Weinhaus Meyer Näkel — Winery in Dernau

In 1984 Werner Näkel did something nobody in the Ahr had done before him: he made high-quality dry Spätburgunder, inspired by the great Pinot Noirs of Burgundy. Jancis Robinson: "It would not be exaggerating to say that Meyer-Näkel makes some of the most outstanding Spätburgunders of Germany." Eichelmann called Werner "der renommierteste Winzer an der Ahr" (the most renowned winemaker on the Ahr). Today his daughters Meike and Dörte are at the helm, both winemakers and both as driven as their father. Whichever wine guide you open, Eichelmann, Vinum, Gault Millau or Falstaff, Meyer-Näkel is always at the top, not just in the Ahr but in all of Germany. At Meyer-Näkel in Dernau you're received by the family themselves, and father Werner regularly joins his daughters' tastings. After a tasting of nine wines you can walk through the steepest slate vineyards in the valley towards Kloster Marienthal. The restaurant next to the winery serves a Vesperteller (a cold platter) with a glass of wine by the vineyard, one of the nicer stops in the region.