Möhrchen is actually called Janos, is a Hungarian hunting dog and normally doesn't leave his master's side. Unless, that is, Möhrchen sits with his head held high on the red plush sofa and looks questioningly at the group of people who have gathered here in the early morning. "As if he were the legitimate successor to Loriot," jokes Felix Pieper. Actually, he's the boss. But since Janos joined the family a year ago, the golden-brown Magyar Vizsla has taken over at the Pieper winery. The winemaker and his faithful companion walk six to ten kilometres every day. Together they make their inspection tour through the steep vineyards above the Rhine and hike further up to the Drachenfels, at the foot of which a touch of Tuscany spreads out in the middle of the Siebengebirge.
Tourismus NRW e.V., Ralph Sondermann, Felix Pieper im Weinhang mit Hund, Rhein-Sieg-Kreis Tourismus NRW e.V., Ralph Sondermann, Weinberge im Siebengebirge, Rhein-Sieg-Kreis Tourismus NRW e.V., Ralph Sondermann, Weinberge im Siebengebirge, Rhein-Sieg-Kreis Tourismus NRW e.V., Ralph Sondermann, Weinreben in Weinberg im Siebengebirge, Rhein-Sieg-Kreis
"It is important that the grapes dry quickly"
The early morning fog has lifted. The sun is slowly making an appearance and Germany's northernmost vineyards are glowing in a lush green colour. The vines stand in rows below the legendary rock. A glorious late summer's day announces itself as Felix Pieper checks the "health" of the grapes, as he does every morning. The 38-year-old winegrower is satisfied. "Everything is fine." The heavy rainfall of the past weeks and months has not harmed the vines, most of which are more than 40 years old. Fortunately. "It's important that the grapes dry out quickly," explains the junior manager of the Piepers winery in Königswinter near Bonn. "Otherwise fungi will form."
This also explains the special location of the 9.2 hectares of slopes "planted" with Riesling, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc and many other varieties, on which Felix's grandfather started growing grapes in the 1960s - "probably out of love for his grandmother". "Up to 70 per cent gradient ..." That's all the man in short trekking shorts and thick hiking boots has to say. If you're not physically fit here, you're bound to have back or knee problems. Pieper picks a few leaves from the vines and continues to scramble steeply downhill as if it were the easiest exercise for him. Nevertheless, in the evening he also feels in his bones "what you've done during the day". Especially when the grape harvest begins. Felix Pieper expects to be able to harvest and process the first Riesling in October. Will it be a good vintage? The graduate viticultural engineer doesn't dare to make a prediction just yet, but he does let us taste the grapes. The verdict is clear: Quite sour.
So it will probably be a while before all the barrels in the wine cellar a little away from his parents' property "Haus Drachenloch" are filled again. The largest stainless steel barrels in the narrow, tightly packed shed right next to the rock can hold up to 2,000 litres, while the smaller wooden barrels hold 300 to 1,000 litres. But even now, the smell of fermented grapes in the cellar alone could almost be enough to make your senses foggy. Of course, this doesn't bother the professional. While he spends most of his time outdoors in spring and summer, life in autumn and winter usually takes place behind closed doors. "Good wine takes time," says the winemaker from the Siebengebirge and takes a sample from the wooden barrel. A critical look. "If it takes time, then it takes time and the customer has to wait." After all, quality is more important to the winegrowers from Königswinter than quantity.
Which is why the family has refrained from using pesticides or herbicides in cultivation for years. Instead, nature is allowed to run riot between the vines and grow wild. Janos, who they all call Möhrchen because of his reddish colouring, likes it. Back in the steep vineyard, he hunts for mice. While his master tells him how he himself grew into the profession of winegrower. Knowing full well how exhausting it can be to have to go up and down the steep hills every day in all weathers. "After leaving school," recalls the 38-year-old, "I briefly considered studying architecture." However, he quickly discarded the idea. Instead, he learnt all about soil composition, fermentation processes and agricultural technologies in the Rheingau and then "took off" to New Zealand for a while, only to soon return to Königswinter and continue running his parents' winery. "I love the Siebengebirge," he says and a smile crosses his friendly face. "Especially since we got Janos." Since then, the well-trained winegrower has learnt almost all the hiking trails in the region and is always amazed anew at "how beautiful my home is".
The well-coordinated team is almost a little restless, and it's not until later that the dog relaxes a little in the sun on the terrace. While Felix Pieper has "the rest" to do. The smartphone keeps ringing. Appointments are made, deliveries arranged and events planned. After all, the man with a pendant labelled Riesling dangling from his thick bunch of keys is not only a winemaker, but also a businessman. Albeit a modest one. He produces 110,000 to 120,000 bottles of mostly white wine a year. However, they are marketed exclusively in the region. And in his own wine shop, which is currently open by appointment.
Pieper's grandparents built the pale yellow Tuscan-style building 20 years ago and also opened a restaurant at the time. Grandson Felix no longer runs it, "because it keeps me too far away from my core business". The winery. "I'm also not a restaurateur," he admits openly. He is therefore in the process of converting the large hall into a second wine cellar. What remains are the five guest rooms, where mostly hikers or cyclists stay overnight at the weekend. Breakfast, however, is served at the neighbour's. Because the community in the region is good. The four winegrowers at the foot of the Siebengebirge know and appreciate each other. But of course they remain rivals when it comes to bringing the best wine to the market. Which one will it be this year? Let's see. Felix Pieper is an incorrigible optimist and usually relies on his own "mixture of knowledge and gut feeling" when growing wine. Incidentally, he himself prefers to drink a good Riesling. "Nobody can fool us Germans when it comes to that." When it comes to beer, however, he waves his thanks and shakes his head a little. "That's not my thing at all."
Tourismus NRW e.V., Ralph Sondermann, Felix Pieper im Weinhang, Rhein-Sieg-Kreis Tourismus NRW e.V., Ralph Sondermann, Weinberge im Siebengebirge, Rhein-Sieg-Kreis Tourismus NRW e.V., Ralph Sondermann, Weinkeller mit Weinglas und Fass, Rhein-Sieg-Kreis Tourismus NRW e.V., Ralph Sondermann, Weinreben in Weinberg im Siebengebirge, Rhein-Sieg-Kreis
On foot or by bike - the main thing is NRWThree questions for Felix Pieper
You have 48 hours of free time. What would you definitely do with this time in NRW?
Felix Pieper: I probably wouldn't do anything different than usual, namely a hike through the Siebengebirge. That's pure relaxation for me. But I could also imagine an extended cycle tour. All the way to Cologne, for example, where I would walk up to the cathedral again. I haven't done that for ages.
Which place in NRW have you recently discovered for yourself?
Felix Pieper (laughs): I haven't been out of Königswinter for so long ... But if I think about it carefully, it's the green belt around the city of Cologne. I recently went for a long run through the Rheinau meadows here. From Heumarkt to Cologne-Mülheim. I didn't realise beforehand how beautiful it is there.
Your personal favourite place in NRW?
Felix Pieper: That's easy to answer. The plateau on the Drachenfels. I'm probably here two or three times a week. My favourite time is early in the morning or towards the evening, when there are few people up here. Then I enjoy the fantastic view. My absolute favourite place!
