{"id":1241,"date":"2020-01-14T17:30:57","date_gmt":"2020-01-14T16:30:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/luniversum.com\/?p=1241"},"modified":"2020-01-14T17:32:43","modified_gmt":"2020-01-14T16:32:43","slug":"vineyard-bremer-leah","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/luniversum.com\/en\/vineyard-bremer-leah\/","title":{"rendered":"Daughters in family businesses: today\u2019s the day we start a winery"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Leah<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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Germany is home to a number of vineyards that offer the best conditions for vitis vinifera<\/i>, and boasts a long tradition of grape cultivation for the production of first-class wines. Many wineries have been family-owned for decades, if not centuries. The name, reputation, experience, expertise, and knowledge of the peculiarities of each individual vineyard are passed down from generation to generation. Wine production is more of an art than a science. So who in their right mind would get the idea to buy, overhaul, and run a vineyard without any prior knowledge?<\/span><\/p>\n

The Bremer family from the German town of Calw, that\u2019s who. They started winning awards for their wines<\/a> just a few years into production with their Vineyard Bremer. A lot of people\u2014ourselves included\u2014thought it was crazy; they said it couldn\u2019t be done. That\u2019s why we were so eager to talk to them. We met up with the youngest of the three sisters, Leah Bremer, for an interview on how a family managed to do the impossible<\/a>, and what practical tips she would give wine connoisseurs. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>

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Three sisters, all complete outsiders to the wine industry, open a winery. How did this come to be? <\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Well, the three of us were actually off doing completely different things. But to tell the story, I have to go back a bit earlier: my parents have a real-estate company that my oldest sister was working at. Our middle sister, Rebecca, trained and worked as a chef and p\u00e2tissier in Paris. I\u2014like any good Swabian\u2014was working in online communication at a Swabian car company. Then my parents came out of nowhere with this family winery project and asked if we were interested, which we were. I was tired of working for a major corporation and Rebecca wanted to come back to Germany. We always enjoyed good wine, and my father\u2019s wine cellar was always well-stocked. <\/span><\/p>\n

A lot of people like to drink wine, but not all of them get the idea to start a winery. What was the pivotal point?<\/span><\/b><\/b><\/p>\n

It was obviously a bold move, and a lot of people thought we were crazy. Five years ago, none of us knew how wine was actually bottled. My mother happens to love property that\u2019s somewhat older and special, then an agent showed her this winery in the Palatinate region, and it was love at first sight\u2014for us sisters, too. It\u2019s a big and lovely estate. Before we took over, the winery had been in another family\u2019s hands for over 100 years. It had so much charm, character, and history. It\u2019s just a magnificent place. <\/span><\/p>\n

So we started renovating step by step, beginning with the residence and the cellar, which we fitted with new equipment. Then we moved on to the wine store. We even have a big barn for events and celebrations.<\/span><\/p>\n

You said people thought you were crazy for having this idea.<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

There were two common responses when we told people about the winery project. People who had no idea about wine production would tell us how cool they thought it was.<\/span><\/p>\n

But vintners and others in the industry would say things like, \u201cWow, that\u2019s bold!\u201d Everybody who knew what an endeavor like this entails and what one can expect said we were crazy for getting into the game so late in life. And to some extent, we probably are a bit crazy! [laughs]\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I would say the beginning is particularly difficult when starting a winery like this. There are over 20,000 wineries in Germany and nobody is waiting for one more. It also took a while until everyone found their place in the winery\u2014who would be responsible for what.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>

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The entire vineyard has been renovated: the wine bar before and after.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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Do you think you and your sisters were born with this boldness, this entrepreneurial gene?<\/span><\/b><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I think so, yes. We all enjoy having the autonomy to create something ourselves. As I said, I worked at a major corporation before this and found the hierarchy cumbersome. Anything you tried to do would be chipped away at, and by the time the suits at the top signed off on it, it no longer resembled what you first imagined.\u00a0I didn’t care for that. That\u2019s why the notion of being my own boss and bringing my own ideas to life was so appealing, and I think the others would agree. So yes, I would say that we had this entrepreneurial gene in us from the beginning because we saw it in our parents.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What do you remember of your childhood?<\/span><\/b><\/b><\/p>\n

Our parents were quite busy, but their office was at home. That was quite nice because they were always around if we needed them. We also listened in on a lot of conversations and learned about all sorts of things. A lot is talked about at the dinner table, for example, when your parents have their own business. We learned a lot that way without ever really noticing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Your winery is currently in its fifth year, and you\u2019ve started winning your first awards. How did you manage that?<\/span><\/b><\/b><\/p>\n

Winning these awards was a major success, especially for such a new winery like ours. The German Red Wine Award is quite renowned here in Germany. We were happy to take first place with our Portugieser, and we are equally proud to have been named \u201cNewcomer of the Year\u201d at the Riesling Champion. <\/span><\/p>\n

It takes a long time to get to know your own vineyards. Each vineyard is different: the soil, the grapes, the vintage, how much the sun shines, how much it rains. There\u2019s a lot to learn! You also have to know how to handle your grapes in a way that yields the best results.<\/span><\/p>\n

That sounds complex.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

It is. At first I thought: we\u2019ll just make wine, it can\u2019t be much different than making a sauce. [laughs] But no, it\u2019s an art form. The enologist we hired, Michael Acker, has been doing it forever. His grandfather was a vintner. So far, every year has been completely different. Every year, I thought: so, we\u2019ve done everything once. But every year something new happens. Sometimes it hails, sometimes it\u2019s super dry, other times it rains too much. Working with nature can be real tricky. Whatever the weather does, we\u2019re completely at its mercy. You have to get used to that. I don\u2019t think any of us had really thought about that early on.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We also had no idea how much work went into a bottle of wine. We just thought: okay, there\u2019s the vine, and it has to be trimmed every year, then the grapes will grow and we will harvest them. But we never imagined just how many steps there are, how much you have to get your hands dirty if you want to meet the high quality standards.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>

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The Bremer family and enologist Michael Acker on the Vineyard Bremer.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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Are you normally so ambitious?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Of course, we want to keep getting better. We want to improve our quality every year and earn better and better ratings in the wine guides. One of our goals is to someday be one of the best wineries in Germany.<\/p>\n

When we took over the winery, we were starting completely from scratch. We didn\u2019t inherit any of the wines, any of the customers, and not even the name because none of that really fit our philosophy. We harvest everything by hand and greatly reduced the yield. But we\u2019re trying to grow successively each year.<\/p>\n

Are your parents still involved in the winery?<\/strong><\/p>\n

My father is the official managing director, and I would also call him our chief finance minister. He keeps an eye on the figures. But other than that, both of our parents have stayed out of the day-to-day business. They are, of course, involved in strategical matters. We consult each other often and we can always come to them with questions. We talk a lot as a family about long-term decisions.<\/p>\n

What is your role in the family? <\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019d say I\u2019m the bringer of peace. I\u2019m the optimistic, good-mood type, and I\u2019m calm by nature. But I\u2019m always good for a laugh. I try to bring everyone together and soothe nerves when that\u2019s needed.<\/p>\n

What is it like working with family?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sometimes it works really well, other times not so much. Everybody always has something to say. I think that\u2019s the hard part in a family business like ours. But on the other hand, that\u2019s also what makes it unique, and it\u2019s often how new ideas come about. It can be difficult, though. Everyone has an opinion, particularly when it comes to marketing, which is my field. Whether or not it\u2019s a valid opinion is another question. But then you look at my sister Rebecca, who tends to the vineyards, and suddenly everyone is quiet. [laughs]<\/p>\n

Your sister has a son, and you\u2019re expecting one. Will your children also inherit the entrepreneurial gene? <\/strong>I think so, to be honest. We will certainly instill in them the drive to bring their ideas to life, and we will support them in doing so. I think that\u2019s a lot different than hiring everyone in the family. You know earlier on about everything involved in starting your own company. The entire process and everything that goes on behind the scenes is already familiar. That way, maybe they won\u2019t be so afraid to go out and make it on their own. I could certainly see that being the case.<\/p>\n

Especially for a winery, it would be great if one of the kids develops an interest so we would have a successor. The most famous and successful wineries have been around for 100 or more years. I believe it was Widow Clicquot who once said, \u201cThe first 100 years were hard. Then things started picking up!\u201d It takes an incredibly long time for a winery to establish a name for itself, so it would, of course, be nice if the kids\u2014even just one of them\u2014wanted to continue the family business. My nephew already loves going for tractor rides, so the chances are good! [laughs]<\/p>\n

What have you learned since running the winery?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I think it\u2019s important not to rush things and to keep an open mind to everything and everyone that comes along. I have a lot of contact with our customers. The great thing about the wine industry is that everyone is super nice. Especially here in our village in the Palatinate. Swabians tend to be rather distanced and reserved. We have a saying there that goes, \u201cYou won\u2019t step past my garden gate!\u201d But the people in the Palatinate are much different. They\u2019re open and always willing to lend a hand. In a particularly dry year, we were figuring out how to water our vineyards when our neighbor came over and offered to help. That was so nice of him! This sounds so bad, but as a Swabian you think: Why is he doing that? What is he after? But that\u2019s not how the Palatines think. That was a nice experience. It just goes to show that you never stop learning.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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The vineyard Bremer today.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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It wasn\u2019t all that long ago that you got started in the wine business. Do you have any tips for normal wine enthusiasts who want to learn more? <\/strong><\/p>\n

I think the first and foremost thing is to not let yourself be intimidated by the topic of wine. A lot of my friends were afraid because it\u2019s such a broad field. People tend to be ashamed if they ask or say the wrong thing, which is nonsense, of course. Take the aroma of wine, for example: there\u2019s no right or wrong here. If you smell or catch a note of something, nobody can tell you you\u2019re wrong. Nobody can say what you smell and the way you perceive a smell. If you smell strawberry and I smell raspberry, then that\u2019s just the way it is. You just have to learn to not be timid.<\/p>\n

Also, one thing that really helped at the beginning was attending a sensory seminar. I think that could be worthwhile to anyone interested in getting into wine. You can also take a crash course to learn the basics: How can wines taste? How can they smell?<\/p>\n

May favorite description was \u201cwet Tupperware.\u201d Now you have to think to yourself, how does wet Tupperware taste and smell? There are some really far-out descriptions. A lot is compared to leather, especially when it comes to red wines. But would you scent \u201cmoist horse saddle\u201d in a wine? Do I want my wine to smell like a moist horse saddle? [laughs]<\/p>\n

Lunor gave its customers and partners your Blanc de Noir sparkling wine for Christmas. What can they expect from that?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The idea for that wine was to make it quite dry, zero-dosage [editor\u2019s note: no sugar]. That means nothing else is added to this sparkling wine. Once it finishes fermenting, it\u2019s basically done. And Blanc de Noir means it\u2019s a sparkling white wine made using red grapes\u2014\u201dwhite from red.\u201d\u00a0It\u2019s a common misconception that if the grape is red, the wine will be red, too. But often only the skin of the grape is red and the inside is white. Keep that in mind the next time you eat a grape. What gives a red wine its color is the skin, but the grapes are only pressed for the Blanc de Noir. So the base wine is white. Our Blanc de Noir is made from St. Laurent grapes, often considered the little brother of pinot noir.<\/p>\n

Your family comes from Calw, not far from Lunor\u2019s company headquarters, and some of them still live there. What does the Black Forest mean to you personally?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Home! The Black Forest is my home<\/a>. I spent some time in Utah, in the United States. That\u2019s desert country. Before living there, I never realized how important the trees and the Black Forest are to me.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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