Location and soils
The Pfeffingen winery is located in the hamlet of Pfeffingen, between Bad Dürkheim and Ungstein, directly on the German Wine Route in the Pfalz. The roughly 17 hectares of vineyard land are situated on the slopes at the edge of the Haardt and are protected by the Palatinate Forest; at the same time, the warm climate of the Rhine plain has an effect. The sites include, among others, Ungsteiner Herrenberg and Ungsteiner Weilberg.
The Ungsteiner Herrenberg consists of deep, carbonate-rich colluvium with sandy-loam to silty-sandy-loam profiles. The Weilberg is characterised by Terra Rossa, red clays over limestone or limestone debris, and clayey loam. In the Ungsteiner Nussriegel, different soils can be found, including Bunter sandstone, alluvial sands and, locally, clay and limestone components.
Farming and grape varieties
The vineyards are farmed sustainably. Documented practices include cover crops, compost, measures to promote biodiversity, a reduction in soil compaction and the use of rainwater for work in the open areas. Herbicides and insecticides are not used; instead, among other things, the confusion method with pheromones is used. Soil cultivation is carried out exclusively mechanically, and the grapes are picked selectively by hand.
The grape varieties include Riesling, Scheurebe, Weissburgunder, Spätburgunder, Roter Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and St. Laurent. Scheurebe has been grown in Pfeffingen for more than 50 years and, alongside Riesling, is one of the most important varieties at the winery. The winery propagated Roter Riesling from a vine found in the family vineyards; in 2014, 800 vines were planted in the Ungsteiner Herrenberg.
Wines and maturation
The range includes fruit-driven-mineral Rieslings, Pinot varieties, full-bodied red wines, as well as Scheurebe in dry and noble-sweet maturation styles. The VDP.Grosse-Lage wines come from the Ungsteiner Herrenberg and the Ungsteiner Weilberg. For the corresponding VDP.Grosses Gewächse, Riesling, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Noir are documented.
Cellar work is carried out using temperature-controlled fermentation in stainless steel tanks and maturation on fine lees. A documented Weissburgunder rests for four months on the fine lees. For red wines, hand harvest, destemming, must fermentation, biological acid reduction and maturation in wooden barrels are included. The Ungstein Spätburgunder SP matures for 18 months in barriques and tonneaux. Sparkling wines are made using the traditional bottle fermentation method; the Pinot Sekt matures for 24 months on the lees.
Family history and VDP
The family acquired the winery on 21 April 1931. Karl Fuhrmann and his wife Helene took over in 1952, Doris Eymael ran the business from 1991, and Jan Eymael took over the leadership in 2002. For about 250 years, the family has been involved in wine-growing in the region referred to as Germany; three generations of the Eymael family live and work at the winery.
Since 1986, Weingut Pfeffingen has been a member of the Association of German Prädikat wineries. Ungsteiner Weilberg and Ungsteiner Herrenberg are listed as VDP.Grosse Lagen, and Wachenheimer Schloßberg and Ungsteiner Nussriegel as VDP.Erste Lagen. For the VDP.Grosse-Lage wines, reduced yields, extensive hand work and selective hand harvesting are documented.
