12: What it means to make modern wines with Weingut Schätzel - TRINKTalks

Welcome to Episode 12 of TRINKTalks! In this conversation, Jule and Kai Schätzel discuss their journey into winemaking, emphasizing the importance of sustainable farming practices and the role of community in the winemaking process. They share insights on the philosophy of balance in winemaking, the transition to natural wines, and the challenges faced along the way. The discussion highlights the significance of innovation in tradition and the potential for winemaking to contribute positively to the world.

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ABOUT GUESTS KAI & JULE SCHÄTZEL

Kai and Jule Schätzel are the visionary duo behind Weingut Schätzel in Germany’s Rheinhessen, where they’ve redefined what the region—and Riesling itself—can express. The Schätzel family has been rooted in Nierstein since 1350, with the first vines planted during that time. 

Since taking the helm in 2008, Kai transformed his family’s centuries-old estate into one of Germany’s most distinctive, terroir-driven wineries, anchored in minimalism and a relentless pursuit of purity. The arrival of Jule in 2020 marked a new chapter, as the couple guided the estate to full Demeter biodynamic certification and pioneered ecological practices like planting shade trees amid the prized Roter Hang vineyards to combat climate stress. Together, they craft wines of remarkable tension, clarity, and restraint, fermenting with ambient yeasts in their 800-year-old cellar where a naturally occurring flor yeast allows for unsulfured bottlings without oxidative character. 

ABOUT TRINK 

TRINKTalks has been brought to you by TRINK Magazine, an independent quarterly digital publication exploring the “German-speaking wines” of Austria, Germany, Italy, and Switzerland. 

Founders Paula Redes Sidore, based in Germany, and Valerie Kathawala, in New York, were brought together by their shared love for these wines and the conviction that a deep understanding of the cultural contexts in which they are embedded is essential to appreciating them fully. 

TRINK launched in 2020. From the outset, their mission has been to deepen the understanding of how wine intersects with and impacts the narrative, culture, history, and geography of the European spaces where German is common cultural currency. 

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ABOUT THE HOSTS OF TRINK TALKS

Valerie Kathawala specializes in the wine cultures, traditions, and innovations of Germany, Austria, South Tyrol, and Switzerland, as well as those closer to her home in New York City. Her work appears in the pages of Noble Rot, The Art of Eating, SevenFifty Daily, Meininger’s Wine Business International, Pipette, Glug,.css-j9qmi7{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;font-weight:700;margin-bottom:1rem;margin-top:2.8rem;width:100%;-webkit-box-pack:start;-ms-flex-pack:start;-webkit-justify-content:start;justify-content:start;padding-left:5rem;}@media only screen and (max-width: 599px){.css-j9qmi7{padding-left:0;-webkit-box-pack:center;-ms-flex-pack:center;-webkit-justify-content:center;justify-content:center;}}.css-j9qmi7 svg{fill:#27292D;}.css-j9qmi7 .eagfbvw0{-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;color:#27292D;}