Wine With Jimmy, 71 Townmead Road Fulham, London, London (2026)

24/02/2026

Friedrich Wilhelm Raiffeisen (Ahr) (1818-1888)

Friedrich Wilhelm Raiffeisen famously stated “What one cannot do alone, many can.” He was a social reformer that established the first credit union to aid rural farmers. His groundbreaking philosophies enabled the first wine cooperative, the Mayschoß-Altenahr wine cooperative to be founded in 1868 from 18 winemakers. Today it has access to a vineyard area of 150 hectares and has grown to 440+ members, but is one of the smaller cooperatives in Germany. Following shortly after was the establishment of The Ahrweiler Winegrowers’ Association (today Ahrweiler Winzer-Verein ) in 1874. What began with 51 winegrowers developed over a century and a half into a permanent fixture in German viticulture.

Today, there are around 150 winegrowers’ cooperatives in Germany, which account for about a third of the total vineyard area as well as one third of Germany’s total production. Especially in Württemberg, this concept strongly shapes the wine landscape. Not surprising, considering that here the individual winemakers often do not even have one hectare of vineyard. If you still think about the challenge of the typical Württemberg steep slopes, it quickly becomes clear that making money is not the top priority. Rather, it is about the passion of the people, the preservation of the unique Württemberg cultural landscape and of course about the quality of the glass.

Other German cooperatives to note:

Moselland eG Winzergenossenschaft (Mosel)
Badische Winzerkeller (Baden)
Alde Gott (Baden)
Cleebronn & Güglingen (Württemberg)
DIVINO Nordheim (Franken)
Die Weinmacher Niederkirchen (Pfalz)
Winzerverein Deidesheim winzerverein.deidesheim (Pfalz)

Are there any other cooperatives you’d add to this list? (Such as Weinsberg which is possibly the oldest in Germany?)

22/02/2026

🇩🇪 Key German wine peeps 🇩🇪

Adam Henkell (Rheinhessen)freixenet

The mid-19th century brought a sparkling revolution to Mainz. In 1832, Adam Henkell (1801-1866 📸1) founded what is today Henkell & Co Sektkellerei KG.

In 1856, the company launched its first sparkling wine (📸2) , quickly establishing itself as a German market leader and an export success. His grandson Otto (1869-1929) achieved the breakthrough on the national and international market with the first branded sparkling wine – Henkell Trocken (which becomes trademarked 📸4) at the end of the 19th century. Otto Henkell’s knowledge of the importance of branded items (which he acquired abroad) led to the creation of Henkell Trocken and the beginning of advertising of Henkell Trocken (📸3).

In 1935, Henkel introduced the innovative 200-ml/6.8 fl oz “Pikkolo” bottle size (📸5) driving accessibility and popularity. Otto Henkell II (📸6) who took the helm in 1945, was not only able to revive the company but also established the Henkell brand as a generic term for German sparkling wine. In the 1960s, Henkel shifted to high-volume tank-fermented Sekt from grapes sourced far and wide to keep up with demand.

Henkell introduced a premium range ‘Adam Henkell’ in 1979 in ode to the namesake and this range went through a significant rebrand in 2022 (📸7) Henkell remains a major player in the category and has since sold more than 1 billion bottles of its Sekt as of 2014. Henkell merged with Spanish cava producer Freixenet S.A. in 2018, forming the joint entity Henkell Freixenet.

20/02/2026

🇩🇪 Key German wine peeps 🇩🇪

Bernhard Breuer of (1957-2004)

It is impossible to overstate the impact producer Bernhard Breuer had on the evolution of the Rheingau, and German wine. His ideas have gone from unfathomable to enshrined in German wine law. The most important of these was that of origins, or terroir: distinguishing and reviving the distinctive identities of the Rheingau’s single vineyards, based on historic classification maps and expressed through dry wines. He was one of the founding members in 1984 of CHARTA, an association of Rheingau estates committed to promoting top-quality dry Riesling. CHARTA eventually merged with the larger, more established VDP-Rheingau association in 1999. He also sought to simplify German labels for the consumer, using only the names of the best sites.

The estate dates from 1880, when it was founded by the wine-shipping company Scholl and Hillebrand. In the early 1900s, Peter Breuer took over the company; his son, Georg, later expanded the business and became the sole owner. When he died in 1978, the business passed on to his sons Bernhard and Heinrich. Under Bernhard’s guidance, it grew from 8ha to 25ha, including parcels in the top-quality steep grand cru sites of Berg Schlossberg (with an artist label since 1980) Berg Roseneck and Berg Rottland in Rüdesheim and Nonnenberg in Rauenthal. Sadly Bernhard passed away at the age of 57. Today, his daughter Theresa Breuer runs the estate and it now spans over 40ha including an expansion into Lorch the most westerly village after Assmanhausen. 65% of their vineyards are on steep slopes.

Have you had the pleasure of enjoying a Georg Breuer wine? They believe in accessibility to their products so you can easily find their estate wines under £20/$25, and they produce sekt too (German sparkling wine).

19/02/2026

🇩🇪 Key German wine people 🇩🇪

Johann Josef Prüm (Mosel)

Weingut Joh. Jos. Prüm is one of Germany’s, indeed the world’s, great traditionalists. The Prüm family history in the Mosel dates back to 1150, but it was Johan Josef Prüm who established the estate in 1911, and Johan’s son Sebastian who carved out the distinctive style of the Prüm wines in the 1930’s. In the late 1960’s the great Dr. Manfred Prüm took the reins and raised the estate to benchmark status as the finest of the Mosel, where it has remained ever since. They have remained devoted to the ideal of un-chaptalised Prädikatsweine.

In 1842, Wehlen winemaker Jodocus Prüm erected large Sonnenuhren, or sundials, in the vineyards of Wehlen and Zeltingen to give villagers and vineyard workers a sense of time beyond the ringing of church bells. The dials were mounted on or carved into steep slopes. The southern exposition of sundial sites suited them equally to reliable timekeeping and grape ripening. This helps explain their outsized reputation among Mosel vineyards. Several hundred Sonnenuhren remain. The most famous are those in Wehlen, Zelting, Brauneberg and Ürzig.

J. J Prüm today has holdings in the prime sites of Graach, Wehlen and Bernkastel-Kues in the famed Mittel Mosel (Middle Mosel) and their entire production is Riesling with 90% of their vines are ‘wurzelecht’ (ungrafted). Of the brilliant sites they work with, Wehlener Sonnenuhr is the jewel in the crown. An incredibly steep south facing slope, with very thin topsoils over Devonian slate, Rieslings from this site are deeply flavoured and intense yet light on their feet, with a distinctive mineral finish.

It is run by Katharina Prüm who took over the reins from her father Manfred in 2003.

They release highly sought-after wines. Auction results at Zachy’s give an idea of J.J. Prüm’s desirability. In September, 12 bottles of 1983 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese “Gold Cap” sold for $2450, and at the La Paulée auction in March two lots of 3 bottles of 1959 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling TBA each went for $15,925.

18/02/2026

🇩🇪Key German wine people 🇩🇪

(Weingut) Egon Müller (I, II, III & IV)
(Saar, (Mosel))

Firstly, all the men are called Egon. Where they lack for creativity on namesakes, they make up for in wine. Egon Müller IV, the ‘Wein Kaiser’, is a man who transcends not only his wine region, but his country. Twice winner of the Golden Vines Best Fine Wine Producer in Europe (2021 and 2023), as voted by 1,000 fine wine professionals from 120 countries, there’s a good argument to say that Müller is consistently making the best fine wines on the planet. The 2003 Scharzhofberger Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese went under the hammer at an auction in 2015 for a staggering 12,000 euros! If anyone would like to treat me to a bottle, you are most welcome.

The estate was founded back in 1797, when a Müller ancestor took over the vineyards from a local monastery during the aftermath of the French Revolution. The estate was initially called Bien national, but was then renamed Scharzhof by Egon Müller I - named after the Scharzhofberger vineyard (also a village), where the family still owns the best plots totalling 8.5 hectares.

Records indicate that in 1909, all landowners with holdings in the Scharzhofberg agreed to a purity requirement for wine made from this plot, with specifications for fermentation without adulteration or blending. This suggests a keen awareness of the value of the site by that time.

It was Egon Müller III who laid the foundations for the high wine qualities after the Second World War, which his son Egon Müller IV then perfected to such an extent that the wines are now among the most sought-after growths in the world. Incidentally, there is also an Egon Müller V, who is currently growing up. The consistent passing on of the name alone shows how important tradition is to Egon Müller.

Today the Scharzhofberg is a 28ha site and Egon Müller is the largest owning 8.5ha (other key holders include Von Volxem and Riechsgraf von Kesselstatt).

📣Tell me about your Müller moment? Did it hit the dizzying heights of expectation?

17/02/2026

🇩🇪Key German wine peeps 🇩🇪

🙋🏻‍♂️Hans-Günther Schwarz (Pfalz)

Hans-Günther Schwarz, cellar master at Neustadt’s Müller-Catoir for 41 years (1961-2002), was ahead of his time and is widely recognised for transforming the entire German mindset around grapegrowing and vinification. In part because his career began before technology-driven winemaking had become so widespread, he could draw on pre-industrial experience. Focussing on Riesling, he also championed German aromatic varieties especially Muskateller, Rieslaner and Scheurebe. His revolutionary idea was to give equal weight to what he called ‘activism in the vines’ and ‘controlled inaction in the cellar’ This phrase, translated to ‘Kontrolliertes Nichtstun’ (controlled inaction) is a mantra for German producers today.

Müller-Catoir had what were considered good, but not great vineyard sites. But Schwarz elevated them to greatness through his detailed vineyard work. A remarkable number of practices now considered commonplace throughout Germany originated with him. In the vineyard, he employed cover crops, pushed for lower yields, and insisted upon a meticulous selection of healthy grapes. In the cellar, he rejected deacidification, chemical additions, and fining and promoted the use of wild fermentations, élevage on the fine lees, minimal and carefully timed sulfur additions, and the idea of giving wines time instead of rushing to bottle as was common practice.

Most importantly, he trained two generations of growers who took his teachings back to their estates and spread his quality revolution throughout Germany. Among Schwarz’s most notable trainees from the Pfalz were Hans-Jörg Rebholz of Friedrich Becker of Frank John of Jan Eymael of and Andreas Schumann of all now influential winemakers in their own rights.

Have you tried any wines with the influence of Hans-Günther Schwarz?

15/02/2026

🇩🇪Key German wine people
🙋🏻‍♂️Ernst Dautel

The Dautel family is a leading producer in Württemberg with grape growing history going back 500 years. Like many estates, the previous story was one of mixed and scattered agriculture. Co-ops were founded and came to dominate the area, the idea being that the smaller plots of land could be reunited through production rather than ownership.

Ernst Dautel (pictured left) was the first generation in his family to attend winemaking school in Geisenheim in the 1970s. When he returned home he decided to stop working with the co-op, though his father was one of the founding members of the coop in Meimsheim. Ernst didn’t want to ‘throw his fruit in with all the rest and get some bad quality wine out of it.’ Ernst is an iconoclast and one of the first producers in the Württemberg to estate bottle wines. His wife Hannalore was from Bönnigheim, where the winery is located now, and they were married in the late 1970s. Their eldest son, Christian (pictured right), was exposed to wine at a very young age, recounting picnics in the vineyards and family vacations that always included visits to great estates.

Ernst Dautel was an early adopter of barrique use, a champion of Chardonnay long before it was thought viable or fashionable in Germany, and a pioneer of green harvests to improve quality. Ernst became well known, in part for challenging the status quo in the region but also for making excellent wines, though they were not always regionally accepted. He joined the VDP in 1999 and the estate remains one of the very best in Württemberg. Today Dautel organically farm 20ha including four Grand Cru sites: Michaelsberg (coloured marl), Steingrüben (Schilfsandstein), Schupen (Gipskeuper, weathered limestone) and Forstberg (coloured marl and stony clay with limestone inclusions), and two 1er Cru sites; Sonnenberg (Schilfsandstein, Gipskeuper) and Wurmberg (Muschelkalk).

🤷🏻‍♂️Have you tried any of these famous Grand Cru sites from

13/02/2026

🇩🇪Key German wine people🇩🇪

Paul Fürst

Franken is home to one of Germanys most acclaimed Spätburgunder producers, Weingut Rudolf Fürst, in Bürgstadt. This is on the western border of Franken, and the Fürst family has had vineyards here since the 1600s. In the 1980s, Paul Fürst pioneered many of the viticultural practices including careful clonal selection with identifying classic German clones for his estate wines and Dijon clones for his higher quality wines. He instigated high-density plantings and cellar techniques influenced by Burgundy that have put German Spätburgunder on the world wine map. The estate’s commitment to training future Pinot producers means that many quality-minded German Pinot growers have come here to learn. Sebastian Furst, Paul’s son, now heads the estate. He recently won Preisträger Feinschmecker Wine Awards 2025 Winemaker of the Year.

Here in western Franken the vineyards have 220 million year old desert red sandstone soils, as opposed to the chalky/lime soils of most of Franconia. 60% of his vineyard holdings are planted to Pinot Noir, and for whites he has Riesling and Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc). Altogether he has 21 hectares of vines, with 13 hectares of the grand cru of Centgrafenberg vineyard being the biggest block.

Recent review from Jancis Robinson:
Rudolf Fürst Klingenberger Schlossberg Spätburgunder Grosses Gewächs 2023 – 18+/20
75% whole cluster. A wine of striking completeness, like the singular and self-contained universe of a cassis berry. It is supple and self-sufficient, a creamy approachability and a cool snap of red fruit rather than sharp tang. An elegant tension runs through its lithe frame, with notes of wild strawberry and herbal spice. Grace infused with pure Pinot perfume. – PS Drink: 2027 - 2037

13/02/2026

I speak to Noelia Callejo of and Jaime Suarez of about the role of climate chaos in Ribera del Duero and how they are prepared for the future. Filming this reminds me of the famous quote from Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa’s novel The Leopard (Il Gattopardo) ‘If we want things to stay as they are, things will have to change’

Climate chaos is a daily, measurable force reshaping where and how grapes are grown. Growing grapes has always depended on a delicate balance of temperature, rainfall, and seasonal harmony. That is now destabilising with rising average temperatures (approximately 1.1–1.3°C above pre-industrial levels globally) which are accelerating growing seasons. For many traditional regions, this means higher alcohol levels, lower acidity, and changes in flavor profile that challenge long established styles. More disruptive are the local extremes; late spring frosts following early budburst, multi-year droughts, heatwaves exceeding 40°C during veraison, and unseasonal torrential rains causing flooding and multiple issues that follow it. There is also the ever-increased risk and occurrence of wildfires that are damaging local ecosystems including vineyards and causing smoke taint.

Conversely, climate chaos also opens new frontiers. Parts of the UK (including my winery ) now produce commercially viable sparkling and still wines, benefiting from warmer growing seasons. But in lieu of this warmer weather, comes wetter weather that impacts grapegrowing especially around sustainability. This is the wettest start to a year in the UK, ever, and 2024 was in total one of the wettest with 1400mm of rain (average 800mm) in the SE of England.

Water scarcity stands at the center of the crisis. Many classic wine regions rely on predictable winter rainfall and moderate summer dryness. In Mediterranean climates, consecutive years of drought stress vines, reducing yields and accelerating vine mortality.

13/02/2026

🇩🇪Key important German wine people:

Klaus Keller (Rheinhessen)

“If I had to choose one wine to show how great dry German Riesling can be I would choose a Keller Riesling. Those wines are the German Montrachets” – Jancis Robinson, 2008

The Keller family, originally Swiss, have been in Flörsheim-Dalsheim (Rheinhessen) since 1789. After sparking a revolution in his home region, Keller has in the last few years also made a small foray into the (once) more famous northern Rheinhessen, specifically a slope of vines called the “Roter Hang” (the “red slope,” so named because of the red soils)

Klaus Peter Keller took over the estate in 2000, in his 20s. He and his wife Julia built on the solid foundation Klaus Peter’s father Klaus set up for them: lower yields, higher quality, drier wines. The Kellers made their reputation with dry Riesling, but they are also dedicated to Chardonnay, Silvaner and Spätburgunder, among other varieties. In their hands, these varieties shine with rare precision, complexity and intensity. Keller wines are famed worldwide and fetch some of the highest prices among German wines. Klaus Peter and Julia Keller have achieved a level of fame comparable only to Egon Müller in the Saar. In less than a decade, Keller has become one of the country’s greatest addresses.

But the estate also makes entry-level wines that represent the house style. The family estate retains a modest size: 24 ha/60 ac, with most of their Rheinhessen vineyards in and around Flörsheim-Dalsheim, Westhofen and Mölsheim.

Have you ever tasted a Killer Keller?

12/02/2026

🇺🇸 Virginia series. Here I share some fascinating wines from the up-and-coming US state of Virginia.

🏡 Commonwealth Crush
🍷Wine: Lightwell Survey ‘Hinterman’
Common Wealth Crush (CWC) began as the solution to a problem: Ben and Tim Jordan were both making their own on-the-side wines using the excess capacity at the wineries where they worked their “day jobs,” but there was no room for growth for them. They began to dream of a project modelled after the cooperative wineries in Europe, where small wineries band together to share space and equipment. CWC offers a wide variety of services it offers to a wide variety of clients. For small winemakers, it offers space and equipment with the flexibility to work the way they want to. Custom crush clients are able to benefit from Ben and Tim’s years of expertise with the stylistic and technical aspects. Perhaps most exciting is CWC’s incubator program: it’s an ambitious program to steward two new wine brands into existence each harvest. Unlike a collaboration, the participating makers have true ownership of their brands. In addition to their custom crush operations, CWC also makes a line of wines under its own brand, such as Lightwell Survey.

🍇 The Lightwell Survey ‘Hintermen’ is a blend of 2/3 Petit Manseng and 1/3 Riesling from the Shenandoah Valley, known for its vibrant acidity, rich texture, and aromatic complexity. One of Petit Manseng’s drawbacks is its high alcohol, but blended with the likes of Riesling this makes the wines fresher and lighter in alcohol. Check out my tasting note in the video ⬆️

💷 Cost: Approx. $35
🛒 Stockists: 🇺🇸 direct from winery and 🇪🇺 no stockists 🇬🇧 no stockists

10/02/2026

🇺🇸 Virginia series. Here I share some fascinating wines from the up-and-coming US state of Virginia.

🏡 Fifty Third Winery
🍷Wine: Albariño 2024
This is a family-run winery located in rural Louisa County, nearer to Richmond. Founded as Cooper Vineyards and licensed in July 1999 as Virginia’s 53rd farm winery (hence the modern name) it sits on a scenic 103acre/42ha property of rolling hills typical of the Piedmont region. Around 20acres/8ha are planted. Owner is Dave Drillock, and the wines are made by the talented Chelsey Blevins .winemaker

🍇 Albariño is likely from Galicia or North Portugal - first mentioned in Galicia in 1843 but an old vineyard of 200-300 vear-old vines proves that this variety is much older.
Originally thought to be brought to Galicia by the Suebi (Germanic people) or by Cluny monks - and it was either thought to be the birthplace of Riesling or that Albarino was Riesling - this has been disproven and there is greater morphological diversity in Portugal (as Alvarinho). Moderately vigorous, robust and fertile. Early/mid budding, early to mid ripening.Small bunches of medium-sized, relatively thick-skinned berries. Susceptible to downy and powdery mildews and especially to mites. Best suited to dry soils such as granite and schist, and ideally trained as a parral/pergola in wetter areas to reduce disease pressure.

🍷 Chelsey explained to me that she prefers Albariño with lower pH (more direct acidity) and this is 3.17. She destems carefully, minimising berry breakage to avoid oxidation and to reduce potassium extraction from the skins that would raise the pH. Inoculated and fermented at 13-18C (55-65F) for a month. Aged in steel for 6 months. Check out my tasting note in the video ⬆️

💷 Cost: Approx. $30
🛒 Stockists: 🇺🇸 direct from winery (they are looking for US representation) 🇪🇺 no stockists 🇬🇧 no stockists

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