(Claude Auguste / Manfred Klimek – Editorial team / animated image: Runwayml)
We can criticise young people who are just like we once were. That they drink less wine – for example. That they prefer Aperol, hard seltzer or stick to non-alcoholic drinks altogether – or choose cannabis and MDMA over wine. That they post photos of wine labels but don’t discuss vintages.
But we can also be honest: the wine industry hasn’t made it easy for them for decades. And how would we react today? Is it wise to simply call for a return to the basics: tasting your way through wines and finding your own style? My generation still had the time and money for that. But Gen Z? “No way,” they say. And it’s probably “no way” indeed. Acknowledging the facts helps.
Because between baroque script, vineyard hierarchy, quality classifications and sermon-like seriousness, there’s little room left for curiosity. Anyone standing in front of a German wine shelf in their early twenties doesn’t need a thirst for knowledge – they need a starting point. And that’s exactly where Bruno vom Kartäuserhof comes in.
I was sceptical. Another one of those projects, I thought. Yet another ‘young’ label desperately trying to be cool. But Bruno is different. Perhaps because it’s not backed by a start-up, but by a vineyard that’s almost a thousand years old. Kartäuserhof is Trier, it’s Riesling, it’s history. And that’s precisely why Bruno doesn’t come across as trying too hard, but as surprisingly laid-back.
No pandering. No sugar-laden wines. No cringey slogans. Just four wines for 11.90 euros, clearly made, clearly named, clearly conceived. And in Germany, that’s almost revolutionary.
Pinot Blanc – The diplomatic introduction
They could have taken the easy route and focused solely on Riesling. Instead, there’s also a Pinot Blanc on offer.
A clever move. Pinot Blanc is internationally recognised, requires less explanation, and is less associated with ‘fear of acidity’. In the glass, it displays freshness, a subtle, delicate creaminess, and structure without heaviness. Not a run-of-the-mill patio wine, but cleanly crafted, precise and approachable.
For anyone still finding their feet with Mosel Riesling, this is an elegant gateway wine (and actually more than that). And for traditionalists, a slight surprise: Kartäuserhof can do things differently. The danger here is that Pinot Blanc might prove more popular with a younger clientele in the long run than the rather more complex Riesling.
Riesling Dry – Serious, but not austere
The dry Riesling is, after all, the centrepiece. And here you immediately realise where Bruno comes from.
That Ruwer coolness, that clear, almost austere minerality, with not a hint of sweetness. Taut, lively, with invigorating acidity. No flexing of muscles, no alcohol-driven statement. Rather, a wine with drive.
If you want to give young consumers – even those interested in the avant-garde of Riesling – credit for anything, it’s for something like this. Not a watered-down compromise, but character – just without the pathos.
Riesling Kabinett – Light & easy at last
Perhaps it’s ironic that, of all things, a Kabinett seems more modern today than many a high-end dry wine.
Moderate alcohol, delicate fruit sweetness, vibrant acidity – and suddenly it all fits perfectly into an era that’s all about balance. This Bruno Kabinett is no nostalgic product. It feels surprisingly contemporary. Drinkable, precise, with that playful, dancing quality that once made the Mosel world-famous.
One inevitably wonders: why did we make things so complicated in the meantime?
We didn’t drink the rosé. Not because of any reservations, but because we were a bit too daft to order that one as well.
What sets Bruno apart is not his claimed youthfulness; it is the natural ease with which he asserts this youthfulness. Here, nobody is trying to ‘co-opt’ Generation Z. No one is explaining the Moselle to them. No one is selling history as a moral obligation. Instead, there are four wines that you can drink without having to attend a seminar. That is the real achievement of the Kartäuserhof.
I don’t believe that Bruno alone will get a whole generation to drink wine. But I do believe that he shows how it can be done: well-made wines with a hint of the great history of wine – and at a price that doesn’t put people off.
For an estate with nearly a thousand years of history, that’s remarkably unpretentious.
But does it work? We hope so!