The old tower on the left was once built by the Count of Leiningen in 1345. “This used to be called the Old Castle,” says Heiko Dettweiler, “we even still have a section of the old castle wall, and there’s still a moat, too.” Welcome to Rheinhessen, where centuries-old history comes to life—and is transformed into a modern, heavenly wine culture. The Dätwyl Winery exudes 700 years of history, but it’s anything but old-fashioned here. If the Palatinate is Germany’s Tuscany—then this is a Mediterranean paradise. No wonder it won the Best of Wine Tourism Award in 2018.

We’re standing in a spacious courtyard, surrounded by old farmhouses overgrown with rose bushes in full bloom. Not much here reminds you of a castle; even the old tower looks more like a simple medieval Stadthaus—but nothing could be further from the truth. Inside, ancient stone walls, polished wooden beams, and a beautiful stone floor welcome guests, while gorgeous old farmhouse furniture adorns the winery’s breakfast room. The rooms are just to the right in the old granary; they go by names like “Dream”—what a romantic little nest.

And once a summer, around 200 guests gather in the courtyard for the “Feierabendschoppen,” the traditional after-work wine gathering. “Ten years ago, the community center closed its beer garden,” Heiko explains; it was the only place to eat and drink in Wintersheim. The Dettweilers weren’t going to just accept that—so they launched the Feierabendschoppen. Today, every Friday evening in the summer, the whole village celebrates life and wine over a glass in a different courtyard—wine culture, Rheinhessen-style.

"And our ancestors are from Switzerland," says Heiko with a laugh: Dätwyl is the name of a Swiss village. During the Reformation, followers of the Anabaptist movement fled persecution there and slowly migrated via Alsace to southern Germany. "After the Thirty Years' War, the Elector was desperately looking for farmers to work the land," says Heike, "so our ancestors came here." In 1801, the Dätwyls came to Wintersheim and leased the former castle, which they owned by 1868. "We are still Mennonites today," says Heike – the neighboring community in Worms-Ibersheim is now one of the largest Mennonite communities in southwestern Germany.

The Dätwyls changed their name to Dettweiler, and today the seventh generation runs the winery: Heike and Heiko Dettweiler together with Achim Dettweiler and Nicole Kühnel. The historical heritage is palpable everywhere here, especially in the small museum under the roof of the old residential tower: agricultural equipment such as filters, sprayers, and plows are on display here, even an old corking machine. There is also an old press here—to this day, the Dätwyl winery not only produces wine, but also its own grape seed oil.