aerial view Burgunderhof, © Burgunderhof Mergel© Burgunderhof Mergel

Burgunderhof Merkel GbR

Burgunderhof Merkel GbR is now run by the 4th generation of the Merkel family. Trained winemaker Dietmar Merkel is the family head, who brings 40 years of experience and ambition. Since 2016, the young generation, the children Martin Merkel and Carmen Merkel, have been active in the company and together, a connection between tradition and modernity is lived. The last 20 years were based on young, ready-to-drink wines. However, the interests and visions of the young generation bring age back into the bottle. Short maturation in oak barrels transforms the wines into young heroes, but also makes them more delicious, once they are older.
Since 2004, the farm has been certified organic and the size was greatly reduced. Now, the wine gets the full Merkel energy, since only family members are working in the vineyard and in the basement.

The old wood is an important part of the training system in the vineyards - the vines are designed in a vertical style and transport the nutrients and natural information from the stem to the grapes.
Basically, they are focused on natural yield reduction, old wood (including 95-year Portugieser, 100-year-old Müller-Thurgau, 50-year-old Pinot Noir and 60-year-old Riesling vines), hand-picking and hand-crafts.
The site Gundersheimer Höllenbrand is the flagship of the winery, which was built in 1839 in the middle of this vineyard, which is just as sunlit as the adjacent world famous Westhofen Morstein.

In the winery, English and German are spoken.

Burgunderhof-3, © Burgunderhof Mergel
Burgunderhof-3
Burgunderhof-2, © Burgunderhof Mergel
Burgunderhof-2
Burgunderhof-1, © Burgunderhof Mergel
Burgunderhof-1
aerial view Burgunderhof, © Burgunderhof Mergel
aerial view Burgunderhof

About us

  • Winemaker Dietmar Merkel
  • Vineyard-area 4.5 hectare

Contact details:

Burgunderhof Merkel
Carmen Merkel
Rheinstraße 8 67598 Gundersheim

Processed vineyards

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Westhofener Morstein

Westhofener Morstein

World famous and rich in stone

A bog (German: Moor) in Rheinhessen? Certainly not. The site was first mentioned in a document in 1282 with the name "in loco marstein" in a deed of donation to the Cistercian monastery of Otterberg (Pfalz) and can be interpreted as a "marker stone". In other words, it is a boundary stone or a landmark. It is indeed stony here: one stone found during clearing weighed up to 3.2 tons. In the upper soil layer, there are clay marl soils with limestone inclusions, and massive limestone rock underneath. Mineral Rieslings and Pinot Noirs bring world fame to the Westhofen winemakers. There are also plenty of vineyard cottages here, like the “Wingertshäusje Kommandozentrale".


> From Wingertshäuschen to Wingertshäuschen: https://www.rheinhessen.de/wingertsheisje-wanderweg
> To the other single vineyard sites of Westhofen: Aulerde, Brunnenhäuschen, Kirchspiel and Steingrube

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Gundersheimer Höllenbrand

Gundersheimer Höllenbrand (Hellfire of Gundersheim)

No devil to be seen! Red wines on the famous southern slope

A significant landmark of the area: The imposing "Höllenbrand" sign, visible from afar on the A61 from Worms towards Alzey. Since 2016, the Rheinhessen logo has also been displayed on the terraced slope, which is 100 percent south-facing. The site was first documented in 1437 with the name "in dem hilprant" and in 1710 with the name "im Höllenrand". Both, the personal name Hildebrand and the Middle High German word "halde, hel, hölle" (for slope) could be the origin of the name. And the word "Brand" could belong to the Middle High German word "rant" and mean "mountain edge". So the hell fire has nothing at all to do with the devil. But the southern slope is as hot as hell: that's why winegrowers plant vines here for full-bodied wines, often red wines. It's a good thing that the soil - loess loam and limestone - has natural springs.

> Info about Gundersheim, which calls itself the "red wine paradise in the Wonnegau": www.gundersheim.de
> Discover the single vineyard via numerous hiking and biking trails. For example, on the Hiwwel route stage 4, Alzey-Worms, or via Mühlenradweg. 

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