Wine-like
Laura Ermert is the quintessential multi-project manager: After completing her studies, the 38-year-old undertook various internships and marketed well-known musicals such as *Mamma Mia* and *Sister Act* in Hamburg, the musical capital. She then held various positions in marketing, working with clients from companies such as the Krombacher Brewery and Akzo Nobel, and was responsible, among other things, for implementing communication materials for cross-media campaign development.
Since 2021, she has been furthering her education in the art of wine appreciation and, in addition to her job as Head of Marketing at “UFER LEOWALD GmbH,” now works part-time as a freelance sommelier. In this role, the wine expert tastes high-quality wines and, through her unique wine events and her brand “WEINHAFTIG,” provides a sensory experience for the palate.
What exactly is WEINHAFTIG?
WEINHAFTIG organizes special and personalized wine events and also produces its own wine. My USP (Unique Selling Point)—that is, what sets me apart—is that I bring the joy of wine in the form of a tasting experience right into my clients’ own homes. In addition, I also offer public wine events at select locations hosted by culinary partners. The tasting includes seven high-quality wines from international winemakers that I provide. I bring all the necessary wine accessories myself, such as wine glasses and tasting sheets—so-called tasting notes—on which everyone can jot down their impressions of the wine.
I offer a wine tasting focused exclusively on wine. Here, I show people a specific method for approaching a wine so they can finally learn to smell and taste its nuances. In this way, I create shared moments of enjoyment and connect people through what I do—and that’s an absolute added value. Through this, I help people rediscover wine in a whole new way—namely, with all their senses. That’s why my motto is: “Experience wine with all your senses.”
On the other hand, I offer food and wine pairings, which focus on combining wine with food. It’s about how wonderfully wine can complement a meal, turning the pairing into a culinary highlight. The focus is on a cheese platter featuring five cheeses paired with five wines from local winemakers, or a selection of cheeses and charcuterie paired with wine. It’s all about finding the perfect combination of wine and food. That’s our crowning achievement—what we learn during sommelier training.
What is an Assistant Sommelière? What are your responsibilities?
As an Assistant Sommelière, you first learn about the most important grape varieties. You acquire international knowledge of grape varieties as well as expertise in viticulture and winemaking—not to mention food pairing. You learn to taste wine using a specific method, which I demonstrate to my guests during wine tastings.
What makes your wine events special?
We usually drink wine without giving it much thought. But wine is so much more than just drinking it. It’s a moment of pleasure and my way of experiencing the world. That’s the focus of my wine events. A wine event is nothing less than pure enjoyment. The moment it flows into the glass, the wine tells a story—namely, that of a winery and a specific growing region.
Through this experience, I bring people together at my wine events, create strong emotions and memories, and share fascinating wine knowledge along the way. I plan the wine events around specific wine flights, and my customers can always look forward to special wines—sometimes from Germany, sometimes from all over the world. It’s a bit like a journey through wine-growing regions and stories from around the globe, all in one glass, all in one evening.
When did you realize you had a passion for wine?
Wine has always been a part of our family life. Here in Siegen, we have the Siegerland Wine Convent, and my parents and grandparents have been members there for a long time. They went on many excursions with the Wine Convent, including a visit to the winery where I later made my own wine. During the pandemic, wine became a special treat for me. I realized that I absolutely wanted to learn more about wine and discuss it with others. The subject captivated me so much that I began my wine education in 2021.
How did WEINHAFTIG come to be founded?
In the summer of 2022, I was lying on the beach on my favorite North Sea island, listening to my favorite podcast, “TuA – Terroir und Adiletten”—it’s “the wine podcast.” That’s when the idea struck me: I wanted to bring the joy of wine to my home region. Even before I’d designed my own logo, I hosted my first wine tasting at the beautiful Seven Hills in Weidenau. Over the course of the fall, a completely new, independent brand identity took shape: “WEINHAFTIG – Experience Wine with All Your Senses” was born. In January, coinciding with the launch of my website, I officially entered the market with my startup and exciting offerings—I provide both public and completely private wine tastings in my clients’ own homes. Because wine is my great passion, I’m always on the move, constantly working to expand my expertise and soak up new experiences.
For example, in the fall of 2023, I spent four weeks helping with the harvest at the renowned VDP winery Wittmann in Westhofen, in the Rheinhessen wine-growing region. Among other things, I worked in various areas—such as the grape reception area, the press house (where the grapes are pressed), and the cellar, the heart of the operation—and thus witnessed the entire winemaking process firsthand. During that time, I was the happiest person on earth. For four weeks during this intense period, everyone pulls together to ensure the best possible quality ends up in the bottle. This experience moved me so deeply and stayed with me so strongly that I came up with the idea of creating my own wine. I wanted a product all my own that would mark the beginning of a WEINHAFTIG edition. No sooner said than done: Together with a family-owned winery in Rheinhessen, I blended my white wine cuvée, AUF ZACK, for the first time in late January 2024. A cuvée is always a blend of different grape varieties. I knew right away that this wine should be centered entirely around my favorite grape variety, Sauvignon Blanc. It took a full four hours before the perfect cuvée was in the glass. I was very proud and completely in love with the result.
What does wine mean to you?
For me, wine is pure emotion. Wine brings people together and creates wonderful moments. You meet fascinating people when you travel to wine regions. Not only are these places culturally rich, but there’s always great food there, too. So, wine and food are my thing. If you’re a bon vivant, you can’t ignore wine. I realized this for myself last year: “Wine is my way of experiencing the world.”
Does a good wine have to be expensive, and how can you tell if a wine is good?
No, it doesn’t have to be. It just has to taste good to you. And taste is highly individual. You can get a good wine starting at 7–8€. But many people underestimate how labor-intensive a winemaker’s work is and, unfortunately, often fail to appreciate a fair price. Expensive wines—in my experience—are worth it mainly for trained palates.
Have you always wanted to be self-employed?
No, not at all. My grandpa always said, “Kid, go into business for yourself—it’s better that way.” But I never really thought about it myself. Now, of course, my passion for wine is greater than ever, and I love what I can do with WEINHAFTIG. But being self-employed—and in my case, doing it part-time—is also a major challenge, as I’ve experienced firsthand.
What was your biggest challenge? And how did you handle it?
That was definitely creating the cuvée for my own wine and developing a new wine. The part-time continuing education I’m currently pursuing is also a challenge because the subject matter is very demanding as I work toward becoming a certified sommelier.
When I really believe in something, I just keep going and know that everything will work out in the end. I find my balance to all these business matters through sports and exercise. As a solo self-employed person, my father is also an invaluable resource—he’s my biggest sounding board.
What advice would you give to young entrepreneurs who want to start their own business?
First and foremost, you have to be passionate about your business idea. Then it’s very important to write a business plan. There are also wonderful startup seminars offered by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IHK) that are very helpful. But the most important thing is to have a strong belief in your own idea. If you don’t believe in your idea strongly enough, it won’t come true. Otherwise, it’s trial and error. You’ll often hit a wall, and it’s important not to let that slow you down. You also have to be willing to give it your all and respond quickly to the market and your customers.
What are the pros and cons of part-time self-employment?
The advantage is that you’re working on something you truly enjoy. You find fulfillment in your work, and not many people get to experience that.
Plus, you have the opportunity to build your own systems. You can design and create something that touches others—and, at best, improves other people’s lives.
The downside is that you have to be willing to invest a lot of time and resources—and sometimes even a few sleepless nights—until things really start to click. You also have to be the kind of person who’s driven, eager to network, and willing to put yourself out there—someone who applies for a startup pitch and wants to showcase what you do.
What’s your goal? What do you hope to achieve with WEINHAFTIG?
I’d like to make my brand “WEINHAFTIG” a well-known name in the Siegen area. It would be great if I could establish a reputation as a wine expert beyond the local area and become the go-to person for all things wine in a “non-wine-growing region.” Opening a small wine shop would also be cool—but that’s still a long way off.
This profile is based on an interview with Laura Ermert in February 2025 and was written by Duygu Cicek.