Kistenmacher-Hengerer

Kistenmacher-Hengerer is a 13.8-hectare VDP family estate in Heilbronn, its Württemberg portfolio built around Trollinger, Riesling, Pinot Noir and Lemberger.

The estate’s current VDP grape breakdown corrects a common assumption: this is not a Riesling house. Riesling accounts for roughly 21% of plantings, while red varieties together claim the majority of the vineyard.

Kistenmacher-Hengerer at a glance

Base	Heilbronn, Württemberg
Owner and cellarmaster	Hans Hengerer
VDP area	13.8 ha
Main grapes	27% Trollinger, 21% Riesling, 14% Pinot Noir, 11% Lemberger
Geology summary	Reed sandstone (Buntsandstein) and weathered gypsum Keuper
VDP membership	Since 2013

Estate identity and history

The Kistenmacher and Hengerer families trace more than 600 years of winegrowing in Heilbronn. That lineage is a marker of continuity, not a precise founding date for the winery as it operates today.

Hans Hengerer now runs both vineyard and cellar. Earlier accounts placed the estate in Stuttgart and spoke loosely of terraced vineyards. The correct VDP address is Eugen-Nägele-Straße 23–25, Heilbronn, and its classified sites are named with precision rather than left generic.

Vineyards, grapes and regional context

Stiftsberg Klinge, Wartberg Sonnenstrahl and Stahlbühl carry Grosse Lage status. Heilbronner Stiftsberg and Fleiner Eselsberg sit at Erste Lage level. Here, geology speaks in Buntsandstein and gypsum-flecked Keuper — not the Devonian slate shorthand borrowed from the Mosel.

Trollinger holds the largest share of the vineyard, Riesling the second. Pinot Noir, Lemberger and a scatter of international and aromatic varieties round out a genuinely broad Württemberg estate.

The producer favors wines fully fermented to Trocken with restrained acidity, though individual analyses shift from bottling to bottling.

Soil and site descriptions explain growing conditions — they don’t guarantee a fixed flavor outcome. Vintage, crop level, harvest timing, fermentation vessel and bottle age all interact with origin. Compare the same grape and style before crediting any sensory trait to geology alone.

How to buy and compare

Taste Riesling alongside Trollinger or Lemberger to grasp the estate’s full range, rather than judging it through a single grape. For a fair Riesling comparison, hold vintage and classified site tier constant.

1. Check the grape first. Not every Württemberg estate is a Riesling specialist.
2. Match style and origin. Compare Trocken with Trocken, and hold the vintage constant where possible.
3. Read the current technical sheet. Alcohol, residual sugar, vessel and release data shift wine to wine.
4. Verify mature-bottle provenance. Storage history and seller reputation matter more than any generic aging claim.

Classification and visit planning

The VDP hierarchy climbs from Gutswein and Ortswein through Erste Lage to Grosse Lage. Grosse Lage names the site; Grosses Gewächs (GG) is the dry wine drawn from it. These terms apply strictly within the VDP framework and shouldn’t be borrowed for non-VDP wines. Current sales and appointment details for the Heilbronn estate are listed through the VDP directory.

Sources

• VDP: Kistenmacher-Hengerer profile
• VDP: detailed current estate data
• Official estate website

Profile checked against the linked primary sources in August 2026. Estate details can change.

Frequently asked questions