Benzinger

Benzinger Kirchheim Riesling Kalkmergel 2022

$25.00

Style: Dry white wine (Trocken).
Grapes & Terroir: 100% Riesling from limestone-marl (Kalkmergel) soils in Kirchheim, Pfalz.
Winemaking: Certified organic; spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts; matured on fine lees in stainless steel; low sulfur added at bottling.
Serving Temperature & Decanting: Serve chilled at 46–50°F; decanting is not necessary, but five minutes of air helps the mineral notes develop.
Pairing: Wiener Schnitzel with lemon.
Similar to: A high-acid, mineral-focused Chablis or a dry Austrian Riesling from the Wachau.

Tasting notes

The wine presents a pale straw color with emerald highlights. The nose is aromatic, showing green apple, lemon zest, and crushed stone. On the palate, it is lean and vibrant, featuring racy acidity, flavors of white peach, and a distinct, salty mineral finish.

Food pairings

Spicy Thai green curry, fresh oysters, grilled trout, herb-crusted pork tenderloin, Vietnamese spring rolls, or a classic French quiche lorraine.

Product description

Benzinger Kirchheim Riesling Kalkmergel 2022 is a precise, mineral-driven white wine crafted by Weingut Benzinger in the northern Pfalz region of Germany. This 100% Riesling is defined by its origin in the village of Kirchheim, where the vines grow on "Kalkmergel" or limestone-marl soils. To maintain varietal purity and regional character, the wine producer, Weingut Benzinger, follows organic farming practices and employs spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts. The winemaking process involves minimal intervention, often including extended lees contact in stainless steel to enhance texture. Benzinger Kirchheim Riesling Kalkmergel 2022 remains a crisp and authentic reflection of its cool-climate, limestone-heavy terroir.

Dry/Sweet:, Dry
Wine Type:, White
Wine Style:, Light Body
Grapes:, Silvaner
Farming:, Organic
Vintage:, 2021
Alcohol:, 12%
Country:, Germany
Region:, Pfalz
Appellation:, NA
Bottle Size:, 750ml
Sugar Level:, Low Sugar, Zero Added Sugar

These information are correct to the best of our knowledge. We talk to natural wine producers, importers, and distributors on a regular basis; should you notice discrepancies, please let us know and we will fix them right away.

We will process and ship your order in 2-3 business days, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with tracking as soon as the Carrier scans the shipping label.

Ground shipping time depends on location, here's a breakdown:

West Coast: 1-2 business days
Midwest: 3-4 business days
East Coast: 5 business days

Process time is not shipping time. Shipping time starts from the days successive to the day of shipping, after the order has been processed.

See here our shipping policy.

Important Compliance Requirements

FedEx and other carriers we might occasionally use can only deliver wine to customers who are 21 years or older. Someone must be at the address to receive the package, carriers don't just drop a package and leave. They must ensure the person receiving the wine is 21 or older.

Re-shipping a Package

If a package is returned to us after three failed delivery attempts, we can only re-ship the wine upon payment of a re-shipping fee, to be determined based on the shipping address and number of bottles. Shipping wine is extremely expensive. We are sorry about this, but we have no other choice. Please make sure there's always someone at the address you enter as your shipping address.

If you'd like to receive a refund for a package that was returned to us after FedEx made three delivery attempts, we can do that but we must keep a $20 refund fee; FedEx charges us a lot of money for returns, unfortunately, I can't stress this enough.

Re-routing a Package

If you'd like to reroute a package after it's been shipped, we can do so for a $20 re-routing fee. We cannot re-route a package across state borders. For any change of address, please contact us as soon as possible, ideally within 1-2 days from placing the order or we cannot guarantee we'll be able to reroute or change your order's shipping address.

Canceling an Order

If you'd like to cancel an order after it's been shipped, we can do so upon payment of a small cancellation fee – the amount depends on the size of the order. Carriers charge us a lot of money to recall a package en-route.

Heat/Frost damage

We are not responsible for heat- or frost-related issues. We offer ice-packs upon request. Please let us know if you think that there could be heat-related issues. If we don't hear anything from you regarding weather issues before an order is shipped, or if you don't request a hold due to the weather, we are not responsible for heat/frost damage.

Placed an order. What next?

1. You will receive an order confirmation email with your order summary.*

2. As soon as your order ships from the warehouse, usually within 2-3 business days, this applies to all shipping rates, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with your tracking information. 2DAY shipping refers to shipping time; we still need 2-3 business days to prepare an order. We need to pick and pack, QA, add printed collateral, and palletize the orders.

3. Please track your package using the tracking service.

4. The carrier will attempt delivery a maximum of 3 times. After 3 delivery attempts, your package will be sent back to our warehouse.**

*Please ensure your email address is correct; otherwise, you will not receive the order and shipping confirmation emails.

**If delivery is attempted 3 times without success, or if you fail to retrieve your package from the carrier depot by the stated deadline, the shipping fee will not be refunded to the customer.

Returns Policy

If you are not satisfied with your purchase, please contact us at (424) 414-2040 or via e-mail at hello@primalwine.com between 9 am and 5 pm Pacific Standard Time, Monday through Sunday, we would like to understand and try to solve your concerns. We can offer refunds only as store credit.

Benzinger Kirchheim Riesling Kalkmergel 2022

$25.00

Producer profile

Benzinger

Weingut Benzinger is a family-owned organic winery located in Kirchheim, a small wine village in the northern Pfalz (Palatinate) region of Germany. The estate traces its roots to 1787, making it one of the older family operations in the area. Today, Volker Benzinger and his daughter Julia oversee winemaking across 13 hectares of vineyards planted on loam soils.

The winery has practiced organic viticulture for over a decade and holds certification from ECOVIN, Germany's largest association dedicated to ecological winegrowing. All Benzinger wines carry the German BIO-Siegel and V-Label.eu certifications, confirming both their organic and vegan status.

Since 2014, Weingut Benzinger has focused on producing natural wines and skin-contact "orange" wines using traditional methods. The approach in the cellar mirrors the philosophy in the vineyard: minimal intervention at every stage. Grapes are hand-harvested and fermented spontaneously with indigenous yeasts. The wines see no additives, no fining agents, and no filtration. Most cuvées contain little to no added sulfur, typically under 10 mg/L.

The estate works with both classic German varieties and lesser-known grapes. Riesling, Silvaner, Scheurebe, and Muscat form the white wine portfolio, while Pinot Noir and Merlot anchor the reds. The SANS line showcases the winery's commitment to zero-sulfur winemaking, offering pure expressions of each variety without technological manipulation.

Pfalz is Germany's second-largest wine region and one of its warmest, benefiting from protection provided by the Palatinate Forest. This climate allows Benzinger's grapes to achieve full ripeness while retaining the acidity essential for balanced wines. The resulting bottles reflect both the loam-rich terroir and the family's hands-off winemaking ethos.

Explore Weingut Benzinger and other top-selling natural wines in our best-sellers collection.

Wine region

Pfalz, Germany

The Pfalz is Germany’s second-largest wine-growing region, located in the Rhine valley under the protective rain shadow of the Haardt Mountains. This unique geography creates one of the warmest and driest climates in Germany, often referred to as the "German Tuscany." This allows for a broad range of grape varieties to thrive, though Riesling remains the undisputed king of the region. The Pfalz is historically divided into the Mittelhaardt to the north and the Südliche Weinstraße to the south, each offering a distinct profile of natural wine influenced by varying soil structures.

The terroir of the northern Pfalz, specifically around villages like Kirchheim and Laumersheim, is characterized by its heavy limestone-marl (Kalkmergel) deposits. These soils are prized for their ability to produce Rieslings with a profound mineral backbone and a more structural, "skeletal" feel compared to the riper, fruit-forward styles of the southern regions. The cooling winds from the nearby forests ensure that despite the overall warmth of the Pfalz, the grapes retain the high levels of acidity necessary for balance and longevity.

In recent years, the Pfalz has become a hub for innovative, low-intervention viticulture. A new generation of growers is reclaiming traditional methods, focusing on soil health through organic and biodynamic practices. This shift has elevated the global reputation of the region’s dry wines, moving them away from bulk production toward artisanal, site-specific expressions. The combination of sustainable farming and diverse geological formations—ranging from limestone to red sandstone and basalt—makes the Pfalz a premier destination for discovering world-class white wines with a strong sense of place.

Frequently asked question

When is my order shipping?

We are doing your best to ship your order in 2-3 business days.

We will process and ship your order in 2-3 business days, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with tracking as soon as the Carrier scans the shipping label.

Ground shipping time depends on location, here's a breakdown:

West Coast: 1-2 business days
Midwest: 3-4 business days
East Coast: 5 business days

Process time is not shipping time. Shipping time starts from the days successive to the day of shipping, after the order has been processed.

See here our shipping policy.

Do I have to sign upon delivery?

Yes, someone 21 years or older must sign for the package.

Signature on delivery is mandatory for wine deliveries. Please make sure someone is at the shipping address to sign for the package.

If applicable, please consider delivering the package to a business address to ensure someone is available to sign for the package.

We also have the option of delivering the package to a Carrier's store for pickup. Please reach out to us to coordinate.

Carrier will try to delivery a package up to three times before returning the package to us.

See here our shipping policy.

What if I miss a delivery?

Worry not, we have options, but please read carefully.

If you miss a delivery and a package gets returned to us we have two options:

1) Reship the package right away: due to the very high cost of shipping and returns, we must charge a re-shipping fee to be determined based on package size and shipping destination.

2) Consolidate the returned package with your next order: this option is free of charge and it's the most popular option.

See here our shipping policy.

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