Production 
The Pfalz (pronounced “faults”) lies between the Haardt Mountains and the Rhine River, directly north of France’s Alsace region. As in Alsace, the mountains protect the area. The focus at J.L. Wolf is on classic Rieslings from top vineyards. To preserve the naturally high quality of the vineyards, we emphasize gentle handling through traditional winemaking techniques. Our goal is to produce wines that express the pure, authentic terroir of the Pfalz. An unofficial, Burgundy-style classification of the vineyards is used at J.L. Wolf. Based largely on an 1828 property tax assessment done by the Bavarian government, it identifies three first-growth (grand cru) vineyards at J.L. Wolf: Pechstein, Ungeheuer and Jesuitengarten, all in the village of Forst. Three second-growth (premier cru) vineyards are adjacent to the estate villa in Wachenheim: Goldbächel, Gerümpel and the wholly owned Belz. In addition, J.L. Wolf owns village (villages) quality vineyards, which produce the Wachenheimer and Forster Rieslings.At both the Dr. Loosen and J.L. Wolf estates, Ernst strives to make authentic wines that combine the great stylistic traditions of the region with today’s better understanding of sustainable viticulture and minimalist cellar practices. The result is pure, flavorful wines that clearly convey the regional culture, the true character of each grape variety, and the distinctive terroir of each vineyard site.