Located
in the village of Graach-Schäferei in the Mosel wine-growing region in
Germany, the Philipps-Eckstein family has been involved in wine making
since the 17th century. The estate itself was founded in 1968 by Hans
Philipps. Son Patrick and wife Michaela took over the business in 1998.
Since then, considerable investment has been made, mainly to improve
the cellar with cutting-edge technology. The vineyard area totals 9
acres in the top-rated Graacher Domprobst and Himmelreich sites, as
well as holdings in the Bernkasteler Johannisbrünnchen.
More than 90% of the area is planted with Riesling, the remainder
includes small amounts of Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir and Dornfelder. A
third each of the wines is made in a dry, semi-dry and sweet style, and
all wines are matured exclusively in stainless steel tanks. Winemaker Patrick Philipps
has recently received well-deserved recognition for his unwavering
dedication to the art and science of Riesling making. In 2007, he was
named Vintner of the Year by the German Chamber of Agriculture out of
540 wineries and 4,200 wines tested!
