How Kathrin Puff Reinvented Kloster Eberbach

When you speak with Kathrin Puff, you quickly realize: this woman doesn’t think in patterns … she thinks in possibilities. She didn’t choose to become a winemaker because she grew up in the Rheingau, but because her passion for wine led her around the world. After many years abroad, she now knows exactly what she wants. Since 2018, she has been shaping the style of Kloster Eberbach as head oenologist with remarkable success. It’s time we talked about it.

A Life for Wine—Across Three Continents

Born in Krefeld, it was an unexpected inclination for wine that led her away from the beer culture of the Lower Rhine. An internship at the Kupferberg winery in Mainz sparked not just curiosity but fascination. Puff went on to study viticulture and oenology at Geisenheim University and the University of Udine in Italy. In 2004, as the first European graduate of the dual-degree program, she showed early on that she prefers to open paths rather than follow them.

Instead of establishing herself in German viticulture after her studies, she ventured abroad: first to New Zealand for two harvests, then to Tuscany as production manager at the historic Dievole estate. Her biggest career leap came in Southeast Asia with Siam Winery in Thailand one of the most significant wineries in Asia. For ten years, she led viticulture and cellar operations there with a team of over 100, earning international acclaim and helping craft a new generation of Thai wines that drew global attention.

A Return with Vision

Her return to Germany, as she says, wasn’t a step backward but a step towards herself. At Kloster Eberbach a place with over 850 years of wine history – she introduced fresh ideas with sensitivity to tradition and a crystal-clear focus on quality. Her philosophy: preserve the character of each vineyard, let the vintage speak, and work with precision, clarity, and elegance.

Just a few years after taking office, Puff’s signature became unmistakable. In 2022, the estate was named “Newcomer of the Year” at the VINUM German Red Wine Prize. Even Cabernet Sauvignon – once dismissed as exotic in the Rheingau – made it into the top ranks with 91 points under her guidance.

Passionate, Clear, and Curious

Puff isn’t one to seek the spotlight. But those who listen quickly sense her strength: clarity of thought and passionate delivery. She doesn’t follow stylistic trends but focuses on substance. She often bases harvest timing not on the calendar, but on aroma and pH levels. The result: wines that are precise, age-worthy, mineral-driven, yet carry a certain lightness. “Nature is complex enough,” she says. “We don’t need to reshape it, just interpret it.”

A Story with Foresight

She enjoys sharing an anecdote from her youth with a wink: in the Krefeld disco, beer was the norm, but she brought her own wine. The beginning of an unusual but consistent journey. Today, she’s one of the few women at the helm of a major winery, not because of quotas, but because she sets standards.

Family and Balance

Alongside her professional career, Kathrin Puff is also the mother of two children. She lives in the Rheingau with her husband—whom she met in Siena and who works as a photographer for the European Press Agency in Frankfurt. In her free time, she enjoys being outdoors, rain or shine. This closeness to nature is also reflected in her wines.

Questions for Kathrin Puff

Ms. Puff, you’ve made wine on three continents. What shaped you the most outside Europe?


Everyone interprets wine differently. There’s no right or wrong. When plans don’t work, there’s always another way. My long stay in a Buddhist country taught me that nothing is fixed. The only rigid thing is how we view situations without learning from them. I try to learn every day, love listening to colleagues and fellow winemakers, and get inspired by their successes. Growth comes from exchange and open dialogue and that’s what I strive to practice daily.

What would you say is the signature of your wines at Kloster Eberbach?


I hope first and foremost that people recognize Kloster Eberbach and its vineyards. That’s why it was important for me to taste older vintages and look for parallels to today. Pinot Noir and Riesling are perfect varieties to reflect origin. Of course, with too much “make-up” or winemaking, you can change that, but that’s not what I’m after.

Do you have a “secret favorite” in the cellar?


I’m a big fan of the Baiken vineyard. Every year, it challenges us anew, and seeing the results in the cellar is incredibly rewarding. It’s not easy, but always worth the effort. I’m also excited by our “Goldener Becher” from the Steinberg vineyard with its tight minerality and brilliant citrus notes. Both sites make me happy in their own way.

You work in a region with a remarkable number of successful female winemakers …


… yes, actually, the Rheingau has quite a few highly successful female winemakers who are Theresa Breuer, Eva Fricke, Julia Seyffardt, Desire Eser, Verena Schöttle, and more. They all run great estates and impress both critics and customers year after year.

Would you say that the tone in the wine industry towards women in management positions has changed in recent years?

Personally, I’ve never felt disadvantaged as a woman in a leadership role. Quite the opposite. Of course, some people have acted inappropriately toward me, but that says more about them than about me. I play with open cards. If I reacted emotionally, the other person would win. I’d rather calmly address things afterward and most issues then resolve themselves.

What advice would you give young female winemakers starting an international career today?


Follow your path and enjoy it. Sometimes you have to take a risk … jump into the deep end. Otherwise, you’ll never know what could have been.

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Photo credit: Kathrin Puff/Kloster Eberbach