Leistadt is the kind of place where the people are their own terroir. Twenty years ago, no one wanted to come here to make wine. ‘Leistadt?! You can’t get ripe there,’ people would say. So the villagers turned to making wine for their own consumption, to hell with it.

Christoph and his partner Marie moved to their house in Leistadt in 2014, along with their gaggle of kids and another on the way. At the time they only had a little garden in front with a turtle pond and some vegetables, but the vines which abutted their new home did not belong to the property. The idea for a winery was sparked by the need for a parking spot, so they bought the land from their eighty-year-old neighbor.

Now, aided by climate change (grapes can finally ripen here) and a collective all-hands-on-deck spirit, Christoph and Marie farm 1.3 hectares of vines, all in walking distance from their house. They are true vigneron(ne)s and do every single thing in the vineyard and cellar themselves, which is why they never want to grow beyond 2 hectares. In fact, they are encouraging their neighbors to realize the gems in their possession: the small postage stamp-sized plots abutting each property are pure limestone, spared Flurbereinigung in the 50s (the massive land consolidation post WWII in western Germany). "Everyone is sitting on their own little piece of terroir, and we want to show them they're holding a secret," Marie says.

We would call their wine Francophile, but really it has an identity all its own: somewhere on the border of Northern Alsace, with the landscape of the Loire, in the heart of the Pfalz. Generous and free of spirit.

COLLECTIVE Z

Country: Germany

Region: Rheinhessen-Pfalz

Sub-region or Appellation: Leistadt / Bad Dürkheim

Winemakers and Owners: Christoph Ziegler, Marie Ziegler

Viticulture: Practicing organic

Terroir: Limestone, sand

Domaine Size: < 2 ha

Website: collective-z.de
Instagram: @collective_z

COLLECTIVE Z x ANDREAS DURST :: Easy Winer

An exclusive blend of from Christoph Ziegler of collective z and fellow Pfalz natural winemaker and good pal, Andreas Durst. Inspired by the motorcycle adventures through the vineyards of Southern France and the movie Easy Rider.

Vintage: 2021
Grapes: 50% Sylvaner, 20% Riesling, 20% Müller-Thurgau, 10% Traminer
Style: White Wine
ABV: 12%
Sub-Region or Appellation: Pfalz
Viticulture: practicing organic
Soil type: limestone and loess loam
Elevation: between 200-300 meters
Yeasts: Indigenous
Vinification: wines from each variety are fermented separately in oak, stone, and steel tanks until October, then blended and bottled in November
Fining or Filtering: none
Sulfur Added: 30 mg added at bottling

COLLECTIVE Z :: Gemischter Was?

This is a field-blend of Sylvaner, Riesling, Müller-Thurgau and Gewürtz- traminer from Leistadt‘s older, high-altitude limestone vineyards. The grapes are always hand harvested and left to ferment with wild yeasts. Add zero sulfites, fining, and filtration to the process, and you get this wild and yeasty white wine that evokes strong flavors of fresh baked bread and marzipan. “A light super natural!” - Christoph

Vintage: 2018
Grapes: Sylvaner, Riesling, Müller-Thurgau and Gewürztraminer
Style: White Wine
ABV: 12%
Region: Rheinhessen-Pfalz
Sub-Region or Appellation: Leistadt
Viticulture: Practicing organic
Soils: Limestone
Elevation: high altitude
Yeasts: Indigenous
Vinification: 7 months in 224l barrels
Fining or Filtering: None
Sulfur Added: None

COLLECTIVE Z :: Der Sonne am Nächsten Rosé

This deeper colored rosé is a blend of dornfelder and portugeiser from high altitude, limestone vineyards. While some notes of dark red fruits are present, but wine is mostly fresh herbal bomb with a savory and mineral-driven finish. Light and straightforward enough to drink on its own, or herbaceous and textured enough to pair with food. This is definitely one of those year-round kind of rosés.

Vintage: 2018
Grapes: Dornfelder, Portugeiser
Style: Rosé Wine
ABV: 11%
Region: Rheinhessen-Pfalz
Sub-Region or Appellation: Leistadt
Viticulture: Practicing organic
Soils: Limestone
Elevation: high altitude
Yeasts: Indigenous
Vinification: aged for 9 months in old French oak barrels
Fining or Filtering: None

COLLECTIVE Z :: Spektakel

Light red wine from old Dornfelder vines in Leistadt‘s high-altitude limestone vineyards. Wild yeast fermentation and semi-carbonic maceration result in a fresh, juicy, and fruity — but not too fruity — glou glou delight. Silky tannins create a very fine and delicate red wine that is ideal when served chilled.

Vintage: 2018
Grapes: Dornfelder
Style: Red Wine
ABV: 11%
Region: Rheinhessen-Pfalz
Sub-Region or Appellation: Leistadt
Viticulture: Practicing organic
Soils: Limestone
Elevation: high altitude
Yeasts: Indigenous
Vinification: aged 7 months in stainless steel, then 2 months in old oak barrels
Fining or Filtering: None

COLLECTIVE Z :: Riesling Kirchenpeace

Single vineyard Riesling from one of the oldest parcels in Leistadt. The grapes are carefully hand picked, then undergo wild yeast fermentation in old palatine Stückfass (1200l). Short maceration, and long aging on the lees results in a complex, dark, smokey Riesling with striking minerality.

Vintage: 2018
Grapes: Riesling
Style: White Wine
ABV: 12%
Region: Rheinhessen-Pfalz
Sub-Region or Appellation: Leistadt
Viticulture: Practicing organic
Soils: Limestone, sand
Elevation: high altitude
Yeasts: Indigenous
Vinification: Old Palatine barrel (1200 liters). Short maceration, long aging on the lees.
Fining or Filtering: None

COLLECTIVE Z :: Sylvaner Kalkoven

Sylvaner from very old vines, which reminds us of the freshness and minerality of the Loire. The grapes are carefully hand picked, and spend a long maceration on the skins before undergoing wild yeast fermentation and extended aging on the lees. A wine with great mineral power, herbaceousness, and those bready aromas of fermentation.

Vintage: 2018
Grapes: Sylvaner
Style: White Wine
ABV: 12.5%
Region: Rheinhessen-Pfalz
Sub-Region or Appellation: Leistadt
Viticulture: Practicing organic
Soils: Limestone, sand
Elevation: high altitude
Yeasts: Indigenous
Vinification: Fermented in old french oak. Long maceration on the skins, extended aging on the lees.
Fining or Filtering: None

COLLECTIVE Z :: Portugieser Bernvalley

Single Vineyard Portugieser from one of the oldest parcels. This wine is a complex blend of fresh dark berries, striking minerality, and fine tannins. A psychedelic cuvée that you might gravitate toward in the waning hours of a dinner party, this deep red wine provides the perfect balance of depth and lightness.

Vintage: 2018
Grapes: Portugieser
Style: Red Wine
ABV: 12.5%
Region: Rheinhessen-Pfalz
Sub-Region or Appellation: Leistadt
Viticulture: Practicing organic
Soils: Limestone, sand
Elevation: high altitude
Yeasts: Indigenous
Vinification: 2 weeks maceration, long aging on the lees. Fermented in old French barrels.
Fining or Filtering: None