The people of Weingut Claus Schneider
The family has a strong link to the soils and vineyards in Weil am Rhein dating back to 1492. In the 19th the family started to develop winegrowing as a main income source. Nowadays our winery has a surface of 12 ha with all family members working on the estate. Just recently a new generation with Johannes and Christoph took over responsibility.
Winery Philosophy
Our soil (clay/limestone) and climate are perfectly suited for the Pinot varieties. As such, only the Pinot family and Gutedel are grown.
We put a strong emphasis on building up and preserving a healthy soil. As such we suppress undesired weeds in our vineyards only mechanically. Soil structure is improved only by small doses of compost or fertilizing preparations. When vineyards are replanted we use more and more “selection massale” material from high quality vineyards of colleagues or ourselves.
In the cellar we value the basic principles of quality wine making. Hand-picking of grapes, natural fermentations, long aging process in barrels and bottle aging. Due to this minimalistic work in the cellar, we produce elegant, digestible wines which show a great aging potential.
“The brothers know how to create the Pinot classics like their father Claus, but with an additional focus on freshness and precision, while at the same time creating experimental wines that derive their originality from good craftsmanship.”