the “saviour of sylvaner”
The absolutely remarkable wines of Stefan Vetter are like no other Sylvaner in the world. Vetter has near single-handedly brought attention to a grape that has been long overlooked. And when we say “single-handedly”, we also mean he is doing it all organically and biodynamically by hand. There is a reason Punch Drink calls him the “Saviour of Sylvaner.”
When one thinks of Sylvaner, one thinks about texture and maybe acidity, something that Vetter’s wines have in spades; but what you don’t usually think of is aromatics. Vetter’s magician-like touch brings waves of citrus, orchard, and tropical fruits with a delicate complexion of herbs and a current of minerality. All of Vetter’s wines balance intensity with subtlety, creating a tension that zips around the palate while maintaining focus and precision.
harvests substantially earlier than his contemporaries
According to Wines of Germany, Franconian wines have been grown for over 1200 years along the Main River, planted mostly with flat plots of Müller-Thurgau. Sylvaner started being planted in the region in the mid-Seventeenth Century, and since then, Franken has become the grape’s spiritual home. Stefan Vetter harvests substantially earlier than his contemporaries in the region to maintain the grape’s acidity and to keep the alcohol level low.
Eric Asimov, wine critic for the New York Times, comments, “You can’t help but visualize the stony, unyielding terrain and the winemaker’s determination to push it to its extreme,” in an article where he mentions Vetter among the most memorable wines he had in 2018. Or more simply, as Vom Boden says, “Stefan Veter is f-ing punk rock.” He also happens to be the brother-in-law of famed Mosel winemaker Andreas Adams of A. J. Adam. Vetter is making revolutionary wines on the forefront of German natural wine.
it’s a family affair
When we visited Stefan Vetter, he invited us into his house for both lunch and dinner, we tasted so many of his wines all from Zalto glasses—the luxury of tasting in Germany where they aren’t $80 a glass! Stefan is not from Gambach, but he came here to make wine and it is a family affair, his wife tends the vines with him and both their families come in to harvest.
Stefan is also a super humble guy, very gracious and we love his wines, they are so fine and delicate and expressive. His vines are on steep slopes of sandstone and limestone on the banks of the Main river, a short walk from his house through the forest. It’s a beautiful spot.
