Andreas Bender

Andreas Bender grows both his own grapes on the steep slopes of the Mosel and also vinifies those from partner vintners in the Pfalz. As he explains, “my philosophy is actually quite simple. Harvest only first class grapes coming from the finest vineyard sites, be uncompromising in terms of quality and remain loyal to customers”.

He owns some 24 hectares of land, including almost four in excellent sites planted with Riesling. His name, Bender, now stands for youthful, elegant and modern wines because he wants to reach not only connoisseurs, but also young, urban consumers.

Since his early childhood, his father taught him everything about winemaking. He spent most of his time, though, assisting him in the vineyards. At the age of only 13, he then produced his first wine! Thereafter he deepened his knowledge working with other estates in Germany, America, France, Austria and Italy. Moreover, he also studied several semesters in Geisenheim, Germany’s elite university for aspiring winemakers.

A “One Man Show”, Bender now commutes back and forth between his native Mosel and his new passion, the Pfalz, because of its “high diversity of soils.” There, in fact, gravel, sandy clay, fertile loess, limestone and red sandstone each offer optimal conditions for a high range of unique wines, from a sumptuous, dry Riesling to a powerful Cabernet Sauvignon.

©Fotos: Gerd Kressl