Our background and history

The ancestors of the Selbach family have been cultivating Riesling since 1600. The Selbach family originated from the village "Ürzig" and the Oster family comes from the small village of "Zeltingen" on the opposite side of the river. Today, Johannes Selbach and his wife Barbara are running the winery with passion for the wines and in respect of the long tradition.

The great-grandfather of Johannes owned a Mosel steamship and shipped his wines in oak barrels down the Mosel and the Rhine to the North Sea ports. These barrels again were made by Matthias Oster, a cooper and the great-grandfather on the paternal side of the family. Therefore, the winery developed in three fields, on one side as a top estate in the region and simultaneously on the other side as a négociant and brokerage firm, making wines from grapes and juice bought from other producers and consolidating the production of smaller producers, offering a broad and comprehensive range of fine German wines.

Hence, there are three companies under one roof:

1. Weingut Selbach - Oster, the estate

The Selbach-Oster estate continues the long family tradition producing top quality Riesling. The 20 hectares (49 acres) of the estate are all on the steep slopes of the Mosel in top vineyard sites like Wehlener Sonnenuhr, Zeltinger Sonnenuhr and Graacher Domprobst. The production is approximately 12,000 cases per year.

Quality is the focus in the vineyards, where appropriate pruning and, if necessary, green harvest in early September are used to keep yields low. Picking is done by hand and very selectively. Great care is taken to treat grapes, juice and wine as gentle as possible. In the cellar, traditional winemaking is preferred. The wines undergo a cold, slow fermentation and stay on their own yeast (the lees) for an extended period of time. The traditional 1000 Liter oak barrels called "Fuder" are still used.

Selbach - Oster wines are enjoyed in fine restaurants and hotels throughout Germany, the neighbouring European countries and many countries overseas and have a widespread distribution in fine wine stores. The wines have been continuously rewarded by high scores and ratings, endorsing our commitment to highest possible quality.

2. Weinkellerei J. & H. Selbach, the négociant firm

J. & H. Selbach Weinkellerei, our négociant firm, incorporated in 1920, has always been devoted to supplying a broader range of fine, high quality Riesling wines and excellent service. The wines presented under the Selbach label distinguish themselves through their true-to-varietal and regional character and their "personal" note. Longterm partnerships with quality-oriented producers are the basis for J. & H. Selbach's grapes, juice and wine purchases, ensuring consistency and quality for these wines.

3. Weinkommission J. & H. Selbach, the brokerage agency firm

As brokers on all major German auctions, J. & H. Selbach can provide a full service from wine evaluation to buying, consolidating and shipping top wines from Germany's leading estates.