Weingut Karl-Heinz Gaul - Outstanding Vinothek in Pfalz
In 1987, director Wim Wenders created a cinematic monument to the universe over the German capital with his film "Der Himmel über Berlin" (The English title was: “Wings of Desire”). Perhaps the architect Professor Bernhard Focht had something similar in mind when he sketched a cube on the back of a serviette in 2012, that was supposed to "appear as if it has fallen from heaven" into the middle of a vineyard in the Pfalz. At least that's how Dorothee Gaul tells the story of how her vinothek came into being in Grünstadt-Sausenheim, a small town in the affluent region of the Rhine-Neckar Triangle.
Here, in the northern Pfalz with its tertiary limestone, the 35-year-old runs her parents' winery with her sister Karoline, who is two years older than her. Ten years ago, the daughters, both of whom have completed their wine studies, took over the business with its 20 hectares of vineyards, that had been founded in 1993. Since then, they have charmingly prevailed against all kinds of opposition. They organized the division of labour harmoniously: Dorothee, the younger one with a penchant for technology, took over the cellar. The older sister, experienced in communication, is responsible for marketing and sales. And as it is when the next generation arrives, the "Gaul-Sisters", as they call themselves, wanted to harness the zeitgeist, which increasingly demands chic vinotheks in place of old-fashioned tasting rooms.
In the middle of the ‘Wingert’, as the people of the Pfalz lovingly call their vineyards, a striking rust-red two-story cube with a Corten steel façade, constructed over two years, now stands out against the natural vine paradise surrounding it. Not only is it "starkly contrasting", as Dorothee describes it, but the material used has a very pragmatic distinctive feature: over time sulphates and phosphates under the surface develop a barrier layer that protects against weathering.
Behind the floor to ceiling glass, guests on the ground floor enjoy not only the fine minerality and filigree fruit of the Gaul wines, but also the feminine mixture of cosy comfort and modern elegance. That is what the sisters wanted, with mother Rosemarie at their side - which is why the design of this room took the longest time. Discreetly coloured cushions on the wide window benches, avant-garde chairs under Art Deco-style ceiling lights, all gives a sense of space.
A window sunk into the floor gives a view down to the barrique cellar. The floor, table tops and counter made of oak, combined with steel, firmly ground the lightness of the interior. Outside in the flower garden there is a concrete table as a further counterpoint. Karoline Gaul cast the top herself, freeing the air bubbles with a hammer. Iron chairs complete the ensemble. The sisters like to use a quad bike to visit their vines. Put simply, here women power reigns supreme.
Opening Time
Monday - Friday: 8:00 am – 12:00 pm, 1:00 – 6:00 pm
Saturday: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
