Germany · Pfalz

Weingut Seckinger

Dry, textured Pfalz Riesling from three brothers working Mittelhaardt sandstone, chalk and loess.

The producer

Weingut Seckinger is a family winery in Niederkirchen, founded in 2012 by Philipp, Jonas and Lukas Seckinger. Their Rieslings come from Mittelhaardt vineyards, including hand-worked forest-edge parcels and recultivated Deidesheim terraces, where sandstone, chalk, loess and marl bring different shapes to the fruit.

Selective harvesting, gentle pressing, spontaneous fermentation and ageing in wood give the wines breadth without masking their dry Riesling core. Start with the grapefruit, citrus and lively finish of Riesling vom Löss; move to R Riesling PURE for salinity and brioche, then Petershöhle for reduction, iron-marked red fruit and firmer acidity.

Known for

Dry Riesling shaped by Mittelhaardt soils, spontaneous fermentation and wood ageing.

Notable facts

The story

The one-hectare garage start

In 2012, the Seckinger brothers began in Niederkirchen as a one-hectare garage winery. Philipp was identified as an oenologist, while Jonas was studying at Geisenheim, and the regional tourism account described the new family operation as Niederkirchen’s youngest winery. From that small garage base, their work extended across Mittelhaardt vineyards, including recultivated terraces in Deidesheim. As the estate developed, the brothers adopted biodynamic vineyard work alongside spontaneous fermentation and wooden casks for their Riesling.

From the atlas

Weingut Seckinger

At A Glance

Weingut Seckinger is a family winery in Niederkirchen, Pfalz, founded in 2012 by Philipp, Jonas and Lukas Seckinger. Its documented centre of gravity is dry Riesling from Mittelhaardt sites, fermented largely with native yeasts and raised in a mix of wood and, for some wines, steel. The result is a range that moves from grapefruit and citrus to salinity, brioche, red fruit and firm acidity.

The Producer

Philipp, Jonas and Lukas Seckinger run the estate and are listed as its winemakers. Their Rieslings link Niederkirchen to the wider Mittelhaardt: a multi-site bottle can draw together loess and sandstone fruit, while a Deidesheim terrace bottling isolates one slope. That distinction keeps the labels useful: the broader wines show a house approach, and the named sites narrow the frame to a particular ground and exposure.

Place

The estate works on the Mittelhaardt, the central stretch of the Pfalz, from its base in Niederkirchen. Riesling is the documented grape at the heart of the range, and the wines move between Ruppertsberg, Niederkirchen and Deidesheim. Riesling vom Löss, for example, draws mainly from Ruppertsberger Linsenbusch and Niederkirchener Schlossberg, so its grapefruit, citrus and soft acidity arrive as a blended expression rather than a single-site statement. Petershöhle, by contrast, is tied to a Deidesheim terrace and carries a more concentrated site signature of reduction, red fruit and brisk acidity.

Soil And Site

Mottled sandstone, chalk and loess appear across Seckinger’s vineyards, alongside lime marl in the material for R Riesling PURE. These are physical differences with a clear effect in the glass: the producer connects red sandstone with fruit and fine acidity, while lime marl and loess contribute salinity and brioche notes in R Riesling PURE. Some vines lie close to the forest edge and can only be worked by hand, so the farming follows the shape of the land rather than a uniform machine pass.

The Deidesheim terraces make the contrast even more visible. Mäushöhle sits on a south-facing terrace of yellow sandstone; Petershöhle is on a southeast-facing terrace of red sandstone. Both were recultivated, but their slope direction and stone are distinct, so the names point to different growing conditions rather than two labels for the same style.

Story

Founded as a family business in 2012, Seckinger developed its work around vineyards that range from easier mixed-origin parcels to steep terrace ground. The brothers describe biodynamic farming as their path forward, and Falstaff lists the production style as organic. In the cellar, spontaneous fermentation, extended barrel time and limited intervention keep the wines connected to those sites: acidity, extract and savoury detail are allowed to remain part of the finished Riesling instead of being smoothed away.

Vineyards And Cellar

Seckinger selectively harvests and gently presses its grapes before primarily spontaneous fermentation. Native yeasts and wooden casks shape texture without turning the wines into oak-led Riesling; Riesling vom Löss is split between stainless steel and used large casks, retaining citrus lift while building extract through the middle of the palate. The estate also avoids fining agents, and regular malolactic fermentation is reported. Together, those choices can bring a broader feel and less overtly sharp acidity while leaving dry fruit, salt and barrel-aged texture in view.

Wines

Riesling vom Löss is the open, multi-site expression: grapefruit and citrus on the nose, soft acidity, high extract and a clear, lively finish. Its mix of steel and used large wood suits a wine designed to show freshness alongside a little width.

R Riesling PURE gathers fruit from Ruppertsberg’s Reiterpfad, Linsenbusch and Nußbien. Large wooden barrels and used French tonneaux support a more layered, savoury shape, with fruit and acidity alongside salinity, brioche and a glossy mid-palate. The vineyard mix is part of its structure: red sandstone, loess and lime marl are brought together in one dry Riesling.

Riesling Deidesheim In der oberen Petershöhle is the more closely framed bottle in the supplied range. From its southeast-facing red-sandstone terrace, it shows reduction, iron-marked red fruit, juiciness and vibrating acidity. Its muted fruit and airy mineral character make it less immediately citrus-driven than Vom Löss and more focused on stone, grip and finish.

In The Glass

Across the range, the first scents run from grapefruit and citrus in Riesling vom Löss to brioche, savoury notes and red fruit in the more site-defined wines. On the palate, dry fruit is carried by acidity rather than sweetness: Vom Löss has soft acidity and extract, R Riesling PURE adds salt and breadth from wood-aged élevage, and Petershöhle has a tighter line of acidity with a little iron-like earthiness. The finishes are clear and lively in the loess-led wine, then increasingly stony and savoury as sandstone and single-site focus take over.

A Bottle To Understand It

Start with Riesling vom Löss. It brings together fruit from Linsenbusch and Schlossberg, spontaneous fermentation and ageing in both stainless steel and used large casks. Grapefruit and citrus arrive first, followed by high extract, soft acidity and a dry, persistent finish. It shows how Seckinger can make a mixed-site Riesling feel broad on the palate while keeping the fruit and acidity bright.

Anecdote

In 2012, the Seckinger brothers began in Niederkirchen as a one-hectare garage winery. Philipp was identified as an oenologist, while Jonas was studying at Geisenheim, and the regional tourism account described the new operation as Niederkirchen’s youngest winery. From that garage base, the family business expanded its vineyard work across the Mittelhaardt, including the recultivated terraces at Deidesheim. The brothers’ cellar practice developed alongside those sites: spontaneous fermentations, wooden casks and biodynamic vineyard work became part of the way their Riesling was made.

Final Word

Seckinger is worth following through its Riesling labels: begin with the citrus and extract of Riesling vom Löss, then move to R Riesling PURE for salinity and brioche, or Petershöhle for red sandstone, reduction and a firmer acidic finish.

Sources

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