Thomas Patek worked as a development engineer before the mental and physical effects of a burn out convinced him to leave his career. Suffering from depression and looking for a purpose, he began to see the familiar vineyards surrounding his home in Würzburg with new eyes. Turning to winemaking, Thomas had to start from scratch, discovering farming practices and vinification through internships in Würzburg, Pfalz and Austria before returning to Franconia for an apprenticeship at Horst Sauer, a VDP winery that had a lasting impact on his precision and work ethic. He made his first wines here, managing two small Silvaner vineyards with his mentor, Moritz Bachner, before moving to Ingelheim am Rhein in 2018 to work with Simone Adams of AdamsWein. Thomas deepened his knowledge of Burgundian varieties and their vinification, a focus inspired by Simone’s love of Pinot, and continued making his own wine in parallel. By now this was an essential part of the deal; a small vineyard to manage, a tractor to rent, and some space in the cellar of the winemaker he was working for. In 2021, Thomas returned home to Franconia and began working at 2Naturkinder in Kitzingen the following year. Alongside, he now manages five small vineyards in Kitzingen and Sulzfeld am Main, slightly south along the Main river. Silvaner, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir and Domina on limestone soils, the wines aged in his own vessels — amphora, barrel and a little stainless steel — in the 2Naturkinder cellar. In the vineyard, Thomas uses soft pruning to strengthen and support the vines, prioritising sap flow and guiding the plants towards a sustainable fruit yield. The two Silvaner vineyards were planted in ’84 and ’89, and Thomas has been rebuilding them after previous poor pruning, carefully restoring their vitality and natural vigour with each season. It’s one of the aspects he finds most rewarding; the connection with nature and the resurgence of a perennial plant that develops with each year that passes.
Weiss 2022 is four parts Silvaner and one part Bacchus, the former giving structure and salinity, the latter bringing fruit to the fore. The grapes were pressed as whole clusters, the juice fermented in stainless steel, undergoing malolactic fermentation. After seven months on the lees, it was racked at the end of April and bottled with a small addition of sulfur, measuring 20mg/l. Lightly reductive on the nose, it is bright and aromatic with elderflower and hay, a touch of citrus, and long finish.