Roman Niewodniczanski (Van Volxem): Sustaining a History of Excellence
Understanding our past helps us better face the future. No one knows this better than Roman Niewodniczanski, owner of the Van Volxem winery.
What are the origins of the Van Volxem winery?
“I'm not the best,” Niewodniczanski says about his work. “My grandfather always said, try to be one good among the best.” It’s a modest claim, grounded in an awareness of the history he’s building on. The land of Niewodniczanski’s winery was a Roman villa and vineyard nearly 2,000 years ago, bringing the culture of winemaking from Italy and Greece to the Mosel Valley. Later, monks grew grapes on the same ground, leading to red and white varieties in the 17th and 18th centuries. Under French ownership in the 19th century, the winery became one of the most successful of the Prussian era and was part of the region’s golden age of wines. Sold off following a bankruptcy in 1993, it was bought by Niewodniczanski seven years later, one more step in a heady history that he’s made sure to understand.
What Makes Van Volxem Exceptional?
In 2024, Van Volxem produced 400,000 bottles across 85 hectares, but Niewodniczanski’s obsession with quality has led him to reduce that footprint. “We need to focus on the best,” he explains. “And because of global warming, the time window to harvest the grapes in perfect condition gets shorter.” With only three weeks of harvest time, 85 hectares became too much to manage while maintaining standards, so he’s cutting down to 60. Coming from a successful family of brewers, Niewodniczanski has taken his own path while retaining his family’s commitment to the very best. “It's like in football,” he says. “When you don't have the right soccer player, you cannot be part of the Champions League.” And he’s determined to produce top-league wines, understanding the whole process of production and focusing on the details to get everything right.
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“We tried to play in the Champions League of German wine production.”
What Challenges Does Van Volxem Face?
“We need to fight for it year by year,” Niewodniczanski says of his obsession with excellence. “And then it's fun!” That might sound paradoxical, but it would be hard to put in this much effort if he wasn’t enjoying himself. He’s committed to a process of lifelong learning, absorbing everything from the genetics of grapes to the history of the land, in order to get the best results. He takes a sustainable approach, using no chemical products and producing half the winery’s energy on site to reduce its environmental impact. Global warming has made life harder for wine producers, and Niewodniczanski is determined not to add to the damage. “I am responsible for the next generation,” he says. Casting aside the modern obsession with growth, he’s instead embraced a mission of sustainable excellence, to produce the finest wines in line with a 2,000-year tradition.