From Johann Josef to Sebastian to Manfred—and now, to Katharina—the hereditary line of Prüms at this estate is straight and strong. Why is J.J. Prüm still the most famous name in German wine after a hundred years? Partly because their light and racy wines epitomize the region, partly because they possess several incredible vineyard sites and an extraordinary percentage of ungrafted vines within them, which links them to an historic era of German winegrowing… and honestly, it’s partly showbiz. Few humans alive have ever seen the cellar at J.J. Prüm, or Manfred’s mysterious brother Wolfgang who toils down there. The mystery is compounded at the epic dinners that Manfred and his daughter Katharina host for visitors, during which Manfred disappears for up to 20 minutes rummaging around for the “perfect” bottle to pour, which is invariably old and invariably served blind. Who can resist such a presentation?