the magazine of the german wine institute - Wines of Germany

42
GERMAN WINE GROWING REGIONS
NOWHERE HAS THE REVIVAL of German wine
in the last two decades been felt as strongly as
in the largest German wine region Rheinhessen
– both in terms of quality and as regards
the image of the wines. The 26,500-hectare
wine region is today considered one of the
most “dynamic” because the vintners, many of
whom belong to a young, well-educated generation,
have recognised the potential of their
vineyard locations and have invested in their
cellars and vineyards with much expertise.
THE GENTLE COUNTRYSIDE OF RHEINHESSEN IS
KNOWN AS THE “LAND OF A THOUSAND HILLS”.
The green, undulating sea of vines with picturesque
villages nestled amongst them are
located between Mainz, Worms, Alzey and
Bingen. Because of the strong agricultural use
Rheinhessen is the least wooded area in Germany.
Rheinhessen is protected from cold winds and
strong rainfall by the hills of the Hunsrück,
Taunus, Odenwald and Nordpfalz Bergland.
Accordingly, the area is one of the driest
and warmest in all of Germany – which is good
for wine and for fruit growing.
In Rheinhessen there are quartzite, porphyry,
slate and volcanic rock as well as characteristic
deposits from the Tertiary. This soil diversity is
complemented by red slate, an interesting rock
formation which is much older than the depos-
Mainz, the state
capital of Rheinland-
Pfalz, is also the
capital of Rheinhessen.
Since 2008, it has
been a proud member of an illustrious circle – the
Great Wine Capitals Global Network. It is composed of
nine towns from the major wine regions of the world.
Besides Mainz these are Bordeaux, Florence, San
Francisco, Christchurch, Bilbao, Mendoza, Porto and
Cape Town. The organisation’s aim is to promote
tourism and wine culture. The earth is a wine
planet – and Germany and Rheinhessen
are part of it.
page left above:
the red slope at Nierstein
page right above:
trullo (small round vineyard hut)
at Flonheim
small photos below:
idyllic winery in the
Rheinhessische Schweiz
Rheinhessen
Change through dynamism