In 1996, Ernst Loosen took over the J.L. Wolf winery in the Pfalz region, which has been rich in tradition since 1756. Villa Wolf is a country villa in the Italian style, unique in its design, which was completed in 1843 according to plans by the Karlsruhe architect Friedrich Eisenlohr.
Similar to the Dr. Loosen winery, Ernst Loosen seized the opportunity to rebuild another traditional winery with prime sites. For here he saw the opportunity to produce first-class dry wines in the Pfalz to complement the fruity Rieslings of the Dr. Loosen winery on the Mosel. Due to the protection of the Haardt Mountains and the Wasgau Mountains, the Pfalz has a very mild and warm climate, which is ideal for the development and ripening of the grapes. This is because dry wines rich in extract can only be produced from very ripe grapes.
Enjoying a great wine is a unique pleasure, both sensually and intellectually. The aromatic and textural sensations in a bottle of wine capture a whole cosmos, from the change of seasons to the distinctive terroir of a vineyard, the passion of the winemaker, and the distinctive stamp of the vintage. Wine is a historical record of the regional and cultural information collected in the grapes at a particular point in time, delivered directly to your glass. To achieve this marvel of humans working with nature, all of the great winemakers I have met started with a clear vision of what their wines should express before the first grape is picked. For them, individual terroir triumphs over technology. And quality always comes before quantity. Great wines grow from great passion and dedication, and from clear convictions that are realized without compromise.
We are committed to these principles at our two wineries, Dr. Loosen in the Mosel Valley and Villa Wolf in the Pfalz. We want to produce wines that are seductively enjoyable, concentrated and complex and that reflect their origins in an unmistakable way.
When I drink a wine from a Grosse Lage (grand cru) site, such as Wehlener Sonnenuhr, I want to smell the blue slate that nourished the grapes and taste the depth of the old vines. I want to experience the special character of a vintage and enjoy it as it evolves over many years. That ability to transmit a visceral connection to a people, place and time is what sets wine apart from any other beverage.
A great wine begins in your head, but the true measure of any wine is where it ends – in your glass. I hope you enjoy drinking our wines as much as we enjoy making them.
