Fantastiska Vinotek

In the beginning, winemaking was just a hobby for his father and grandfather. Markus Meier, however, had little interest. His inclination was toward mechanical engineering and an MBA. But when Markus Meier finally did catch the wine bug, he jumped headlong from his first career into winemaking. Today he leads a premium winegrowing estate in southern Franken.

From the first step inside his "Weinerlebnis. Vinothek," opened in 2012, it's clear what philosophy Meier is pursuing. Every aspect of the 240-square-meter space is focused on nature. Natural materials, oak floors, much light; it is a game of the four elements of fire, water, earth and air. Harmony with nature and the sustainability in winemaking are both dictums for Markus Meier: "You can't turn the vineyard into a 'field of wine'; you have to fill it with life, so that the wine lives too. It goes without saying that the grapes are gently pressed, without any pumping."

These considerations led Meier to join with twelve other young Franken winegrowers in 2015 to found "Ethos," a group dedicated to retaining Franken's distinct wine culture, to protecting existing resources and to creating fair, authentic and environmentally friendly wines. Markus Meier has been highly successful with the approach. At the 2015 Franconian Wine Awards, his estate earned the award of merit, as well as six gold and silver for his wines. At the "Best of Gold 2016," Meier placed three wines in the finale, and was nominated in the category of Red wine/Blend as one of the three best Franken reds.

His varietals break down into Silvaner (30 percent), Riesling (18 percent), and Weißburgunder, Scheurebe and delicately fruity wines (35 percent), and then a bit of red wines (Cabernet and Spätburgunder) from the steep slopes. And then there's his latest passion: orange wine. His many varieties grow on the vineyards of the southern Steigerwald forest and in the southern Maindreieck on rich, deep keuper soils as well as minerally shell limestone.

Meier offers a regular series of events and excursions in his vinothek: from February to November there's an after-work party every second Thursday of the month, as well as a cellar tour and tasting. Another part of the program: cozy hikes to the panorama huts between the lines of vines in the vineyards, with a broad view over the Steigerwald region. In the summer months, there are tastings with wines and regional snack platters every first and third Sunday. In the middle of Weingut Markus Meier. In the middle of nature.