Dorothee Zilliken

Dorothee Zilliken on International Women's Day

As the owner of the Forstmeister Geltz-Zilliken winery, Dorothee Zilliken represents the eleventh generation of the family, which began 270 years ago in Saarburg. The estate produces exclusively Riesling - some of the best in the country.

Dorothee Zilliken's great-great-grandfather Ferdinand Geltz was a founding member of today's VDP.Mosel in 1908 and has done much to enhance the reputation of Mosel-Saar-Ruwer wines. Dorothee has held on to many traditions, such as ageing and fermenting in traditional Mosel vats, but has also increasingly focussed on dry, large Saar Rieslings in addition to the famous residual sweet Rieslings. She answers our questions on International Women's Day 2025:

When did you really get into wine?
Since I was 12 years old, I was allowed to go to the grape harvest every year. It was always very exciting for me and I was able to really enjoy the freedom outside. That's still the case today! The filling in the following year was and still is fascinating, because every year you get to watch something new grow, harvest it in autumn and then enjoy it to the full.

In many regions, women who run wineries have long been looked down upon. Did you still feel that way or do you still sometimes feel that way today?
Initially, my husband was often asked about the wines at table presentations, because 25 years ago it was still the classic image that the man was the owner of the business and the woman married into the business ... but that changed quickly.

Are you consciously in dialogue with other female winegrowers and is there a special understanding there? Is it different from contact with male colleagues?
I actually meet up with my girls from Geisenheim once a year, and then we exchange ideas about viticulture and business. But it's more of a girlfriend weekend.

There are women who prefer to taste only among women, so that they can taste and exchange ideas in a "protected atmosphere". And I also enjoy tasting with them. But I also enjoy tasting with mixed groups, or even just male tasters. My behaviour, my tasting and the exchange are the same. My experience shows: When tasting, everyone has nuances that they can perceive particularly well and other sensory characteristics that you don't detect as precisely. This has nothing to do with gender.

International Women's Day was first celebrated on 8 March 1911. Do you think it is still relevant today? In your opinion, what is the current state of women's rights?
Personally, I feel absolutely equal as a woman. Nevertheless, I know enough women in my environment outside of viticulture in Germany, for example, who have to work harder in their profession than their male colleagues. And there are so many countries where women have significantly fewer rights than men.

A winery can take up a lot of time. What else do you have time for? Are there any other passions that you can pursue?
I love spending time with my husband and our children. Meeting friends, cooking and enjoying wine together, and a good, deep conversation.

What has been your finest hour in terms of wine so far?
That my father AND I were jointly honoured as "Winemaker of the Year" by Gault Millau in 2017. And that we've already been awarded 100 points twice in Falstaff.

Is there a wine region other than your own that you particularly like or that you haven't been to yet but would definitely like to visit?
I love travelling to Baden, Ahr, Champagne and Burgundy. They are not that far away and the pleasure is great.

What's coming up at the winery? Will there be anything new in the near future that you can reveal?
We will soon be launching the 2023 Auf der Rausch Grosse Gewächs and I'm also very excited about our 2021 sparkling wine, which is still at the Raumlands.

Thank you very much!