Steffen was born in Neustadt an der Weinstrasse in the Pfalz in 1965. He grew up on the family wine estate in the Neustadt suburb of Gimmeldingen. Today, the estate comprises 17 ha of vines and numbers among the Pfalz’s leading wine estates.
After completing his basic education and military service, Steffen studied law in Heidelberg and Speyer. He was admitted to the bar as an attorney at law in 1994, and since 1995 has been a partner at Hofmann & Kollegen, where he focuses on agricultural and wine law. Parallel to his legal studies, he completed his viticultural education at the DLR Rheinpfalz, receiving state certification in 1995. The following year he took over the family estate, which he has continuously developed ever since. He converted to organic viticulture, opened a chic wine bar and restaurant at the estate and built new production facilities. Steffen and wife Daniela have four children. His hobbies include cooking, skiing and classical literature.
