Location and vineyards
The Acham-Magin winery is located at Weinstraße 67 in Forst in the Pfalz, Germany. The vineyards are situated in Forst as well as in the sites of Deidesheim and Ruppertsberg. The small-scale climatic conditions in Forst particularly support the cultivation of Riesling.
Sites and soils
The Forst Ungeheuer lies on the mid-slope above Forst and extends with a slightly concave profile to the edge of the forest. The site is described as sunny and sheltered from the wind. The Forst Kirchenstück lies above the church and covers around four hectares. The Ruppertsberg Reiterpfad with the parcel “Acht Morgen” is a small, sunny terraced site.
The geological range includes weathered Bunter sandstone, loess loam, basalt and limestone. In the Kirchenstück you can find Bunter sandstone, limestone rubble, sandy loam and basalt; the Jesuitengarten features layers of loam and sandstone rubble with basalt. In the Pechstein, Bunter sandstone, sandy loam and dark basalt shape the soil.
Farming and grape varieties
The winery is certified as EU-organic and has been farming organically since 2006. Work in the vineyards includes careful winter pruning, thinning of the shoots in spring, cultivation of the soil, cover cropping and the use of farm-produced organic compost.
The vineyard area consists of 75 percent Riesling and seven percent Pinot Blanc. Further plantings include, among others, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Scheurebe, Gewürztraminer, Merlot, Dornfelder, Cabernet Blanc, Portugieser and St. Laurent.
Vinification and history
The winery produces dry, site-specific wines with ageing potential. Riesling from classified sites is aged in stainless steel. From the stage of VDP.ORTSWEIN, fermentation takes place spontaneously and the wine remains on the lees for longer until shortly before bottling. Pinot Blanc can ripen for some periods in wooden or barrique casks, while the red wines are aged for two years in used barriques following must fermentation.
The family winery was founded in 1711. Emil Magin was, in 1908, one of the founders of the association of the natural wine auctioneers of the Pfalz, the predecessor of VDP Pfalz. Anna-Barbara Acham has run the winery since 1994 together with Vincent Troesch. As a member of the VDP, the winery offers wines in the categories VDP.GUTSWEIN, VDP.ORTSWEIN, VDP.ERSTE LAGE and VDP.GROSSE LAGE.
