Meet Bastian Wolber
Bastian Wolber’s négociant project challenges the traditional ideas of what defines terroir and geographical limitations linked to wine production. His narrative carries with it an amazing sense of community and fraternity, when in a conversation with him one afternoon, he casually mentions producers closely linked to his project, as well as the Newcomer-Kiffe family. Lucas Rieffel, Alex Götze and Christoph Wolber of Wasenhaus, Rudi Trossen and Damien Bastian all feature prominently on his journey into producing his first wines in 2019. He oozes the confidence of a young, curious winemaker, who is as comfortable producing wines in the south west of Germany as he is in the Jura.
Whilst working harvest with the iconic Jean- Francois Ganevat in 2019, Bastian suffered an injury to his hand that frustratingly put him out action in the cellar. It was a devastating blow.
However, Bastian’s determination to still produce some wine from the vintage meant that he now had the opportunity to source a few small parcels of negociant fruit from trusted friends and family, and make some wine under his own label. His first vintage leaned into this: Mondeuse from Haut Savoie, Spätburgunder from Baden, Gewürztraminer and Riesling from Alsace. The nature of the brand then was such that he was not tied to any one appellation or region, and that shone through in the intrigue in the wines. Bastian describes his style as “wines you want to drink at the start of your night”. They are fresh, lifted and energising.
Excitingly, Bastian has now moved his production to Burgundy, where he is currently working full- time with Jean-Yves Bizot, and has acquired a small plot of Pinot Noir he is now farming himself. As always, quantities of these wines remain ultra- limited and allocated.
Interested in Basti's new vintages? Email orders@newcomerwines.com for more info!
