Blog Winery J. G. Orb
The innovative wine brothers in the Garden of Eden
Jan and Jens sounds almost like the famous Yin and Yang – but in this case, the idea that opposing forces together have a great effect is not entirely accurate. Jan & Jens Orb attended different viticulture colleges (one in Geisenheim, the other in Neustadt), but they share a common philosophy when it comes to winemaking.
On the one hand, the two men in their early 30s continue to serve their parents' customer base, which has grown over decades, with classically produced wines. On the other hand, since taking over the business in 2019, the two wine brothers have been transforming the traditional winery into a "wine think tank" for modern, trendy wines with innovative ideas.
Natural wines preferred
Some people love nature – Jan and Jens turn it into wine: and what wine! Jens, the younger brother, spontaneously wrote creative names for the different wines on the wine tanks – and these became brand names. The first ideas are often the best: under the name SILVY VAN AIR, the Orb brothers offer an "orange," unfiltered Silvaner; GANZ GROSSES VINO is a "cool" mix of Müller-Thurgau, Kerner, and Silvaner; AMPHITHEATER is a Gewürztraminer; OUT OF ORBIT is a Riesling. Today, the younger generation produces contemporary wines – the dialogue gastronomy scene in large cities is a grateful customer for wine creations without residual sugar.
The Orb family cultivates 13 hectares of vineyards around Westhofen in Rheinhessen. These include such illustrious names as Kirchspiel, Morstein, and Westhofener Steingrube. More than half of the area is planted with Riesling, but Burgundy varieties are playing an increasingly important role.
Historic garden oasis
The historic "Garten Orb" fits perfectly with the dynamic brothers' nature-loving wine philosophy. Over 200 years ago, their ancestors laid out a magnificent garden covering around 2,500 square meters. The terraced garden was originally designed as a kitchen garden, but from the outset it also featured elements of a courtly pleasure garden. Claudia Orb, the brothers' mother, cleared the garden piece by piece in the 1990s and found many old rose bushes in the process. A rose garden had always been her dream—and now it has come true.
Today, around 200 rose bushes thrive in the garden, and visitors can admire almost 80 different varieties. In the protected microclimate on the lowest terrace, the roses bloom several times a year. "I was particularly inspired by the ideas of garden designers Franz Sales Meyer, Friedrich Ries, Gertrude Jekyll, and Penelope Hobhouse," says Claudia Orb. The green oasis features shady meadows framed by flowering perennials. Thorny bushes grow on the remains of walls, and in this "Vogelsang" (bird song) you can hear a striking number of birds chirping, finding shelter here. Of course, the grounds also include a wetland biotope. Claudia Orb loves to cook (and she's good at it!), which is why many herbs grow on the top level, inspired by Hildegard von Bingen's herb garden.
The magnificent natural garden is known beyond the region and can be visited on scheduled guided tours – a living example of Rheinhessen garden culture.
The Orb Winery in Westhofen has won the Great Wine Capitals Best Of Wine Tourism Award 2025 in the category "Architecture, Parks & Gardens," with a focus on parks & gardens. The jury was impressed by the preservation of tradition and the thematic focus of the historic garden.
About the blogger
TV and wine journalist Wolfgang Junglas works for SWR television in Mainz in the entertainment department, where he is responsible for programs such as "Wahl der Deutschen Weinkönigin" (German Wine Queen Pageant). He is an author, chairman of Weinfeder eV, president of FIJEV, and lecturer at Geisenheim University—and, since 2021, blogger for GWC Mainz | Rheinhessen.