Klaus Zimmerling holds a singular position amongst Saxon winemakers. Having studied Mechanical Engineering, he has now been making wine under the strict rules of organic production in Dresden-Pillnitz since 1992. When he started, he wasn’t concerned with distinctions, preferring to sell his wine as a Landwein – a local wine, or vin de pays.

During his time as a design engineer, he leased a vineyard and began planting and raising grape vines. This allowed him to experiment. How do Traminer, Pinot Gris and Riesling develop in the Elbe Valley? Which vines survive the best in the unpredictable climate of Germany’s most northeasterly winemaking region? How can a good drop of wine be pressed with just the simplest technology? Zimmerling sought to find all this out through reading and experimentation. From self-teaching to application, he was always interested in maintaining his autonomy. “I’ve never handed a single grape over to someone else, preferring to grow them all myself,” he says proudly.

He does not believe his degree and current profession are in contrast to one another. “Right at the start of my studies, a professor said, ‘Studying is really nothing more than the ability to obtain and apply knowledge independently.’ And that’s what I’ve done,” he says.

In November 2021, he opened a vinothek and sculpture garden in the heart of the vineyard, creating a very special place for visitors of the winery to enjoy wine and art in harmony with nature.

Read his portrait to find out how he got here and the role his wife, sculptor Małgorzata Chodakowska, played.

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