‘The wine with the cat’ immediately catches the eye – charming, cheeky, different. How did this concept come about, and why does the cat fit so perfectly with your wine philosophy?
On the one hand, the cat as a wild animal fits perfectly with our family name, Wildner. On the other hand, the idea actually came about quite naturally: Anne and Tim from DAC Design spent a day with us at the winery. While we were having lunch, our cat Paul suddenly jumped onto the table and wanted to join in. A week later, they came back with the idea of creating a wine featuring a cat on the label. Our cat Paul is now immortalised on our Riesling feinherb. His mother, a white cat with blue eyes, represents our Pinot Blanc, and his brother, an all-black cat, can be found on our Pinot Gris.
From the label to Instagram: your brand speaks a clear, bold language. How important are design and storytelling in reaching the social media generation – and how does your approach differ from traditional wine marketing?
For us, wine should simply be enjoyable – you shouldn’t need to memorise a wine encyclopaedia to appreciate it. When you think back to an empty bottle, you should remember a cosy evening spent with family, friends or good company.
Young people want to experience wine, not study it. They are looking for moments that are fun. What ideas, formats or events do you offer that let young people simply taste, feel and enjoy wine – without any technical jargon?
We try to use as many events as possible to gain visibility. When it comes to our social media presence and our own events, there’s definitely still some work to do – but we’re getting there!
If wine, then different – that’s our magazine’s theme. What does this motto mean to you personally? And where do you see Germany’s young, bold wine scene heading?
For me, it means that wine should always speak to your own taste – and that no one should ever be afraid to say: “I like this wine, even if others don’t!” I believe people are becoming increasingly mindful about how and when they drink. Wine is enjoyed more consciously, on special occasions, and customers are thinking more carefully about what they want to drink, what resonates with them and where they’ll find a wine that truly suits their palate.
Do you have a favorite anecdote about wine that you enjoy sharing?
We always love hearing stories about our labels.
A few years ago, an older couple came back to buy more wine and told us that they had spent what felt like half an hour with their friends trying to figure out what exactly was on our Red Cat label. In the end, they said they’d had a wonderful evening with that bottle – and that’s exactly what wine should do.
One last question: What’s your favorite wine? Can you tell us how you discovered and fell in love with it?
If I had to name a favourite grape variety, it would clearly be Sauvignon Blanc. For me, it’s one of the most fascinating varieties out there. No matter how carefully you plan – when to harvest, how to vinify – in the end, it always does its own thing. And that’s what makes it so thrilling: every time you taste it after bottling, it reveals a new side of itself. Plus, it’s grown in so many regions and styles that it never gets boring. You can always discover a new expression of Sauvignon Blanc that surprises and delights you all over again.
The Wildner family has been growing grapes in Rheinhessen for over a century. When their son Stefan joined the business in 2017, he wanted to break new ground: their wines should no longer get lost among the masses produced by large wineries, but stand out for their individuality. To achieve this, a new and distinctive design was created – featuring cats on every bottle. “The wine with the cat!” has long since become a trademark – representing wines that are as distinctive, charming and unpredictable as their feline symbol.
"Sometimes cuddly and smooth, sometimes lively and cheeky – but always idiosyncratic and full of character. Anything but boring or conformist! That’s how we know cats. And that’s how Wildner wines are too!"