Andrea Wirsching is “Vintner of the Year 2018”. With her “Hans Wirsching” wine, she is carrying on the success of her forebears, who have been growing wine in Iphofen in Franconia since 1630. But as the native Franconian stresses, success and the quality of Wirsching wines are a real team effort.

If you follow that advice, you won’t go far wrong. At the start of the year, she was named “Vintner of the Year 2018” in a blind testing by the food and drink magazine “selection”. The vineyard itself received the award of “Silvaner Vineyard of the Year 2018”. “Our vineyard has grown to the extent that I can appoint specialists in every position. I really can draw on virtually limitless expertise,” says Andrea Wirsching of her fantastic team. “Everyone on our team has the space to develop his own skills. We have a team in which everyone has a say, and brings their experience to the table, and I find that a very productive approach.” For the past four years, Dr Klaus-Peter Heigl (53) has worked as an oenologist at the Wirsching vineyard. The 53-year-old is responsible for wine production, vine management, and the aging process. With his many years of experience in wine growing, he knows exactly is needed to manage the Keuper soil.

“This soil from the Triassic era is rich in minerals due to the deposition of shell limestone sediments. The mild climate and long growing season allow the vines to absorb the minerals within the Gipskeuper soil. This gives our wines their high-quality and delicate character.” The Wirsching vineyard is as environmentally-friendly as possible, and conventional as necessary. For some years therefore, they have managed to work without insecticides and herbicides. This also means that more machine tillage is required under rows, and Fendt tractors are used here.

Eight Fendt tractors are used on the slopes of the Wirsching vineyard. A Fendt 313 Vario for transport work, and seven Fendt 210 Varios with different implements: Line trimmer for trimming shoots in summer, leaf vacuum for removing leaves, trunk cleaner and various tillage implements such as rotary harrow, cutter, mulching equipment and seeders. In winter, soil loosening implements such as spading machines and subsoilers are used, as are trailers which bring in hand-picked grapes. White wines are aged in stainless steel tanks and in a large wood barrel, while red wines age in an oak barrel. A small percentage of white and red wines are also barrique aged. A special Wirsching wine from the large wood barrel is the Silvaner “Sister Act”, which has been created by the two sisters, Lena and Andrea Wirsching.

“The wine industry is very much male-dominated. There are some up and coming women who have studied hard, but there are still very few women in positions of power,” says Andrea Wirsching, describing the current situation. “In order to be heard, you need persistence, and sometimes you really need to bang on the table. I’m not actually like that, but I’m learning,” laughs the likeable vintner.