Andi Weigand farms 10 hectares in Iphofen, where he took over the family business in 2015 after completing his studies at Geisenheim. The area is well-known for winemaking, but Andi’s decision to pursue low intervention methods caused plenty of controversy with local, more conventional winemakers. Andi’s vineyards are planted with a mix of Weissburgunder, Scheurebe, Riesling, Spätburgunder, Chardonnay, Muskateller, Bacchus and Silvaner, interspersed with cover crops like buckwheat, borage and parsley. Silvaner is the main variety; a firm favourite with Andi and a grape that flourishes on this particular soil, populating much of Franconia. Andi likes the grape for its ability to express the terroir and its reliability: ‘a good friend who is not so loud, but you can always trust in!’.
Harvest 2022 came after a hot and dry year, with essential rainfall at the beginning of August that aided the grapes in their ripening, leading to a healthy yield and a great vintage. A little cooler than the years before, the acidity in the grapes was retained and gave way to powerful but fresh wines. Silvaner 2022 was harvested in mid September from vines of around 45 years. The grapes were direct pressed, fermented in old oak barrels and left for 9 months on full lees before racking and bottling.