Germany · Mosel Winningen
In the steep and rugged part of Germany’s Mosel region, known as the Terrassenmosel, you’ll find Weingut Materne & Schmitt – a winery founded in 2012 by Rebecca Materne and Janina Schmitt. The two women met while studying oenology in Geisenheim and worked together at the renowned Weingut Heymann-Löwenstein before deciding to establish their own estate in the village of Winningen.
The vineyard covers around 3.5 hectares, spread across tiny plots – many of them rediscovered and painstakingly brought back into cultivation in Lehmen, Kobern, and Winningen. The landscape here is dramatic, shaped by steep terraces, slate soils, and a demanding microclimate that imparts a distinctive, mineral-driven character to the wines.
Rebecca and Janina focus exclusively on Riesling – the variety they believe best expresses the unique terroir of the Terrassenmosel. All vineyard work is done by hand and without synthetic chemicals or fertilizers. The grapes are hand-harvested, and in the cellar, the wines ferment spontaneously with native yeasts and age slowly on their lees.
Their philosophy is simple: minimal intervention, maximum authenticity. The result is dry, precise, and vibrant Rieslings with a strong sense of place – wines that are both elegant and intense. Every bottle reflects the physical effort required on these steep slopes and the close collaboration between two people deeply committed to nature and tradition.
Through their uncompromising approach and revival of forgotten vineyard sites, Materne & Schmitt have quickly become part of a new generation of Mosel producers – unafraid to carve their own path while showing just how much personality Riesling from the Terrassenmosel can express.
