Frank John

For the family of Frank and Gerlinde John, the aspect of sustainability in viticulture has always been a central part of the value culture since the domaine was founded 20 years ago. Since the first vintage 20 years ago, the family has only used grapes from biodynamic cultivation. The domaine has been Demeter-certified since the 2012 vintage, and since May 2022, John’s Hirschhorner Weinkontor has been climate-neutral through voluntary compensation of unavoidable greenhouse gas emissions. “It is important to us to work as environmentally friendly as possible and to position our family business sustainably and well for the future,” says Frank. In doing so, he focusses on climate protection, which calls for sustainable management in a special way. “As a winery, we are not only reacting to climate change, we are also part of the climate-change process. The consumption of materials, electricity and fuel in the cultivation of our vineyards and in cellar management causes emissions of greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming. As winemakers, we have a responsibility to address the emissions we cause, quantify the climate impact of our winery and take appropriate action to mitigate and offset our greenhouse gas emissions as much as possible.” The family has carried out a project to record all greenhouse gas emissions of the winery. The calculation of the carbon footprint was based on the internationally established standards of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol. The balance sheet includes electricity, fuel and heat consumption as well as emissions from consumables, transport, commuting and business travel. Due to the green electricity already purchased, the carbon footprint of Hirschhorner Hof in 2021 yielded total greenhouse gas emissions of approximately 47 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e). Since then, the family has initiated measures to further reduce the emissions in the coming years, for example, by selecting lighter glass bottles, focusing on regional suppliers to reduce transport distances and bundling work processes and distances in the vineyard. The domaine has achieved climate neutrality by offsetting unavoidable greenhouse gas emissions through a climate protection project in Kenya. The project is certified according to the VCS standard—an internationally recognized seal of approval for climate protection projects—and facilitates access to healthy, energy-saving cook stoves and water treatment products for the local population. In addition to climate protection through the avoidance of carbon dioxide emissions, the project also supports other sustainable development goals such as water conservation, combating poverty and promoting health and well-being. The John CO2 footprint was calculated again this year. This enables the family to check the effectiveness of their climate protection measures and, in turn, offset unavoidable emissions through recognized, certified climate protection projects. Climate is a central component of sustainability, but the John family also has social and environmental goals. For example, they support the Slow Food Initiative, a global movement that promotes a socially and environmentally responsible food system that protects biocultural diversity and animal welfare. Recently, a one-hectare limestone plateau vineyard in Kallstadt that is partly surrounded by hedges was purchased and is currently being recultivated by restoring the old vines and planting fruit trees.

True to the motto “great old-school wines,” the John family has been running the Hirschhorner Hof in Neustadt/Weinstrasse, Pfalz, since 2003. The 400-year-old Renaissance building with its cross-vaulted cellar receives only the best, handpicked grapes from organic and biodynamic cultivation for the production of Riesling, Pinot Noir and sparkling wine (Sekt). Minimalist work in the cellar — no added agents, no corrections but clarification through time — and long aging in wooden barrels result in complex but very elegant, finessed, vivacious, sustainable and balanced wines of excellent aging capacity. The Brut Nature sparkling Rieslings — one of which ages in the Atlantic Ocean and another for 100+ months on the second lees — are among the finest Sekts produced in all of Germany. The Riesling Buntsandstein (sandstone) and the Pinot Noir Kalkstein (limestone) — based on old high-quality genetics — also belong to the finest and most characterful table wines of the Pfalz region. Although the John family holds limestone plots in the prestigious Königsbacher Idig as well as in Kallstadt, the domaine hasn’t produced any single-vineyard crus yet. The wines instead blend fruit from different vineyards where the family holds smaller plots that aren’t large enough for the production of a cru. This might change in the near future, since the domaine extended its holdings from four to 10.5 hectares after Frank and Gerlinde’s passionate son, Sebastian John, joined the family business as did their daughter, Dorothea. The 2021 Kallstadt Pinot Noir is the first wine with a smaller origin than the generic Pfalz appellation. The foundation has been laid by Gerlinde and Frank John, who have just become grandparents. It will soon be up to the new generation to lead this charismatic domaine into the future and new spheres.