Molitor Markus

Markus Molitor – The Mosel’s Winemaker of the Century

In picturesque Bernkastel-Wehlen on the Moselle, where the steep slate slopes glisten in the sun, lies the Markus Molitor Winery – now one of the most renowned and largest privately run wineries in Germany. The story of this extraordinary success began in 1984, when Markus Molitor, then just 20 years old, took over his father’s winery – nowin its eighth generation – with just a few hectares of vineyards and practically no land of his own under cultivation. What sounded like a bold gamble turned out to be the starting point for a breathtaking career.

Driven by a clear goal – to restore Mosel Riesling to its former glory – Molitor gradually leased and purchased the region’s finest steep slopes, one by one. Today, the estate cultivates around 65 hectares of vineyards across 15 different single-vineyard sites, including world-famous names such as Graacher Himmelreich, Zeltinger Sonnenuhr, Ürziger Würzgarten and Wehlener Sonnenuhr. The estate’s headquarters are situated in the heart of the Wehlener Klosterberg vineyard. Riesling is the dominant grape variety, accounting for 90 per cent of the total, complemented by small quantities of Pinot Noir.

Molitor’s philosophy is uncompromising: quality through precise craftsmanship, selective harvesting and respectful winemaking. In the cellar, he relies on gentle pressing, spontaneous fermentation and long ageing on the lees. The result is Rieslings of breathtaking minerality, elegance and power, which tell stories of origin, terroir and vintage. His wines have exceptional ageing potential and take years to fully develop.

Molitor achieved his international breakthrough in 2015, when the renowned ‘Wine Advocate’ awarded three of his Riesling Auslese wines the perfect maximum score of 100 Parker points – an honour bestowed upon only a handful of winemakers worldwide. As early as 2014, he had been voted Winemaker of the Year by “Falstaff” magazine. In 2024, he became the first winemaker in Germany to receive the Walter Scheel Medal for his outstanding contributions to European gastronomic culture. Markus Molitor has had a lasting influence on viticulture in the Moselle and Saar regions and is now regarded as one of the most important ambassadors for German viticulture worldwide.