The winemaker.

Abril Winery

"Wine is my life"

Under the spell of the sun-drenched Kaiserstuhl wine region, Eva Maria Köpfer has been managing the Abril biological
winery since 2015.

Self-confident, ambitious and a passionate wine lover - that's how Eva-Maria Köpfer can be described. The 35-year-old discovered her love of wine at an early age. After her training as a hotel manager, the Freiburg native first truly experienced the noble grape at the Schloss Ortenberg winery. This was followed by an internship at the Oberbergen vintners’ cooperative and part-time training as a sommelier. Finally, in 2012, she came to the Abril biological wine estate in Vogtsburg-Bischoffingen, taking over management in 2015.

In the past, she would never have dreamed that she would one day manage a winery by herself. Her craft demands a lot, even though it is her true passion. If you want to produce good wine, you must know a great deal about grapes, the soil, the chemical relationships, and marketing. In addition, she spends many hours at her desk taking care of administrative tasks and managing her staff.

Not just with each other, but for each other!

Eva-Maria Köpfer

This phrase is written on the board in her office. Eva-Maria Köpfer and her staff keep this key advice in mind every day. "Teamwork is the be-all and end-all in winemaking. If you want to produce quality, you must be able to rely 100% on your employees and know their tastes," she says. Therefore, it was important for the winemaker to know the wine preferences of her cellar master Daniel Hank precisely, to coordinate their tastes.

The Abril vineyard is situated over 25 hectares at the foot of the Enselberg, between the Vosges and the Black Forest in the Kaiserstuhl region. The mild climate and loose soil provide ideal conditions for quality organic wines.

The most important and exciting time of year is the four weeks before autumn harvest. This is when the biggest question is answered: What will the wine be like? The ripeness of the grapes is the key factor. In the ripening process, many things coincide: sugar is stored, acidity is reduced, aromas are formed, and the grape seeds ripen. The quality of the grapes comes to light, says the winemaker. Eva-Maria Köpfer's passion for wine is closely intertwined with her Black Forest home, she says. Another place to work? - Unthinkable! Where else can you look out from your office in autumn at colourful vines and enjoy wines from your own vineyard in the evening?

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The exterior façade of the winery fascinates with its modern and straightforward architecture - © Abril Winery

Eva-Maria

Köpfer

Managing Director Abril Winery

Born:

1983 in Freiburg/Breisgau.

Career:

After school, training as a hotel manager, working at the Schloss Ortenberg winery, internship at Winzergenossenschaft Oberbergen, part-time training as a sommelier, at the Abril winery since 2012, managing director since 2015.

Abril Winery:

Winery since 1740 - one of the oldest wineries in the Kaiserstuhl, 8 employees, 25 hectares of land. On average 100,000 litres of wine are put into the cellars annually.

Autumn harvest:

Around 20.8. to 20.9.

Sales:

Nationwide in specialist wine shops and restaurants, €9 per bottle.

Marketing abroad:

Finland, Belgium, Denmark, Switzerland, Netherlands

What is your biggest weakness?

I am very impatient.

Leisure activities?

I play tennis, go hiking. My profession is my passion and therefore also my hobby.

Favourite drink:

Pinot blanc, South Tyrolean wine from the Abraham Winery in Eppan.

Connection to the Black Forest

...my grandfather Paul Köpfer was born here. Otherwise, I would never have come to the region at all.

Without... wine... I cannot live.

Wines from the Abril vineyard:

Pinot Noir

Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris

Blue Sylvaner

Text: Iris Huber
Picture: Weingut Abril