(Manfed Klimek / animated pic: runwayml)
The Lake Constance region is not a classic German wine-growing area, but a geological-climatic promise for the future that is now beginning to tell its story – the reason being climate change. Shaped by glaciers that retreated and left behind a landscape of moraines and heavy, often rich soils, this region, unfortunately still largely unknown in Germany as a wine-growing area, has the character of an emerging wine region – and emergence is precisely what German wine currently lacks. The wines I have tasted are cool, almost crystalline in their aromatics, even though they grow on lush soils. Grape varieties take a step back, the aromas are restrained, and the individual sites are meant to do the talking. Twelve wineries are currently joining forces to form a kind of regional union – a first and successful attempt to give Lake Constance a clearer identity.
Even with the sparkling wine, it becomes clear where things are heading. The Sprudeldicke Dirn from Weingut Deufel (€ 17.50) shows an impressive nose: nuts, ripe gooseberry, a hint of pineapple and a slightly mellow note reminiscent of great Champagne. On the palate it cannot quite live up to this promise, but comes close – carried by the yeast ageing of the Johanniter grape. The Lindauer Sekt from Weingut Haug (Souvignier Gris, € 22.00) strikes a different note: more baroque, with more apple and pear, somewhat rougher, less precise, but with a character of its own.
The Müller-Thurgau Drumlin 2024 from Weingut Schmidt (€ 25.00) surprises with coolness and mineral austerity. The aromatics are idiosyncratic, almost Traminer-like, with a slightly sweet note reminiscent of Werther’s Original; on the palate, there is then medium weight and a clear outline. Equally cool is the Sauvignon Blanc 2024 (€ 16.90) from Weingut Hendriks, which plays with a slightly unsettling, urban note – like taking the first step into a Berlin club, before the senses have had time to settle.
The future of the region becomes apparent in the cuvées made from fungus-resistant varieties. The Weingut Lanz in Nonnenhorn combines Johanniter and Souvignier Gris (Bayrischer Bodensee white 2023, € 15.50) into a wine that plays with walnut shells, quince and a hint of exotic fruit. Meaty, but not heavy; more a controlled opulence.
The Chardonnay Nonnenhorner Seehalde 2023 from Weingut Kurek (€ 35.00) is a first genuine highlight. Taut, with elegant use of oak, it recalls great international role models from the 1990s without taking on their weight. The Solaris Soho 2023 from Deufel (€ 28.00), by contrast, has an expressive nose, exotic and almost exuberant, with perfectly judged oak, yet in detail there is a sense that this grape variety can show even more here.
The classic Burgundy varieties ultimately provide the most convincing arguments for the region. The Weißburgunder Ortslage 2023 from Weingut Schmidt (€ 19.00) excels with precise use of barrique and notes of caramel, while remaining cool, stony and clear. The Chardonnays from Seehaldenhof also show this balance: Die Seehalde 2021 (€ 44.90) with noticeable tannin from the vineyard, while the Sonnenbichl 2022 (€ 47.00) is somewhat rounder, with a lovely note of oak and a hint of popcorn, without becoming broad.
With the Pinot Noirs, Lake Constance’s cool, palate-friendly signature becomes visible once again. Hendriks’ Seehalde 2022 (not yet on the market) impresses with an almost perfect nose, slightly buttery and lactic, yet cool and fruity, with the oak guiding it precisely – a slender, very German Pinot with subtle Campari bitterness. The 2021 vintage (€ 23.00) goes one step further: sour cherry, mushroom, forest floor, damp depth. With Ringoldsberg 2022, Haug introduces (€ 30.00) a more gnarled, almost archaic Pinot Noir, shaped by mash, pomace and fine oak, while Gierer in Seehalde 2022 (€ 30.00) shows a seductive caramel nose that, on the palate, does not quite achieve the same density.