Rheinhessen – the land of a thousand hills

The gently rolling hills that meander along the Rhine lend Rheinhessen something of a fairytale – it is not for nothing that the largest wine-growing region in Germany in terms of area is also known as the "Land of a Thousand Hills". The mild climate is simply perfect for winegrowing, which in this region is largely devoted to white grape varieties. Let yourself be enchanted by Rheinhessen and its wines!

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The enormous wine variety in Rheinhessen

The biggest German wine-growing area Rheinhessen is not, to what may be assumed, in the federal state of Hessen, but in the idyllic Rheinland-Pfalz. The approximately 26,800-hectare wine-growing area extends in the triangle of the cities of Mainz, Worms and Bingen and is bordered to the north and east by the loop of the Rhine. The extensive vineyards with their different locations offer an enormous variety of different wines. Winegrowers from Rheinhessen take advantage of the diverse soil conditions and altitudes and create not only sweet and smooth wines, but also full-bodied, dry wines with a strong character.

Wines from Rheinhessen are characterized by a long wine tradition that reaches back to Roman times. For example, the single vineyard "Glöck" was first mentioned in a document back in the year 742. In the middle of the 19th century, Rheinhessen's wines experienced an immense upswing. At that time, they were considered the best and most expensive wines from Germany worldwide. However, due to high wine production and extensive exports, the wine culture of Rhinehessen increasingly lost quality. As a result, the top wines fell into oblivion and were replaced by cheap mass products. Towards the end of the 20th century, a new generation of passionate winemakers catapulted Rheinhessen back to the top of the wine world through modern technology with new knowledge.

Wine region Rheinhessen - An expert for dry Rieslings

White grape varieties clearly dominate in Rheinhessen. With around 78 percent, Riesling leads the white wines, ahead of Silvaner and Pinot Gris. Rheinhessen also contains the largest area of Silvaner grapes with 2,200 hectares, whose wines are produced in fantastic quality. But red wine fans also get their money's worth in the German wine region. In the last decade, the red wine area has almost doubled, so that red wine varieties - the most common being Dornfelder - have been able to develop wonderfully. But international grape varieties such as Merlot or Portugieser are also very popular in Rheinhessen.

Divided into the three regions of Bingen, Nierstein and Wonnegau, there are 23 Großlagen (a collection of vineyards within a district) and 414 Einzellagen (a single vineyard). What is special about Rheinhessen is that not one wine is like another. This is due to the diversity of the soils, which range from limestone, clay, loam and slate to volcanic rock and porphyry. The soil of the "Roter Hang" site on the Rhine terraces on the western bank of the Rhine in the village of Nierstein is coloured red by a million-year-old layer of clay slate. This area is known for particularly full-bodied wines, which are produced under the coolest conditions of the wine region. The mild climate and also the protection of forests such as the Taunus or Odenwald contribute to a good harvest. In addition, Rheinhessen with its low rainfall is considered the driest region in Germany.

International recognition for Rheinhessen

The "Mainz/Rheinhessen" wine region was included in the "Great Wine Capitals" network in 2008. Thus it ranks alongside absolute top regions such as Bordeaux/Bordeaux, Florence/Tuscany or even Cape Town/Cape Winelands. All ten members have special characteristics and present themselves as a wine region with a strong character in their country. The wine region achieved further recognition in 2012 when the Panorama of Rhine-Hessian vineyards was voted the most beautiful wine view in the world. The 1,970 hours of sunshine a year that bathe Rheinhessen in a warm light certainly contributed to this.