KATLA WINES
Wöllstein
Rheinhessen
Katla Wines is Jas Swan, a one woman team who operates out of Wöllstein in Rheinhessen. Originally starting out in the Mosel in 2019, she moved to the area in 2022, and started to work a small amount of her own plots - Merlot, Silvaner and Riesling. She also utilises a number of négoce options nearby from organically farming friends to expand the range.
Jas is relentlessly experimental in her approach - from wines infused with foraged herbs, to shapeshifting cuvees that adapt to the vintage, some even spending their life outside. She is not afraid of a few PiWies either.
In the cellar, she favours a manual wooden press and neutral vessels for fermentations. Grapes are often de-stemmed and work is carried out without adding or taking away, save for occasional use of sulphur where only strictly necessary. “I make wines that I like to drink, but that don’t essentially go along with the traditional style of the area where I am based at. I prefer to make my own traditions, instead of following others.”
Wine is not in the blood for Jas, it’s a deeply personal passion, one that is carried out with the help of friends. Work here is unashamedly physical, with the manual nature lending a closeness to the wine, which is doubled down on with the foraged herb cuvees.
The bottles stand out on any shelf, with designs changing each year in tune with the wines, usually with an analogue photo taken herself, or a drag queen. Anything but conventional, Jas’s wines are an extension of her personality, and a force for good.
Jas is a vocal supporter of the LGBTQIA+ communities, working closely with a number of events, and acting as sponsor for many of them. She is often to be seen handing out free custom condoms. This allyship extends to her support of drag queens, who she proudly adorns on some of the bottles.
Katla is an emotional, creative project, it exists outside tradition, with a shapeshifting line up that adapts and flexes. These wines are meant to be fun, to break down boundaries, to invite and not exclude, to enjoy and have fun, they are wines for everyone.
Dried foraged Lilac
Dried foraged Douglas Fir
Queendom
Vintage 2025
Style Sparkling Rosé
Region Nahe & Rheinhessen
Varieties Regent, Pinot Gris, Riesling
ABV 12%
Soils
Farming Organic
Winemaking A blend of 40% Regent, 30% Pinot Gris and 30% Riesling. The Regent is sourced from Piri Naturel in Nahe and the Pinot Gris and Riesling come from Niklas
Rueckrich, a neighbour of Jas in Rheinhessen. All grapes are processed separately in stainless steel. The Riesling grapes are direct pressed, whilst both the Regent and Pinot Gris undergo a semi carbonic maceration - 5 and 14 days respectively. The wine is then blended and aged after fermentation in stainless steel. The sugars finish in bottle to create a pet nat, exclusive to the us this vintage. Bottled with 8mg/l sulphur.
Tasting Note Crunchy dark brambles, lingonberries and a touch of dark and violet notes come to mind. Beautiful freshness yet powerful red sparkling that can stand up to food and certainly a touch more coloured and intense than last years’ release.
Helja
Vintage 2024
Style White
Region Nahe
Varieties Riesling
ABV 9.5%
Soils Clay
Farming Organic
Winemaking Riesling sourced from Piri Naturel in Nahe. A short 3 day maceration and aging in stainless steel. Bottled with 8mg/l sulphur.
Tasting Note
Eff Eff
Vintage 2023
Style White
Region Rheinhessen, Pfalz & Nahe
Varieties Müller Thurgau, Pinot Blanc
ABV
Soils Porphyr, Limestone
Farming Organic
Winemaking A blend of 60% Müller Thurgau and 40% Pinot Blanc. The fruit is all sourced from the Rheinhessen, the former from Niklas Rückrich and the latter from Andi Mann’s vineyards. The Pinot Blanc sees a very short cold maceration of 24 hours for freshness and purity whilst the the Müller Thurgau undergoes a 7 day semi carbonic maceration. Both grapes are processed separately the MT in old barrique and the PB in stainless steel.
Tasting Note Notes of lemon curb and fresh herbs blend in with more savoury woody tones. Round, fragrant with generous fruit.
Bloma Blanc
Vintage 2025
Style White
Region Eckelsheim, Rheinhessen
Varieties Pinot Blanc & Foraged Herbs
ABV 10.5%
Soils Clay
Farming Organic
Winemaking Fresh from the success of the Bloma which infused Merlot with foraged hersb, we now see Bloma Blanc, made with Pinot Blanc, and foraged herbs. The grapes and foraged herbs see a 2 week semi carbonic maceration/infusion in an old barrique. Bottled with no added sulphites.
Tasting Note
Herbs included in the wine are Scots Pine, Wild Carrot, Lichen, Dock, T
histles, Douglas Fir and Oregano. Jas says not to drink this too cold, and her own tasting note says ‘It is like walking into the living room on Christmas day,
with candles lit, a Christmas tree decorated with orange
slices and cinnamon’. Plenty of wild herbal, orange and spice to go around in this exciting new wine.
Some Kind of Peace
Vintage 2023
Style Orange
Region Pfalz & Nahe
Varieties Riesling, Kerner
ABV
Soils Clay, Sand
Farming Organic
Winemaking A blend of de-stemmed Kerner and direct press Riesling, sealed for 2 weeks from oxygen exposure. This encouraged the fermentation not only of the direct press juice but also an internal fermentation of the Kerner grapes.
Tasting Note A collaboration with Grammy nominated
Icelandic musician and artist Ólafur
Arnalds (latest album Some kind od P
eace/soundtrack broadchurch/bbc
podcast ultimate calm).
A playful elegant and soothing amber wine showcasing oxidative savoury notes of brioche, cedar, honey and calendula.
Soley
Vintage 2024
Style Orange
Region Nahe
Varieties Kerner, Riesling
ABV
Soils Clay
Farming Organic
Winemaking 90% Kerner and 10% Riesling sourced from Piri Naturel in Nahe. The Kerner is hand de-stemmed and undergoes a 2 week maceration. The Riesling is direct pressed. The wine is macerated and aged in old barrels placed outside and exposed to the elements throughout the year - a reflection on old winemaking practices. This year the wine is fully dry.
Tasting Note
Doris
Vintage 2024
Style Red
Region Pfalz & Eckelsheim, Rheinhessen
Varieties Dornfelder, Riesling, Sauvignac
ABV
Soils
Farming Organic
Winemaking Composed of 45% Dornfelder, 45% Riesling and 10% Sauvignac, with the first two from Lukas Krauss in the Pfalz, and the Sauvignac from Niklas Rückrich in Eckelsheim. Dornelder sees 5 days semi carbonic maceration, whilst the Riesling is direct pressed. The Sauvignac sees 5 days of maceration. Wines are blended and age together in stainless steel. This year, the wine is bottled in 75cl bottles and sits somewhere between a dark rose and light, chillable red.
Tasting Note
Heks
Vintage 2023
Style Red
Region Nahe & Eckelsheim, Rheinhessen
Varieties Regent, Pinot Blanc
ABV
Soils Volcanic, Clay, Porphyr, Limestone
Farming Organic
Winemaking A blend of direct press juice of Pinot Blanc (30%) and 5 day semi carbonic macerated Regent (70%). Wine ages in stainless steel and bottled unsulphured.
Tasting Note ‘Heks’ stands for ‘Witch’ in Norwegian. A playful wine and Jas’s take on a “Cuvée rot, roetlich“. This elegant with aromas of fresh redcurrants, cherry cola and spiced lavender. Perfect as chilled red.
Móa
Vintage 2023
Style Red
Region Eckelsheim, Rheinhessen
Varieties Merlot
ABV
Soils Limestone, Clay
Farming Organic
Winemaking A 100% whole bunch Merlot macerated for 4 weeks. Wine ages in an old barrique. From fruit sourced from Jas vineyard she farms at Andi Mann, in Eckelsheim.
Tasting Note Call her ‘mother’, Jas’ rounder red cuvée, with generous plum tones, forest fruits and soft sage aromas
Blóma
Vintage 2023
Style Red
Region Eckelsheim, Rheinhessen
Varieties Merlot, Foraged Herbs
ABV 12%
Soils Limestone, Clay
Farming Organic
Winemaking The Merlot fruit is sourced from Jas vineyard at Andi Mann and is carbonically macerated for 3 weeks and infused with a selection of foraged wild herbs. These consist of a selection of Globe Thistles, Spruce Tips, Douglas Fir Tips, Hops and Elderflower. The herbs were added on the foot stomped layer of semi carbonic Merlot and removed at pressing. This is not a Vermouth as no spirit or sugar was added to the grapes. The final wine is aged in one old barrel.
Tasting Note ‘Regulations dictate that I don’t call it a wine, but often people say this reminds them of Cabernet Franc’. Notes of wild brambles, dark currants, lavender, clovers and sage. The fruit is elegant, yet generous and with a gentle grip on the finish.