Germany

Subcategories

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  Mosel (wine region)

  Mosel is one of 13 German wine regions (Weinbaugebiete) for quality wines (Qualitätswein, formerly QbA and Prädikatswein), and takes its name from the Mosel River.

  The wine region is Germany's third largest in terms of production but some consider it the leading region in terms of international prestige.

  The Mosel is mainly famous for its wines made from the Riesling grape, but Elbling and Müller-Thurgau also contribute to the production, among others.

  In the past two decades red wine production, especially from the Spätburgunder (Pinot noir), has increased in the Mosel and throughout the German vignoble and has become of increasing interest to the international wine community.

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  RHEINGAU

  The wine-growing region is located in the federal state of Hesse in Germany. The vineyards cover 3,211 hectares of vineyards starting at the Untermain east of Wiesbaden and extending about 50 kilometres along the right bank of the Rhine to Lorch north of Rüdesheim. 

  The Rhine ensures an even temperature curve and, like a Spiegel, intensifies the sunlight. In addition, it promotes botrytis (noble rot), a prerequisite for the noble sweet Prädikat wines, through the mists that rise in autumn. Most of the vineyards are on sunny south-facing slopes. Quartz and slate soils at higher altitudes and loam, loess and clay soils in the valley are the ideal basis for racy and spicy white wines. 

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  RHINEHESSEN

  The wine-growing area is located in Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany and is named after the region. The name is derived from its historical affiliation as the province of Rheinhessen of the Grand Duchy of Hesse from 1816 to 1919. The vineyards cover 26,758 hectares, making it the largest wine-growing region in Germany in terms of area.

  Due to the hilly character of the landscape, Rheinhessen is also known as the "land of 1,000 hills". The soils consist mainly of loess, as well as sand, marl, limestone, clay, Rotliegend, brown earth, quartzite and porphyry. The climatic conditions for viticulture are ideal. Under the protection of the Odenwald and Taunus mountains, average temperatures range from 9.4 (Alzey) to 10.4 °Celsius (Worms).

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  PALATINAT (Pfalz)

  The wine-growing region is located in the federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany. The vineyards cover 23,554 hectares, making it the second largest German wine-growing region after Rheinhessen. Until 1995 it was called Rheinpfalz, the current name (lat. Palatium = palace) derives from the Palatines of the Holy Roman Empire who resided in the city of Heidelberg from the 13th to the middle of the 18th century. 

  The climatic conditions for winegrowing are ideal. There are dry, not too hot summers and mild winters. With around 1,800 hours of sunshine a year, the Palatinate is one of the warmest German wine-growing regions with an almost Mediterranean climate. The soils in the Haardt consist entirely of mixtures of sand, loam, marl and clay. 

  Viticulture is practised in a total of 144 Palatinate villages, mainly in the southern and front Palatinate on the western edge of the plain between the Rhine and the Palatinate Forest.