The Next in Wine

For Anna Marie, three qualities make this region exceptional: the early arrival of spring, which gives grapes a valuable head start; the geological diversity that shapes every vineyard; and a winemaking tradition that stretches back centuries. "We get plenty of sunshine and very little late frost," she says. "So we're able to deliver consistently strong vintages." Yet it remains under the radar internationally, largely because it is one of Germany's smallest wine districts and its bottles are mostly sold locally. Here, family-run estates focus on small-scale winemaking, often without the budget to encourage wine tourism or the branding power of better-known German winemaking regions, such as Rheinhessen and Pfalz.

Among the producers in the Badische Bergstrasse area, Weingut Seeger is considered a shining light, as its impressive collection of accolades displayed in the wine-tasting room can attest. The estate was named a weltklasse (world-class) producer and issued a perfect five-star rating in Eichelmann Wine Guide 2025; recognised among Germany's top wineries by Gault&Millau; and a winner of the Vinum Best Red Wine Prize for more than a decade. When she catches Konfekt gazing at the plates on the wall, Anna Marie says, "These are both a confirmation and a motivation. I am proud to continue this legacy. Of course, you feel a certain amount of pressure when you work at this level. But there is a much stronger desire to further develop and increase the quality of the wine even more."

The Seeger family has been producing wine in Leimen since 1707. Anna Marie, its 13th-generation custodian, joined the family business three years ago, when she became the first woman to carry on the tradition. Anna Marie's mother, Sanni, helps to manage the day-to-day business, while her father, Thomas, assists her in stewarding the company. "My brother, who is five years older than me, felt that the shoes were too big to fill," says Anna Marie, settled into a large, worn couch in the upstairs office, the dogs resting in their beds nearby. "But I never thought of doing anything else."

Having grown up in and around the winery, joining the family business felt very natural to Anna Marie. "But over time, I have realised that it's not always easy being a woman in the industry," she says. "You aren't automatically given respect. Often you have to be better just to get the same recognition. But that's exactly what spurs me on. I accept the challenge!"

As a little girl, she watched her father and grandfather work, from tending to the wines to filling barrels, with tireless dedication. "I know what I've got myself into," she says, laughing. Looking after the vineyard demands vigilance and a nuanced calibration of the vines' requirements. "It is Dauerstress [a constant stress]," she says adding that she has few days off: she just follows the steady rhythm of the seasons.

Like her father before her, Anna Marie studied at Geisenheim University and is dedicated to viticulture and oenology. Both her great-grandfather and grandfather attended classes there as guest students.

"School teaches you the science and the technical side of winemaking," she says. "But true understanding comes from experience." Learning directly from her father was fundamental. "There's a depth of knowledge in him that's extraordinary," she says. "He can taste a wine and immediately know that it's from 1984 and recall how that summer's drought shaped the vintage."

As we descend into the cool dark of the cellars, the air shifts. Zula and Mali pad quietly behind us, as if aware that we are entering sacred ground. Beyond the stainless-steel tanks where white wine is fermenting lies the first of three cellars, built by Anna Marie's great-grandfather. "There are two kinds of winemakers," she says, standing next to a barrel containing the estate's pinot noir. "Those who belong to the fields – always outdoors, in the vineyards. And those who are like scientists, alone in the cellar, experimenting in silence. My grandfather was the field type. My father is a bit of both. I'm still figuring out who I am but I think I like the quiet of the cellar best."

Today, Weingut Seeger produces between 70,000 and 80,000 bottles per year, with a focus on quality over quantity. Its diverse portfolio encompasses varieties such as robust lemburger and crisp sauvignon blanc. Here, tradition is not a constraint but a canvas: every generation is invited to leave an individual imprint on this heritage. Last year marked a turning point with the debut of Anna Marie's own line, Collection Anna Marie. "It's never easy to step into a business that has been shaped by another generation over many years," she reflects. "It was important to me not to simply overturn everything or take something away from my father."

Beneath the table between us lies a photo album, lovingly compiled by Anna Marie's mother, that chronicles her daughter's achievements. One page highlights her 2022 pinot noir, which earned second prize in Burda Verlag's Focus wine test in the premium segment. It was a confident and well-received debut. And there's more to come.

We make our way down to the tasting room, where shelves lined with bottles tell the story of the Weingut Seeger estate. Anna Marie places her own bottle beside those of the winery. The label for Weingut Seeger has remained largely unchanged over the years. "Our wines are often seen as classic by the younger generation," she says. "With this line, my main goal is to connect with people my own age."