Cook Bernhard

Bernhard Koch Winery

1. Summary

The Bernhard Koch Winery in Hainfeld (Southern Palatinate) is a long-established family business with over 400 years of winemaking history. Under the management of Bernhard Koch and his wife Christine, the estate has grown from its original 5 hectares to become one of the Palatinate’s best-known wineries, with around 47 hectares of vineyards. In addition to Riesling and sparkling wine, the focus is particularly on high-quality Burgundy-style wines produced according to traditional Burgundian methods – a strategy that has elevated the estate to the elite class of GaultMillau’s ‘Four Grapes’ wineries.

2. History

The estate’s roots can be traced backto 1610 in historical records – the Koch family coat of arms bears witness to a winemaking tradition spanning over 400 years.

The estate was founded by Johann Adam Koch. Bernhard Koch took over his parents’ estate at a young age and gained valuable experience whilst travelling abroad to other wine-growing regions. Twenty-five years ago, the family still cultivated five hectares of their own vineyards and purchased grapes from a further five hectares. Through consistent land acquisitions, the area grew to its current size.

The future is secure: their son Alexander completed a degree in viticulture in Geisenheim, whilst their son Konstantin studied oenology and business administration in Heilbronn.

3. Location & Soils

The winery cultivates between 41 and 47 hectares of vineyards in and around Hainfeld. The most important vineyards include:

Vineyard	Distinctive Feature
Hainfelder Letten	Soil with a high clay and loam content, excellent water retention
Hainfelder Kapelle	Sandy soil, ideal for light Rieslings
Weyherer Michelsberg	Granite-schist soils, the perfect substrate for Rieslings
Flemlinger Vogelsprung	–
Burrweiler Altenforst	–

Plots with high limestone content promise mineral-driven wines with great ageing potential.

4. Philosophy

The estate’s core philosophy is a commitment toentirely manual work – from spring right through to winter . Bernhard Koch puts it vividly: “Vines are like children. You should give them the freedom to develop in their own way, but there must be clear rules and boundaries so that they can grow into their own unique characters.”

In the vineyard, the aim is low yields for rich, full-bodied grapes. In the cellar, the principle is not to stress the wine , but to guide it – giving it the opportunity to develop its own character.

The winery is FAIR’N GREEN certified and follows a holistic, sustainable approach.

5. Grape Varieties & Wines

The range is wide and includes estate wines, village wines and single-vineyard wines.

White grape varieties:

Riesling
Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris
Chardonnay
Scheurebe, Silvaner, Müller-Thurgau, Kerner, Rieslaner, Huxelrebe

Red grape varieties:

Pinot Noir
Dornfelder
Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon
Schwarzriesling

There is a particular focus on Burgundy wines – Weißburgunder, Grauburgunder, Chardonnay and Spätburgunder are grown on loamy to sandy soils.

6. Awards & Ratings

The winery ranks amongst the very best in Germany:

Award	Details
GaultMillau	Awarded the coveted fourth grape
Vinum Red Wine Award 2024	3rd place in the Pinot Noir category (from €40) with 95 points for the Pinot Noir Réserve 2022, Hainfelder Letten
Falstaff	Consistently rated between 87 and 93 points

Examples of Falstaff ratings:

Hainfeld Letten Pinot Noir Grande Réserve 2010: 93 points
Hainfeld Letten Riesling Grande Réserve 2012: 92 points
Hainfeld Letten Riesling Réserve 2013: 91 points

7. Sparkling wine – a special passion

A trip to Champagne in 1982 sparked Bernhard Koch’s passion for sparkling wine production . Today, the winery produces a wide range of bottle-fermented sparkling wines, which regularly receive awards at the Meiningen German Sparkling Wine Awards.

8. Wine Experience & Gastronomy

The wine pavilion , ‘Wanns Licht brennt isch uff!’, has been welcoming guests for over 20 years – offering regional cuisine and seating for 50 guests indoors and 180 outdoors. The estate offers guided tours, wine tastings and a wine shop. Its Google rating is 4.7 out of 5 stars (based on 236 reviews).

9. Conclusion

The Bernhard Koch Winery combines over 400 years of family tradition with a modern commitment to quality and Burgundian style. The consistent use of manual labour in the vineyard, the focus on premium sites and a passion for Burgundy-style wines and sparkling wine have propelled the estate into the top tier of Palatinate wineries. With its fourth ‘Grape’ award from GaultMillau and top ratings from renowned critics, it ranks among the must-visitdestinations for discerning wine connoisseurs.

For collectors and connoisseurs: In particular, the ‘Réserve’ and ‘Grande Réserve’ ranges from the Hainfelder Letten vineyard – whether Riesling or Pinot Noir – are wines of great density, minerality and ageing potential, which impressively reflect the terroir of the Southern Palatinate.