Deinhard Kellermuseum


Useful Information

Location: Koblenz city center.
Open: All year Mon-Thu 10-17, Fr 10-14.
Only after appointment.
[2007]
Fee: Kellerführung (cellar tour): Adults EUR 6.50.
Kellerführungen mit Sektprobe (cellar tour plus sparkling wine tasting): Adults EUR 8.50.
Wein- und Sektprobe (wine tasting): Adults EUR 14.50.
[2007]
Classification: SubterraneaCellar
Light: LightIncandescent Electric Light System
Dimension:
Guided tours: Kellerführung (cellar tour): D=60 min.
Kellerführungen mit Sektprobe (cellar tour plus sparkling wine tasting): D=90 min.
Wein- und Sektprobe (wine tasting): D=120 min.
Photography:
Accessibility:
Bibliography:
Address: Deinhard-Kellermuseum, Deinhardplatz 3, 56068 Koblenz, Tel: +49-0261-911515-20, Fax: +49-261-911515-21. E-mail: contact
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then.
Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

01-MAY-1794 Johann Friedrich Deinhard openes a wine store.
~1850 oldest parts of the cellar built.
1866 cellars beneath the head office enlargedn.
1873 Julius Wegeler buys part of the neighbouring ground in order to enlarge the sparkling wine cellar.
1969 celler museum opened.
JUL-2007 museum reopened.

Description

The head office of the champagne producer Sektkellerei Deinhard is located in Koblenz city center, right beneath the theatre. The cellar, created around 1850 was enlarged only a few years later in 1866, beneath the former garden. In 1873 Julius Wegeler buys a part of the neighbouring ground in order to enlarge the sparkling wine cellar again. He was trying to make the cellar a sight for the company and the city of Koblenz, not just an ordinary wine cellar.

The cellar museum was inaugurated as early as 1969, which is probably a result of the location, the Rhine valley is one of the tourism hotspots in Germany. Lately the museum was completely renovated and reopened in 2007. The new museum has two compartments.

The first compartment explains historic wine making techniques, with many original tools and machinery. The work of the Winzer (winemaker) and techniques to press wine are shown. There are tools like pannier and secateurs which are important for wine growing. The repair and production of wooden casks is shown on a model. There is a complete cellarman workshop.

The second compartment is dedicated to sparkling wine. The central topic is the traditional technique of bottle conditioning, where the bottle is continually shaken to collect the yeast in the bottleneck, where it can be removed. This method originates from the Champagne and was formerly called Methode Champagnoise. But the winemakers of the Champagne sued and won, and so this term may now only be used for sparkling wines from the Champagne. As a result the same method is still used outside, which is allowed, but it is now called Methode Traditionelle in a euphemistic way.