Collection: Andi Weigand

Two-thirds of the way between Frankfurt and Nuremberg, nestled in the heart of Lower Franconia, lies Iphofen, a tranquil little town with just 5,000 inhabitants. One of them is Andi Weigand. Another is his father, Werner, with whom he runs the family winery. Here, tradition isn't celebrated, but rather downplayed, and wine isn't made simply to perpetuate the family history. On the contrary, Andi, like many of his young fellow students from Geisenheim, is particularly keen on room for innovation and experimentation. Macerating entire clusters of Silvaner grapes, stems and all, for nine months in a qvevri—no problem. Turntables in the wine cellar, blasting old-school hip hop into the pores of the Franconian oak barrels and amphorae—absolutely. The Silvaner vines, in particular, are the pride of the winery. Some are up to 60 years old and rooted deep in the Keuper, this ancient and exceptionally mineral-rich rock from which Andi's wines draw their distinctive herbal notes and freshness. Besides Silvaner, the vineyards are planted with varieties such as Bacchus, Müller-Thurgau, Riesling, and Pinot Noir. Harvesting is done by hand, of course, the grapes are foot-trodden, and pressed with baskets. Many of the wines are harvested early to prevent the grapes from developing excessively high must weights, allowing the wines to be bottled at a lower alcohol content at the end of the ripening period. Because with Andi's wines, it's all about two things: enjoyment and easy drinking.