The Estate
Weingut Karl Haidle is one of the oldest winegrowing estates in the lovely Rems Valley (Remstal) near Stuttgart. Unlike almost all other portions of the Würrtemberg weingrowing district, the wine village of Stetten (part of the Kernen municipal district) is best known for its Rieslings.
The Stettener Pulvermächer is renowned as a Riesling vineyard and was instrumental in Weingut Karl Haidle’s early rise to prominence.
In recent years the estate’s red wines have also garnered attention. Its Lemberger wines in particular have repeatedly earned Vinum’s prestigious German Red Wine Prize.
Karl Haidle
Karl Haidle founded Weingut Karl Haidle back in 1949 and from the start sold wine by the bottle. His approach differed notably from that of his fellow Remstal winegrowers, especially his disinclination to join the cooperatives that dominated the local wine scene.
Karl Haidle was more than just a winemaker. He was also a gifted and accomplished gymnast who missed competing for Germany at the 1936 Olympics solely because of a broken leg.
This sporting background gave Karl Haidle the opportunity to travel far and wide, and his gregarious nature allowed him to make many friends and acquaintances outside the normal reach of a humble local winemaker.
He was the first in the Rems Valley to plant the Kerner grape variety, known at that time by its official name ‘Sämling 2530.’ In his honor, the estate continues producing the variety even today under the designation ‘Justinus K,’ and it remains a strong seller.
Hans Haidle
Hans Haidle was called upon to take over the family estate at an early age due to the premature death of his father, Karl. From the outset, his uncompromising dedication to the quality of his wine brought success and burnished the reputation of the fine Rieslings from the Pulvermächer vineyard. Through hard work and high expectations, he grew the estate from 2.5 to 23 ha and was repeatedly awarded the Bundesehrenpreis (Federal Achievement Award) from the DLG. His was also the first Württemberg estate to receive the Riesling Producer award.
1987 ushered in the future of the estate, in two different ways: 1) his son Moritz was born, and 2) he bought his first barriques, a controversial move at the time. And so began a success story that continues well into today. The estate has already been the proud recipient of Vinum’s coveted German Red Wine Prize more times than it can count, including 7x first place for its Lemberger alone.
Gymnastics was Karl Haidle’s passion; running is Hans Haidle’s. Endurance is a factor in both work and play, so Hans Haidle shakes off the hard days in the cellar by hitting the road, including successful marathons in places like Basel, Munich and Berlin.
Moritz Haidle
Moritz joined the family estate in 2014 as its new winemaker, but not before holding apprenticeships with Thomas Seeger (Kurpfalz/Nordbaden) and Gunther Künstler (Rheingau) and earning a degree in Viticulture and Oenology from Geisenheim. Taking up the torch for his father’s unflagging dedication to quality, Moritz successfully transitioned the estate to organic farming. He had gathered considerable experience in this area during internships in Australia, California and France.
Even as a child Moritz Haidle loved to draw, and was rarely found without a pencil in his hand. He gave up his original plans of becoming a transportation engineer in favor of wine. He seeks out respite from the daily grind in hip hop, graffiti painting, and — time providing — free styling in rap battles.