Harald Wetzel

Harald Wetzel
Stuttgart, Württemberg, Germany

On the edge of Stuttgart, a ten minute walk from our shop, Harald Wetzel grows Trollinger and Cabernet Franc on the slopes of Degerlocher Scharrenberg. Since his first encounter with wine Harald has found it intriguing; the varying aromas and colours, the shape of a bottle, skilfully crafted labels, and the intimate connection it has with both landscape and people.

Since the 1400s, vines have been cultivated here on steep slopes with Keuper soil of marl and sandstone. Harald has farmed organically since he started making wine in 2007, working manually and building a healthy ecosystem, and in 2023 became certified; a decision fuelled by the desire for consistency and transparency. The resilience of the vines, the rich diversity of plants and animals, and the continued vitality of the soil over the years has reaffirmed this approach.

A mixture of flowering plants are sown, casting their roots at various depths to strengthen and enrich the soil, along with 15 different varieties of fragrant roses. There is always something blooming and it’s no coincidence that many of these plants are great accompaniments for food – rosemary, sage, mint, juniper and thyme – along with protected species typical of these steep vineyards, like lemon balm and wild marjoram. 

Every year comes with a new challenge, be it nature, climate, or a combination of the two. Harald sees it as a constant learning process with late frosts, sporadic hail, hot dry periods contrasted by wet seasons, flocks of starling that swoop upon the ripe grapes, or the arrival of Suzuki fly.

With each wine comes a unique label, made using lino printing by neighbourhood artist Frank Walka. Block printed individually by hand, the colours vary subtly with each bottle and the label can be removed with water, to be treasured as a small artwork in its own right.