Stephan Krämer

Stephan Krämer
Auernhofen, Franken, Germany

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Stephan and Simone Krämer run an organic farm in Auernhofen, a picturesque village close to the Tauber Valley. It’s a mixed farm of roughly 70 hectares with a bounty of vegetables grown alongside various grains and legumes. In 1989 they became certified Naturland; one of the first organic farms in Germany to obtain this certification. 

Initially Stephan had little interest in taking over the family farm, but his view changed when his father decided to shift the focus from large-scale production to a more holistic, sustainable approach. This was a huge change at the time — a controversial decision in a landscape of conventional farming — and one that created the need to make and sell wines, since the friend who had previously vinified the grapes had no desire to work with organic fruit. 

As the farm entered this new phase, Stephan found himself drawn by a philosophy that echoed his own, along with the opportunity to make wine. He went to train at two organic wineries (both mixed farms at the time) in Franconia and Rheinhessen, immersing himself in a hands-on approach to agriculture and winemaking, and establishing a keen awareness of the soil’s vitality. 

He became one of the first winemakers in Germany to place soil at the centre of his winemaking and produces wines with an unwavering sense of place. Over three decades of experience in organic farming has led to healthy, balanced vineyards, inspired by a sense of guardianship for the earth. In Stephan’s words: ‘At a time when we are supposed to be constantly reinventing ourselves, we are relying on an increasingly solid idea’.

The 4 hectares of vineyards are located in the Tauber Valley, a small, cool climate valley beside the Main river with steep slopes of up to 45°. A portion of the vineyards are pure limestone, while the others are limestone with veins of flint — influences which shine through in the ‘Muschelkalk’ and ‘Silex’ series. 

Stephan is passionate about Silvaner, the flagship grape of the region, and is renowned for these single variety wines which began, in his early days, with a more classic, fruit-driven touch and have evolved into incredibly terroir-expressive wines with a unique style. 

The wines mature in different vessels: stainless steel for the pet nats and cider, as well as a couple of the entry level wines; 700 and 1200 litre wooden barrels for the ‘Handwerk’ line, made by a Franconian barrel maker using locally sourced oak; and for the reserve wines, after a year in large wooden barrels, up to 2 years in Burgundy barriques.

In general, the wines rest on their full lees for a minimum of a year. The day before bottling, individual batches are blended together and a minimal dose of 10–15 mg/l of sulphur is added.