As you drive through the rolling hills of Rheinhessen with their vineyards, you’ll come across an unassuming estate on the outskirts of the small village of Köngernheim. It’s only when you step through the farm gate that the wonder begins. Old half-timbered houses surround a truly romantic courtyard nestled next to the main building—an old grain mill. The secrets lie within: ultra-modern yet cozy rooms, a gourmet restaurant, and a 1,000-square-meter wellness and sauna area complete with an outdoor pool, all dedicated to the theme of wine.

“The mill was in pretty bad shape when my parents bought it,” admits Niclas Jordan. It’s been a long time: It was 2005 when Gerhard and Martina Jordan saved the old “Untermühle” from foreclosure. “Running their own hotel was a long-held dream of my parents’,” says Jordan; the 28-year-old himself joined the “Mühlengeister” team three years ago.

His parents grew up in Mainz and Bingen; his grandparents ran the old, iconic restaurant “Zum Gebirg” in Mainz. His parents also entered the hospitality industry; while they were still in training, “they used to sit in the courtyard of the Untermühle and dream of running this hotel one day,” their son recounts.

“This hotel” is now called “Jordan’s Untermühle,” and its history stretches back centuries. The earliest written mention dates back to 1608, but historians are certain that the mill on the banks of the Little Selz River existed as early as the 14th century. In recent decades, it became known as a gourmet restaurant far beyond the borders of Rheinhessen, before things began to decline in the 1980s.

Today, the “Traum-Mühle” is the first building to welcome guests. It is the oldest part of the estate and houses eleven incredibly cozy rooms, where old wooden beams exude charm. The “Kuschel-Mühle” houses additional rooms of this elegant 4.5-star hotel, and in October 2018, another 18 rooms were added in a new wing next to the old main building.

The restaurant serves high-quality dishes such as pikeperch fillet, beef roulades, and homemade pheasant sausages; the wine list features delicacies from the surrounding wineries all the way to the Roter Hang in Nierstein. “You can also drink your way through all the Great Wine Capitals,” says Jordan: There’s a bottle from every member of the global wine network on the menu here.

But it wasn’t because of the mill or the wine list that Jordan’s Untermühle won the 2020 Best of Wine Tourism Award for accommodations. The reason is called “Herz & Rebe”—it’s the brand-new wellness and sauna area that Jordan’s opened in late 2018. The central spa lounge looks like a living room and, with its warm colors and wooden elements, invites guests to linger. Four-poster beds in a separate area offer a place to retreat, while adjoining rooms provide space for treatments. The modern pool leads out into the open air, where guests can enjoy a wonderful view of the new mill-inspired sauna building, complete with a beautiful yoga room on the first floor.

Riesling, Silvaner, Pinot Gris, and Pinot Noir are not only served by the glass here; they also lend their names to the wellness programs. “Riesling stands for purification and freshness, Silvaner for mindfulness and care,” explains Jordan. Each program was designed around these concepts, inspired by the wine culture of Rheinhessen. Pinot Gris stands for calm and centering, while Pinot Noir imparts strength and energy. “We wanted to bring the wine theme into the spa,” explains Jordan, “translating the grape varieties to meet the guests’ needs—that’s probably unique.”

And of course, they also use wine-based cosmetics and scrubs made from grape seeds, Sauvignon Blanc scrubs, and all kinds of vinotherapy treatments, as well as barrique foot baths. “That’s our welcome ceremony,” said Jordan, which is, of course, accompanied by a glass of wine. “We’re in the heart of a vibrant wine region,” says the young hotel manager, “we just thought it was a perfect fit.”