Charissé Winery traces its origins to Sylvia’s grandfather, Fritz Charissé, and his brother, Jakob. The winery began in the historic “Zum goldenen Anker” inn, with vineyards primarily held by the family. When Jakob retired from winemaking, Fritz relocated the winery to his own property and continued the tradition alone.
Hauptstraße Winkel in Rheingau
After the final vintage in 2003, Fritz entered a well-deserved retirement, leasing out the vineyards and closing down the winery. At the time, Sylvia was just 12 years old.
However, her cherished childhood memories of the winery sparked a desire to carry on the family legacy.
In 2016, Sylvia took her first steps toward reviving Charissé Winery, undertaking an internship to prepare for her studies in viticulture and oenology. In 2018, she began studying at Geisenheim University part-time while balancing a job. Fortunately, because her grandfather had leased rather than sold the vineyards, Sylvia was able to reclaim the family name in 2023. With savings, a small loan, and funding, she acquired essential equipment—a press, a pump, and fermentation tanks. Since then, Charissé Winery has contributed to the Winkler Winegrowers’ and Cellar Guild, producing its first vintage in 2023 in a small hall behind her grandparents’ house.