Georg Steffes and his wife Heidi (born a Simon), along with their lovely daughters, manage this estate of about 7 hectares (hoping for 10 someday).

The estate is located in the Saar, which is a sub-district of the Mosel (formerly called Mosel-Saar-Ruwer). They grow mainly Riesling, along with 5% Pinot Noir and just a few rows of Weissburgunder for fun. From this they produce a total of about 70,000 bottles annually. 

Farming is sustainable. Only manure is used as fertilizer, and minimal treatments are applied only when absolutely necessary. Daughter Maria ("Riesling Queen" in 2012) explains that their idea is that their wines are grown, in the vineyard, and not "made" in the cellar. The family traces its roots in the area back to 1621, and in fact Maria, the Riesling Queen, is the 8th Maria since then. She is studying viticulture and enology. 

The Saar is up-river from the Mittelmosel, but the slate continues and the steepness of the vineyards is comparable. The climate is very similar, but drier. The wines are marked by terroir and a racy acidity - in general just a titch higher than in the Mosel. The drier climate means the roots need to go deeper for water, resulting in fantastic minerality. 

Picking is always by hand, and the wines are always absolutely lovely.