Germany · Rheinhessen

Weingut Steitz

A family estate in Stein-Bockenheim making dry Riesling from western Rheinhessen’s volcanic edge, alongside Silvaner and Burgundy varieties.

The producer

Christian, Diana and Finn Steitz farm in Stein-Bockenheim, where Riesling leads a range rooted in volcanic andesite and porphyry. Christian began organic cultivation in 2007; the wines have carried official certification since 2022, while regenerative work focuses on building humus and activating soil life.

The dry Riesling range begins with ripe peach, apricot and yellow apple in Riesling trocken, then turns more mineral, herbal and spicy in Porphyr and Heerkretz. Lively acidity keeps the fruit moving, while the more site-marked wines bring savoury grip and a firmer finish.

Known for

Dry Riesling that moves from fruit-led estate wine to mineral, herbal and volcanic-site character in Porphyr and Heerkretz.

Notable facts

The story

The change began in the vineyard

In 2007, Christian Steitz converted the estate’s vineyards to organic cultivation. The work started before the wines carried official certification, so the first change was in the rows at Stein-Bockenheim rather than on a bottle. Christian and Diana continued the work through the following years, while the estate developed its regenerative programme around increasing humus and activating soil life. The wines have been officially certified since 2022. Christian, Diana and Finn now represent the family across generations, with Christian responsible for the vineyards and wine work as Finn grows into responsibility at the winery.

From the atlas

Weingut Steitz

At A Glance

Weingut Steitz is a family estate at Mörsfelder Straße 3 in Stein-Bockenheim, on Rheinhessen’s western edge. Christian, Diana and Finn Steitz work across generations, with Christian responsible for the vineyards and wine work while Finn grows into responsibility at the winery. Riesling leads the range, and volcanic ground supplies the central thread: fruit-led dry estate wine at one end, then Porphyr and Heerkretz bottlings with more rock, herbs and dry structure.

The Producer

Christian Steitz farms roughly 14–15 hectares with Diana and Finn in Stein-Bockenheim. The family grows Riesling alongside Silvaner, Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris and Chardonnay, but dry Riesling carries the clearest account of their vineyards: ripe fruit in the estate wine, then more overt volcanic character as the label narrows to Porphyr and Heerkretz.

Place

Rheinhessen is the regional address on the label; Stein-Bockenheim places Steitz in its western, cooler vineyard zone. That position supports Riesling with lively acidity, so the dry wines can carry ripe peach and apple fruit without becoming heavy. The estate’s named vineyards include Heerkretz, Eichelberg and Sonnenberg, while Porphyr identifies a wine shaped around the local volcanic-rock setting rather than a generic regional style.

Soil And Site

Andesite and porphyry beneath the vines are described as about 290–300 million years old and unusual within Rheinhessen. In the Riesling range, that ground is associated with mineral notes and herbal spice rather than simply more fruit. Heerkretz is a Große Lage, and its bottling takes the vineyard reference further: dry Riesling with volcanic character and herb-scented detail linked to the neighbouring nature reserve.

Story

The estate’s recent arc begins with a vineyard decision. Christian Steitz converted the vineyards to organic cultivation in 2007, then built regenerative work around increasing humus and activating soil life. The practical consequence is a farming program directed at the ground beneath the Riesling vines, not a separate marketing line: soil cover and soil life belong to how the estate approaches fruit from its volcanic sites. Its wines have been officially certified since 2022, and the estate also carries the FAIR’N GREEN seal.

Vineyards And Cellar

Organic cultivation and regenerative soil work set the vineyard framework, while the range keeps the wine decisions legible. The entry Riesling is vinified closer to ripe fruit; Porphyr and Heerkretz bring volcanic mineral notes and herbal-spiced character further forward. Most Steitz Rieslings are dry, with a feinherb Riesling and occasional residual-sweet Kabinett as exceptions, so acidity and texture remain central even where the sweetness level changes.

Wines

The Riesling range moves through three useful expressions. Riesling trocken is the estate wine, built around ripe fruit and dry refreshment. Porphyr Riesling shifts toward mineral, herbal and spicy notes associated with volcanic rock. Heerkretz Riesling comes from the Große Lage and concentrates that dry, site-marked direction, with more savoury herbal detail and firmer mineral grip. Alongside Riesling, Silvaner offers another white-wine focus, while Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris and Chardonnay widen the cellar’s grape palette.

In The Glass

In the dry estate Riesling, expect ripe apricot, peach and yellow apple carried by lively acidity and a light-to-medium body. Porphyr and Heerkretz trade some of that immediate fruit emphasis for mineral notes, herbs and spice: the palate becomes drier in impression, with more grip through the middle and a savoury finish. Across the range, the point is not oak weight or sweetness, but fruit held in place by acidity and the texture of the volcanic sites.

A Bottle To Understand It

Start with Steitz Riesling trocken. It is the fruit-led estate wine, dry in style, with apricot, peach and yellow apple over lively acidity and a clean mineral finish. The bottle introduces the house’s Riesling without the narrower vineyard emphasis of Porphyr or Heerkretz, so its ripe fruit and dry structure make the later site wines easier to read.

Anecdote

In 2007, Christian Steitz converted the estate’s vineyards to organic cultivation. The work began before the wines carried official certification, so the change first happened in the rows rather than on the label. Over the following years, Christian and Diana continued farming organically; FAIR’N GREEN describes them as certified organic farmers in 2019 after 13 years of organic farming. The estate separately states that its wines have been officially certified since 2022. That sequence leaves three fixed dates around one vineyard decision: Christian’s conversion in 2007, the 2019 certification reference for Diana and Christian, and official certification on the wines from 2022.

Final Word

Steitz is worth seeking out for dry Riesling that begins with peach and yellow apple, then moves toward herbs, mineral grip and volcanic texture as the labels become more site-focused. Stein-Bockenheim’s western Rheinhessen setting, organic vineyard work and the Heerkretz–Porphyr progression give the range a concrete path through the cellar.

Sources

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