According to church records, the first of 19 generations of Schnaitmanns (and Schnaitfraus) likely traveled from the Styria region of what is now Austria to Fellbach around 600 years ago. There has been an unbroken line of grape growers in the family ever since. And yet for all that grand tradition in the Rems Valley, it wasn’t until 1997 when they started harvesting grapes for our own label. Based in the Württemberg their sites encompass a wide range of soils dating back 200 to 250 million years to the Triassic Period. The spectrum runs from light, warming, fossil-rich reed sandstone and pebble sandstone to the heavy clay soils of the Trossingen Formation (‘Knollenmergel’). From red, iron-rich colored marl to the ever-present gypsum keuper, which promotes wines with an especially spicy character. Their vines thrive in these many “terroirs” created from diverse expositions, elevations of the vineyards, slopes, and topographical peculiarities. In the cellar they actively pursue a hands-off approach, looking to have as little external influence as possible. Extended maceration for the white wines and gentle extraction for the red wines, spontaneous fermentation, and only minimal sulfur and filtration. They give the wines the time and space they need to reach their full potential. A barrel-aged white wine from a top vineyard can take upwards of a year before bottling.