Germany's wine growing regions
Germany has 13 wine growing regions of which we currently feature 9.
Ahr:
The Ahr is one of Germany's northernmost wine regions. It is also one of the smallest, with vineyards extending only 24 km along the Ahr River as it flows toward the Rhine just south of Bonn. From Altenahr, in the west, to the spa town Bad Neuenahr, the vines are perched on steep, terraced cliffs of volcanic slate. In the broad eastern end of the valley, the slopes are gentler and the soils are rich in loess. Four out of five bottles of Ahr wine are red — velvety to fiery Spätburgunder and light, charming Portugieser predominate. Lively, fresh Riesling is the most common white wine produced here. Another specialty of the region is the red variety Frühburgunder.
The Baden wine region, the southernmost and third largest in Germany, is primarily a long, slim strip of vineyards nestled between the hills of the Black Forest and the Rhine River, extending some 400 km from north to south. The wines along the Baden Wine Route are correspondingly varied. Wine connoisseurs have long agreed that they are "blessed by the sun". This is why Baden is the only German wine-growing region to be assigned to the EU wine-growing zone B, which means that the wines must have higher Oechsle degrees (more ripeness and natural sugars at harvest) than anywhere else. Plenty of sunshine hours and Germany’s warmest places on the Kaiserstuhl, ensure that this is the case.
Our exceptional selection of Franken wine includes Silvaner, Riesling and Scheurebe, and are available in the region's traditional Boxbeutel bottles. Franken or Franconia, is a wine-making region in the northwest of Germany's historic state of Bavaria.
The Mosel River is the sinuous spine of the Mosel region, changing direction so often as it flows northeast toward the Rhine that it meanders nearly 250 km, to cover about half that distance as the crow flies. Together with its two small tributaries, the Saar and the Ruwer, the Mosel composes one wine growing region, considered the oldest in Germany. Countless finds, including several wine presses from Roman times, testify to the long history of viticulture here and the large scale of its introduction by the Romans. Along the Mosel between Perl and Koblenz, on the Saar between Serrig and Konz and on the Ruwer between Riveris and the Trier district of Ruwer, around 5,000 winegrowers cultivate a total of 8,744 hectares across 125 wine towns. This is often under extremely difficult conditions as nowhere in the world are there more steep vineyards than in the fifth largest wine-growing region of Germany. Today half of the vineyards are on steep and terraced sites with a slope of over 30 degrees, some planted at an astounding 70-degree gradient. On these precipitous inclines, nearly all grapes have to be picked by hand. That includes tying each vine to its own eight-foot wooden stake, and carrying up the slate soil that has washed down with the winter rains. Very labour-intensive and a true sign of dedication to cultivating unique wines.
Nahe:
The Nahe region is named after the river that traverses the valleys of the forested Hunsrück Hills as it gently flows toward Bingen on the Rhine. It is a peaceful landscape of vineyards, orchards and meadows interspersed with cliffs and striking rock formations. The wine-growing region on the Nahe and the tributaries Glan and Alsenz has 2,000 years of wine-making tradition. Protection against cold winds by the high Hunsrück, mild temperatures and lots of sunshine create an excellent climate for winegrowing in this sunny valley with low-rain. Although the Nahe is one of the smaller German wine regions, its extraordinary range of soil types is second to none. This is because of its turbulent geological history. For this reason, the region is able to grow a range of varieties and produce a large diversity of wine styles.
The Pfalz has many superlatives: the world's largest wine festival in Bad Dürkheim, and also the first and best-known wine route, the Deutsche Weinstraße. For over 85 uninterrupted kilometers, Pfalz's vineyards sweep across this remarkably pretty, peaceful land, linking the 130 wine towns of the region between Bockenheim and Schweigen on the border with Alsace. With 23,684 hectares of vineyards, the Pfalz is the second largest German wine-growing region and is made up of two areas, Mittelhaardt-Deutsche Weinstraße and Südliche Weinstraße. The main focus of the winegrowers in the cultivation area limited and protected by the Pfälzerwald forest, is on classic grape varieties, especially Riesling. The king of white wines has become the undisputed leader in the Pfalz with nearly 6,000 hectares cultivated. Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris have also been on the rise with now over 3,000 hectares planted. In addition, Silvaner, Müller-Thurgau, Gewürztraminer, Kerner and Morio-Muskat belong to the diverse range of white wines in the Pfalz as well as the international varieties Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.
This beautiful stretch of earth is planted with 3,185 hectares of vines. It is the famous home of Rheingau Riesling, which grows on 2,500 hectares of vineyards, and Pinot Noir, for which Assmannshausen is renowned. Riesling thrives particularly well in the dry, stony south-facing slopes. It also survives cold winter days and uses the long ripening period to develop fine fruit acids and aromas. Already in 1775, the Johannisberg Abbey discovered the advantage of a late harvest, and still today the Rheingau Riesling Spätlese (late harvesst) are among the region's flagship wines. For several years now, the wines with "First Growth" on the label signify the winemakers' aspiration to set themselves new, ambitious goals and to fill the bottle with something extraordinary. These wines come from classified ‘Premier Cru’ sites and are produced and vinified according to very demanding and strict criteria.
Germany's largest wine region, Rheinhessen, lies in a valley of gentle rolling hills. While vines are virtually a monoculture in the Rheingau or along the Mosel, they are but one of many crops that share the fertile soils of this region's vast farmlands. Wine has been grown here on the left bank of the Rhine since the Romans, and the oldest document about a German vineyard location - the Niersteiner Glöck - concerns a wine location in Rheinhessen. Varied soils and the favorable climate make it possible to grow many grape varieties, old and new. In fact, many of Germany's aromatic, early-ripening new crossings were bred in Rheinhessen by Professor Georg Scheu, after whom the Scheurebe grape is named. The region also boasts the world's largest acreage planted with the ancient variety Silvaner, which is again making a name for itself, known among other things under the abbreviation RS. Other white wine varieties are also on the rise, particularly Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc.
Württemberg is known as Germany's premier red wine region. Nearly 70 percent of its 11,461 hectares is planted with red grape varieties, the most famous of which is still Trollinger. This quaffable wine, rarely found outside of this region, is called the national drink of Württemberg and is drunk often and with pleasure accompanied by a snack. As is known, wine consumption in the Ländle (the local name for the region) is significantly higher than elsewhere. Trollinger undoubtedly contributes to this trend, there is even a Trollinger Marathon held in Heilbronn each year. However, this is not the only red wine produced here. In contrast, Schwarzriesling (also known as Müllerrebe or Pinot Meunier), Lemberger and Pinot Noir position themselves primarily as gourmet companions to sophisticated cuisine.
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