Weingut Josef Leitz

The history of viticulture in the Leitz family began in 1744 in the town of Rüdesheim am Rhein. The modern estate was established following the Second World War, when Josef Leitz rebuilt the winery after its total destruction in bombing raids. Ownership passed to Johannes Leitz in 1985, who took charge of the 2.9 hectare property at the age of 21 after completing his training as a master vintner. Under his leadership, the estate has grown to encompass approximately 130 hectares of land. While a minority stake in the trading operations was sold to a Norwegian importer in 2011, the winery itself remains entirely under the ownership and direction of the Leitz family. Johannes is now joined in the business by his son, Antonius Leitz.

The vineyards are situated primarily on the steep slopes of the Rüdesheimer Berg, where the soils consist largely of quartzite and various types of slate. Significant holdings are located in Grosse Lage sites including Berg Schlossberg, Berg Rottland, Berg Roseneck, and Berg Kaisersteinfels. The estate also manages the monopole Rosengarten vineyard, a walled site located in the center of Rüdesheim. Winemaking follows a hands-off philosophy that emphasizes minimal intervention and protection from oxygen to preserve the specific character of each site. Fermentation and maturation take place in a combination of stainless steel tanks and large, traditional wooden casks, some of which are more than 60 years old.

Riesling is the primary focus, accounting for nearly 95 percent of production, with small amounts of Pinot Noir and other varieties also cultivated. The portfolio ranges from dry, site-specific Grosses Gewächs bottlings to accessible brands like the Eins-Zwei-Dry series and the Dragonstone Riesling. The winery has gained specific attention for its development of high-quality non-alcoholic wines under the Eins-Zwei-Zero label, which utilize vacuum distillation to remove alcohol while maintaining varietal character. Johannes Leitz was named Winemaker of the Year by Gault Millau in 2011, and the estate has been a member of the Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter since 1996.