Weinköpfe Grape Escapes — Attraction in Ingelheim am Rhein

Carl exudes a passion for wine and melds it perfectly with an exuberant Australian charm. My wife and I knew we'd love the tour once we heard the first "mate" alongside the sound of a popping cork on a bottle of sparkling Riesling, which was to of course start our drive to the Mosel on the right foot

Although I was a bit late and short in my communication of our wine preferences for the tour, Carl was able to craft a surprisingly perfect day for us.

First was a taste of traditional winemaking at a winery that was absolutely approachable, even though we were met by a large banquet table in a sprawling white room. Carl arrived with a gift of wine for the gentleman walking us through the tasting. Carl also stayed with us and augmented the tastings, when in the past our wine tour guides felt more like mere personal drivers.

Following the traditional, we noshed on some pretzels en route to the next winery that consisted of rebel winemaking within the walls of an establishment that has spanned millennia, once again Carl had a gift bottle in tow. The natural wines were out of this world and the experience was something I'm not sure I'll match on wine tours in the future (unless Carl goes international).

Finally, we ended with a lunch of flammkuchen at a somewhat eclectic inn. Carl was able to maneuver the German steadfastness and land us a bottle of vintage Riesling. It's the oldest wine I've tasted and can still imagine the sensation of that first slurp.

We purchased wine and Carl made the packaging and shipping a breeze. Now I can't wait for them to get here so I can spread the joy! I may need to follow up and have another case sent at some point 😉

I'm sure it's clear at this point, but Carl's love for German wine is contagious and I hope to make it back so we can take the Rhine or...

Don’t hesitate - just book! This is a fantastic wine tour with Carl, a super dedicated, fun and enthusiastic wine guy who cares (and loves wine puns).

We booked a two day tour. From the moment Carl picked us up with a bottle of sparkling wine we knew we were in for a treat. Being geeky wine enthusiasts, we had emailed with a list of requests beforehand (natural, organic, biodynamic, vertical tastings etc.) and Carl more than met the brief. We visited four independent vineyards in the Mosel/Rheingau region, each of a different character and some family-owned, all offering something unique. We had our favourites but Carl truly put in the effort to think about what we might like and showcased something interesting about German wine with each stop. We discovered a love for old Rieslings (ie “old gold”) and were fortunate enough to find some rare gems.

Extra kudos also for the lunch spots on both days - the first day’s lunch featured some amazing wild boar pasta and the second was a German grill house with the best pork chop and sausage I have ever tasted. Also plenty of opportunity to try different wine on the lunch stops too!

It was awesome to see Carl putting in the effort to build relationships with the vineyard owners, bringing them bottles of wine to try, rather than treating this as a purely commercial endeavour. He also gifted us a bottle of pet nat, just because he wanted us to try how good it could be. Wine-aside, Carl also offered up some tips on where to stay and eat on our other stops in Germany.

Truly a personalised and fantastic tour,...

For my wife and I, going to the Mosel meant tasting lots of wine! Trouble is, with so many producers in this beautiful region, we had no idea where to start our planning. Then we found Carl at Weinköpfe and put it all in his hands (and are so glad we did).

We spent a lovely (albeit slightly drizzly and overcast at times) day exploring the Mosel, visiting 3 different weinguts and learning so much about Riesling along the way. Carl has relationships with many producers which enhances the experience tremendously. He also arranged lunch at a vegan hotel and restaurant we had coincidentally wanted to try but never would have squeezed in on our own (yup, we're vegan). During our journey, Carl took us up into the vineyards for gorgeous photos and additional context on some of the sites and growing methods/philosophies.

And, as another gigantic bonus!, he was able to arrange international shipping for the cases of wine we purchased during our tastings (plus a few other special bottles). Since many producers don't ship to the US, we were able to acquire amazing wines that would otherwise be virtually inaccessible unless packed in our luggage!

We highly recommend Carl and Weinköpfe if you're visiting one of the regions he serves and want an amazing and personal wine adventure! You won't regret putting your trust in him (and it removes so much stress if you're overwhelmed like we were)....