Peter Jacob Kuhn Riesling Riesling Trocken Quarzit

The Woman... It's amazing when you see it in a person's eyes. On a gently sloping hillside in the Rheingau, in front of a giant pile of homemade compost, I could see absolute passion and belief in the eyes of Sandra Kuhn. She is the 12th-generation heir-apparent to the 15-hectare biodynamic Peter Jakob Kuhn estate. "This is the kitchen of our winery." The intensity in her eyes said this is all deep and real, there's no marketing line or fad to my actions.

The Vineyard... Later in the blustery Doosberg vineyard within sight of the Rhein, "The wind is your colleague that helps you." True or not, I left with an understanding that she not only believes in, but cares completely about the farming methods her family uses. A clear perspective based on nature as an ally, not an opponent. Everyone says the right things when you talk to them - "wine is made in the vineyard blah blah blah." Feeling the energy radiating as Sandra spoke, I knew there was no pitch here, only generations of learned truth.

Natural Farming... I learned a lot at the Kuhn estate, and during similar visits in the Mosel, Pfalz, and all across Austria. Little but important things about compost, the wind, mold, worms: the natural world that of course all this wine comes from. As hard as we try to control it, nature still demands balance to create greatness. The main thing I took away from this travel was that we are right to feature naturally farmed wines. The details do matter. The wines tastes better.