Karl May Winery: 200 Years of Family History – in Rheinhessen

Karl May Winery

Karl May Winery: Home in Osthofen

The Karl May Winery has its roots in the small wine village of Osthofen, in the heart of the Wonnegau region. The Mays have been making wine since 1815, and today brothers Fritz and Karl May run the winery together in the seventh generation. Their winery has grown to 34 hectares in recent years, and they plan to keep it that way. The Karl May Winery has been organically certified since 2007. The more natural approach to the soil (no herbicides or artificial fertilizers) and the vines (gentle pruning and yield reduction) has benefited the wines. They are terroir-driven, clear and balanced, show their origins and grape varieties, are straightforward and have great development potential, from estate wine to village wine to single-vineyard wine.

Karl May Winery: Wine from the Wonnegau

Here in the southeasternmost part of Rheinhessen, optimal conditions for viticulture prevail. The many hours of sunshine allow the grapes to ripen well and also to achieve physiological ripeness. Especially if, like Fritz and Peter May, you also focus on red grape varieties such as Pinot Noir, Merlot and Cabernet, which account for 30% of the vineyard area. Their vineyards stretch from Bechtheim to Westhofen to Osthofen, with the calcareous sites Geyersberg and Goldberg producing particularly spicy-mineral white and red wines. Even though the two brothers have repeatedly taken top places in the German Red Wine Award, the main grape variety of the Karl May Winery is Riesling.