Kuhling Gillot is located in the town of Bodenheim in the Nierstien area of the Rheinhessen wine-growing region of Germany. In its present form, it came about by marriage in 1970 when two of the regions oldest and most established wineries Kuhling and Gillot joined forces. Carolin Spanier-Gillot who has been responsible for winemaking since 2002 is regarded both at home and internationally as one of Germanys most talented winemakers and viticulturalists. In 2014 she took out Germanys winemaker of the year becoming the first female to take out this prestigious prize. What has made Caroline’s work so special is her dedication in the vineyard and experimentation in the cellar.

Her family has 11 hectares of wonderful vineyards overlooking the Rhine on Rheinhessen’s eastern flank in the legendary villages of Oppenheim, Nackenheim and Nierstein. Many of their vineyards are on the Roter Hang (the red cliffs), thick with iron oxide which imparts the wines with an almost tropical spice and intensity. She makes some incredible wines from esteemed GG sites such as Ölberg, Pettental, Hipping and Rothenberg, as well as beautiful more approachable village wines. The majority of the estates holdings are planted to Riesling and although she has some Pinot noir, Chardonnay and Weissburgunder planted, particular attention is paid to the regions most famous varietal. Her work in the vineyard is meticulous, with full biodynamic principles applied and certified since 2006. Since making the decision to employ these principles she has found her work in the cellar, mainly fermentation to be much easier, an added and unexpected bonus. At Kühling-Gillot, the usual late harvest, painstaking selection, and spontaneous fermentation in large oak casks enable the terroir to be perceptible in the wines. In their youth, the wines are charming and smooth; with time, they reveal their origin.

Carolin has become a force to take note amongst the German winemaking community. With extensive time on lees, slow maturations and complete commitment to the preservation of unadulterated, terroir driven wines, her entire range from Village to GG’s remains both addictive and precise. Her dry Rieslings are benchmarks for the region and we are proud to be representing one the countries most exciting leading women.