DB Schmitt-Rheinhessen-Germany

Bianka and Daniel are a biodynamic winemaking duo from the Rheinhessen region in Germany, running a family estate that’s been around for over 230 years. They officially took over the winery in 2012 and since then have shifted things deeply: moving into biodynamic viticulture, wearing the Demeter badge, reducing yields, using natural yeasts, and keeping cellar work minimal.

Their vineyards cover about 16 hectares in Wonnegau (southern Rheinhessen), with plots in Flörsheim-Dalsheim and neighbouring villages like Monsheim and Kriegsheim. The soils there are diverse — limestone, loess, clay, sandstone — and Daniel & Bianka believe the life in the soil (microbes, cover crops, organic matter) matters just as much as the grapes themselves.

In the cellar they make wines that feel alive. Skin contact when it feels right, fermentations with indigenous yeasts, ambient temps, aging in old oak barrels or amphorae, no filtration or fining, and almost zero sulphur addition in many cases. 

What shows up in their wines is purity, freshness, and personality. Their Rieslings are bright and textured; their Pinot Noirs (Spätburgunder) are elegant but expressive; their rosés and blends experiment in skin, fruit, and structure.