The world record paid for such a wine was 2,645 marks for a 1992 Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese from the renowned Weil vineyard in Kiedrich in the Rhine Valley. Some vineyards in the Mosel and Saar regions come close to producing such fine wines. J.J. Pr m of Wehlen, and Wilhelm Haag of Brauneberg have fetched prices at auction of well over 1,000 marks. But such prices are rare. Meanwhile, a number of old, well-established vineyards are having their problems.
Vintners often have to go without making necessary investments in cellaring.
Such neglect, and the belief that the place will do, often produces less than sparkling results. Many vintners rely on investment from outside the world of winemaking. The former property of the princes of Prussia was bought in 1987 by the Willi Leibbrand concern and, complete with a hotel, was brought back to new life. Vintners see the classification s stem for wines as one way of helping them in the market place. All Rights Reserved.