Werner Näkel has established an excellent reputation for his extraordinary reds. He prolonged the pre-fermentation maceration to improve the tannic structure in the wine and was one of the first vintners to introduce French barriques.
His unbiased ways of working smoothed his way to success. Only after five years he was awarded the coveted red wine prize of the German wine magazine Vinum. In 1989 he became a member of the German Barrique Forum. After having purchased more vineyards, Werner Näkel comitted himself to a joint venture in South Africa and Portugal. Today, his estate covers more than 12 hectares, of this he owns more than half, where 80 percent of the wine produced is Pinot Noir. His daughters are following closely in his footsteps.