisenheim University, a PhD in biology and 40 years of experience producing high-quality wines from the region's oldest vineyards, Ulli believes that only by merging tradition and innovation will winemakers ensure the Mosel's survival in the face of climate change.
Since taking over his parents' 6.5ha of vineyards with his brother Peter in 1982, Ulli has refined his father's experimental approach across these steep slate slopes. Farmed almost entirely by hand, his vineyards have been worked sustainably from day one using natural cover crops and without herbicides or chemical fertilisers.
Stein's Riesling vineyards average 60 years old, with his most ancient vines in two key vineyards: 'Palmberg-Terrassen' – a terraced site at 300m elevation – and the historic 'Alfer Hölle', part of which was planted in 1900 and includes some of the oldest wine-producing vines in Germany. From these and his other vineyards in St. Aldegund, Ulli makes sublime dry and off-dry Rieslings with textbook Mosel purity and transparency.
In order to continue using the lower slopes that the climate has rendered increasingly inhospitable to the Mosel's traditional white grapes, Stein has lobbied the German government to allow for plantings of non-native varieties, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sangiovese. Made with the same dedication as his Rieslings, Ulli's unorthodox but delicious rosé, sekt (sparkling), and varietal still wines are connecting Mosel's past with its future.
