They prune the vines in the vineyard, they harvest the grapes, and they learn how to make a cuvée—and by the end, they even make their own wine: “We wanted to give people the opportunity to spend a year learning what a winemaker does,” says Wolfgang Thomas. We’re sitting in the wine shop at the Kern Winery in Wallertheim, Rheinhessen; next door, participants are learning all about grapevine breeding, nursery stock, and clones. “People really immerse themselves in the winemaker’s daily life—complete with the weather and family,” says Thomas: “Hands-on winemaking.”

Wolfgang Thomas is one of about 200 wine and cultural ambassadors in Rheinhessen who, on a volunteer basis and in their free time, inform wine lovers about Rheinhessen culture and organize guided tours of local landmarks or the region’s geology. Above all, however, they provide information about the Rheinhessen wine region with its immense variety of wines, grape varieties, and wineries; they explain terroir and climate; and they share insights into winemaking in general. 

It was 2016 when Thomas and his "think tank" came up with the idea for a workshop covering the entire wine-making year. "We were always being asked for more information about winemaking; people want to go deeper," says Thomas, "so we came up with the 'Winemaker for a Year' project." Fifty-two participants joined in the first year, with 32 participants starting their journey of discovery into the world of winemaking at five wineries.

Each group meets four times a year for a full-day workshop. "Talking to the vines" marks the start of the year; it's the day when participants go out into the vineyard to prune and tie the vines. "It was minus 12 degrees the first time," recalls Thomas, "but people were still enthusiastic – and impressed." Most people simply know little about the techniques of winemaking, such as the use of high-tech equipment for pruning. "You then gain a completely different perspective on wine," says Thomas.

And a different appreciation: "Outside, people can really see what the 'winemaker's signature' means," says Thomas. In the vineyard, the topic of terroir becomes very real, as does the amount of work the winemaker does. "People always say afterwards that they now understand the product in the bottle much better," says Thomas, "and that you simply have to spend more than two euros for a handcrafted wine."

Next door, Hubert Schneider listens intently to winemaker Volker Kern's explanations about grafting vines and raising young shoots. "I am a passionate wine drinker," says Schneider, "and I wanted to better understand how this natural product is made." The "living vine" is the theme of this workshop, which focuses on different grape varieties and growth in the vineyard.

In summer, "A cuvée is born" is on the timetable, when participants take part in a "green harvest" – defoliation in the vineyard – learn how to handle the grape must correctly, and discuss the question of the right time to harvest. In the fall, it's time for the harvest, a real hand harvest in the vineyard, working on the wine press, the art of wine fermentation, and the use of yeasts in the cellar. "You can enjoy wine much more consciously when you know the work behind it," said Monika Menschel: "Every drop is something valuable."

Menschel would like to introduce the "winemaker for a year" program in the Naher region as well, and regions in Australia and Great Britain have already inquired about the concept. "We're already being copied," says Thomas, "and I'm proud of that."

After last year's harvest, each participant received five liters of grape must in a glass demijohn, along with a hose and wine yeast. "People really threw themselves into the task of making their own wine," says Thomas. "Some even used wet towels to control the temperature during fermentation – and it worked." In January, the group met for a very special wine tasting of their homemade wines. "It was brilliant," says Thomas, there were so many different results. In the end, however, the best wine was "the bookseller's."