Glow Glow is the natural-wine project of siblings Pauline and Carl Baumberger, the sixth generation of the Baumberger family in Mandel, Nahe, Germany. Their family winery, Weingut Baumberger, dates back to 1855, but Glow Glow represents a new direction for the family, bringing a fresh and unconventional approach to the region. Pauline began the project in 2019 after being inspired by the natural-wine movement during her time away from the family estate, and was soon joined by her brother Carl.
Working with around 16 hectares of organically farmed vineyards, the siblings focus on expressing the freshness and elegance of the Nahe through wines that are lively, light and highly drinkable. Their vineyards sit across the region's diverse soils, while early harvesting helps preserve bright acidity and energy in the finished wines. Their philosophy is wonderfully simple: “Nothing is added, nothing is taken away.”
In the cellar, Glow Glow embraces spontaneous fermentation and minimal intervention, with their wines generally bottled unfined, unfiltered and without added sulphur. Different techniques—including short skin contact, cold maceration and carbonic maceration—are used depending on the wine, always with the aim of keeping the wines fresh, vibrant and expressive rather than overly manipulated.
The result is a collection of wines that captures the glou-glou spirit of natural wine—bright, juicy, energetic and effortlessly drinkable. From fresh Riesling and aromatic Muskateller to their playful Fizzy and light reds, Glow Glow combines generations of German winemaking heritage with a distinctly modern and youthful personality.
Type: Red Wine (Natural / Organic / Light-bodied / Chilled Red)
Region: Nahe, Germany
Grapes: Dornfelder, Portugieser, St. Laurent, Regent & Pinotin
Alcohol ABV: 10%
Tasting Profile and Key Notes
Aroma:
Bright and playful, with aromas of sour cherry, raspberry, redcurrant and fresh wild berries. Behind the fruit are lively herbal notes, a touch of black pepper and a subtle cola-like character. The overall nose is fresh, juicy and energetic rather than heavy or ripe.
Palate:
Light-bodied, juicy and refreshing with bright acidity and very gentle tannins. Red cherry, raspberry and redcurrant dominate, followed by fresh herbs and a light peppery savouriness. The palate has an almost weightless, "glou-glou" quality, with a dry, lively finish that makes you immediately want another sip.
Winemaking
The five varieties are treated separately to highlight their individual characters. Dornfelder, Regent and Pinotin are destemmed and given a 6-day cold maceration, while St. Laurent undergoes approximately 14 days of skin fermentation. Portugieser is direct-pressed. The different components ferment spontaneously and are matured in a combination of old oak barrels and stainless steel before blending. The wine is unfined, unfiltered and bottled without added sulphur, following Glow Glow's minimal-intervention philosophy.
Farming
Glow Glow is the natural-wine project of Pauline and Carl Baumberger at Weingut Baumberger in the Nahe. The family winery works around 14.5 hectares of organically farmed vineyards, with soils including loam, loess and sand. Their philosophy is essentially "nothing added, nothing taken away", allowing the grapes and the Nahe's cool climate to express themselves with freshness, delicacy and energy.
Type: White Wine (Natural / Organic / Minimal Intervention / Fresh & Textural)
Region: Nahe, Germany
Grapes: 100% Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc)
Alcohol ABV: Not independently confirmed for the single-variety 2024 bottling
Tasting Profile and Key Notes
Aroma:
Fresh and bright, with aromas of green apple, lemon, pear, and citrus peel. There is also a subtle herbal character, with hints of freshly cut grass and white flowers. The nose is initially quite restrained, but opens with air to reveal more depth and freshness.
Palate:
Crisp, juicy, and energetic with lively acidity and a gentle creamy texture. Green apple and citrus flavours dominate, supported by a subtle herbal character and fine mineral freshness. It starts very easy-going, but develops more tension and complexity as it opens, finishing clean, dry, and refreshing.
Winemaking
The 2024 Weissburgunder was bottled as a single-variety wine after the team found the individual barrel particularly expressive during winter tasting. The wine was fermented in stainless steel and kept on its lees, allowing it to retain its freshness and energy while developing additional texture. The producer notes that the wine remains remarkably stable after opening and actually becomes more expressive with time in the bottle and glass.
Farming
Glow Glow is the natural-wine project of Pauline and Carl Baumberger in the Nahe. The vineyards are organically farmed, with hand harvesting and a strong focus on minimal intervention. The Nahe's combination of cool climate and diverse soils helps preserve the bright acidity and freshness that are central to this Weissburgunder.
Type: Alcohol-Free Sparkling Tea / Grape-Based Beverage
Region: Nahe, Germany
Grapes: Grape juice-based; not a conventional grape-varietal wine
Alcohol ABV: 0.0%
Tasting Profile and Key Notes
Aroma:
Delicate and refreshing, with bright citrus, fresh herbs, floral notes, and subtle red-fruit aromas. Lemon balm gives the drink a lifted herbal character, while lacto-fermented raspberry adds a gentle berry complexity.
Palate:
Light, crisp, and gently sparkling, with refreshing acidity and a dry, elegant finish. Fresh grape and citrus flavours are balanced by lemon balm, subtle wormwood bitterness, and a touch of tart raspberry. Rather than tasting like sweet grape juice, Freija has a more layered, savoury and grown-up character.
Winemaking / Production
Freija No.1 is created as an alcohol-free sparkling tea, rather than through conventional winemaking. It combines lemon balm tea, grape juice, wormwood, verjus, and a small amount of lacto-fermented raspberry. The result is a complex, lightly sparkling drink designed to provide the freshness, structure, and gastronomic qualities normally associated with wine, without alcohol.
Farming
The project comes from Glow Glow, the natural-wine label of the Baumberger family in the Nahe region of Germany, created by Pauline and Carl Baumberger. The project focuses on organically farmed ingredients and low-intervention production, with an emphasis on freshness, energy, and natural expression.