Here at Whitmore & White we are HUGE fans of the wines of Weingut Messmer, a winery based in Burrweiler, which resides just north of Stuttgart in the south western wine region of Pfalz in Germany, a region that has over 300 years of winemaking history.

We currently stock three of their delicious wines, which I will delve a little deeper into below. But first, a little background to the winery.

Weingut Messmer was founded in 1960 by Herbert and Elizabeth Messmer. One of the most important things to think about when it comes to German wines is soil type. This gives the mineral style evident in many of their white and red wines. In this region, there are seven soil types to consider; slate, sandstone, granite, loam, sand, limestone and “muschelkalk” which is a calcereous soil made from fossilised mussel shells. Much work is put into the preservation of the mineral content and overall health of the soils. Only organic fertilisers are used and since 2011, biodynamic cultivation has been initiated at some vineyard sites.

In the winery, fermentation takes place in small batches in stainless steel vats and kept at a cool temperature to preserve flavours. Most grape bunches are only partially destemmed, which keeps the grapes more intact than what total destemming would do. As such this allows for a slower start to fermentation and fresher flavours in the final wines.

Wines are not fined and only very gently filtered prior to bottling, once more for flavour preservation.

So, here’s a little more about their wines we stock:-

Messmer Weissburgunder £14.95

This grape is more commonly known as Pinot Blanc. It’s an absolute stunner! Fresh as a daisy, with honeysuckle, acacia and white stone fruit notes on the nose. The palate is mineral laden and dry, with zingy acidity and honeysuckle notes showing through. An absolute delight to have in a glass.

Messmer Einzig + Artig Riesling £18.95

The classic German grape. Lashings of lime zest, lemon zest and honey notes on the nose. The palate is fresh with the zippy acidity associated with German Rieslings. The honey comes through and the lime element is very reminiscent of lime pickle - this makes it absolutely perfect with a curry.

Messmer Spatburgunder £16.95

More commonly known around the world as Pinot Noir, German Spatburgunders are a revelation. In Pfalz, the climate and terroir are such that these grapes are in perfect growing conditions. As such, Pfalz Spatburgunders are more consistent in their quality and like for like pricewise, much better options than their French, Burgundian counterparts.

This wine is wonderfully fruity, but with a nice earthy, mineral core. Raspberry and blackberry notes abound on the nose and palate with the typical (and required) streak of freshening acidity giving backbone to the wine. A gorgeously drinkable red.