The Anheuser's family tree dates back to the year 1627 when an Anheuser, known as an owner of vineyards, lived in Kreuznach. At the end of the 19th century, a Rudolf Anheuser extended the estate vineyards beyond the the town of Bad Kreuznach (Bad being the designation for a spa town, famous for its waters and healthy climate) and was the first grower in the Nahe region to start the cultivation of vineyards planted just with Riesling. Indeed, one of the Anheusers immigrated to the United States to start brewing beer in St. Louis, meeting with a bit more than moderate success... Rudolf's son Paul continued the family wine tradition in Bad Kreuznach, and today Rudolf and Paul are the 14th generation to own and manage the estate. They are ably assisted by their mother, Dorothee. The Anheuser estate is small enough to be worked and kept under complete family control. The vineyards, spread out along the heart of the Nahe valley, offer a wide variety of characteristic wines which reflect the influence of different soil structures, such as porphyry, loess, quartzite, gravel, and loam, and the varying cooler macro-climates of the upper Nahe with its steep, rocky formations. Two of these single sites are solely owned by the Anheusers, namely Pfingstweide in Niederhausen and in den Felsen (in the rocks) in Schlossb?ckelheim. 80% of the vines are planted on steep or sloping sites which means plenty of manual labor throughout the year, apart from vintage time itself with hand-picking.
