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High Pass Winery 2023 Huxelrebe
Taste of Home
Dieter Boehm grew up in Beierfeld in southern Germany’s Ore Mountains. His father owned a restaurant there, which helped him develop an appreciation for wine early in life.
Unfortunately, Beierfeld was behind the Iron Curtain during Dieter’s younger years. At the age of 25, disillusioned with the East German system, Boehm and a friend escaped across the East German-Czech Republic border and traveled through Austria on their way to West Germany.
Dieter landed in Eugene in 1979, working at a Christmas tree farm and then planting trees for a cooperative (over 100,000 in his career). While living in Eugene, he realized how similar the area’s climate was to Heidelberg, the last place he lived in Germany. He knew the areas along the Neckar River near Heidelberg had vineyards, so why not here in his new home?
On a drive up High Pass Road one summer, Dieter spotted a steep, south-facing hillside covered in golden grasses. That was the precise moment he said “This is it.” He purchased the property for his estate vineyard on High Pass Road in 1984. Vines were planted the following year. After several years of selling his fruit to other wineries, Dieter released his first commercial wine from the 1994 vintage. Today, approximately 80% of the fruit is sold to wineries as large as King Estate in Eugene and as small as Helioterra Wines in Portland.
Cellar 503 Tasting Notes
High Pass Winery, Junction City, Oregon
2023 Huxelrebe
100% Huxelrebe High Pass Vineyard | Lower Long Tom - Willamette Valley AVA Sustainable farming practices.
Huxelrebe is a grape that is very rarely found outside of Germany and Austria. The alpine climate of High Pass Vineyard makes it a perfect climate for ripening Huxelrebe with long hang time that brings out the honey and floral characteristics associated with grape.
This late-harvest, sweet dessert wine, with a deep straw color, has notes of honeysuckle accompanied by hints of rock candy. Excellent wine to enjoy after a delicious meal, with a fruit and cheese board or with al of the fresh melons coming out of the garden.
74 cases produced
Pro-Tip: Melon ball your melons and freeze them to make a light dessert, where you can enjoy the wine first and then the macerated melon balls after. Best boozy adult popsicles ever, and its healthy!
BACK TO SCHOOL
Huxelrebe was created by German viticulturalist Dr. Georg Scheu (1879-1949) in 1927, when he was working as director of a grape-breeding institute in Alzey in Rheinhessen, by crossing Gutedel (Chasselas) with Courtiller Musqué (Muscat Précoce de Saumur). It received varietal protection in 1969.
Initially known under its breeding code Alzey S 3962, the variety was named after viticulturalist and nursery owner Fritz Huxel (1892-1972), who was the first to cultivate it extensively. This took place in the 1950s in Westhofen, Rheinhessen, and Huxel became an important champion of the variety. Huxel won many prizes for his Huxelrebe wines. The Rebe part of the name is German for vine.
Huxelrebe is a very high-yielding white grape variety which ripens early. If yields are controlled, it can make very high-quality wines, primarily sweet wines as an apéritif or dessert wine. The wines tend to be high in acidity and have aromas of rhubarb. Higher-end Huxelrebe wines made from riper grapes often have muscat-like aromas in addition. It is primarily found in the German wine regions Rheinhessen, Palatinate and Nahe. Small plantations are also found in England.
A Cellar 503 selection in September 2025, Back to School Lower Long Tom | Huxelrebe
