Rheingau (wine region)

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Schloss Johannisberg is one of the most well-known and historically important domaines in Germany, both as an early adopter of Riesling and as the site where noble rot wines in their German version were discovered by accident.

Rheingau is one of 13 German wine regions (Weinbaugebiete) for quality wines (QbA and Prädikatswein). Named for the traditional region of Rheingau (meaning "Rhine district"), the wine region is situated in the state of Hesse, where it makes up part of the Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis administrative district. Although making up only 3 percent of the total German vineyard area, Rheingau has been the source of many historically important innovations in German wine making, and contains many internationally well-known wine producers, such as Schloss Johannisberg. Rheingau, with 3 106 hectares of vineyards in 2005, also boasts a higher proportion of Riesling (78,2%) than any other German wine-growing region, with Spätburgunder (Pinot noir) making up most of the rest (12,7%), followed by Müller-Thurgau (1,7%).^[1]

[edit] Geography and terroir

The vineyard Höllenberg in the Rheingau village of Assmannshausen, situated on a slope facing river Rhine. In this vineyard, mostly Spätburgunder (Pinot noir) is grown.

Rheingau has a very characteristic geography. At Wiesbaden, river Rhine interrupts its northward flow, and flows westward for about 30 km before it flows north again, and most of Rheingau is situated on the river's right bank along this stretch. The region also includes an additional stretch along Rhine after it turns northward again, around the villages Assmannshausen and Lorch, as well as vineyards in Hochheim on the Main river, just before it flows into Rhine, and is about 50 km from end to end. North of Rheingau lies the Taunus mountain range. Therefore, much of Rheingau consists of a south-facing slope between Taunus and Rhine which provides excellent wine-growing conditions at these northerly latitudes.

[edit] History

Kloster Eberbach was built by the Cistercian monks who founded much of the Rheingau wine industry, and the buildings still house a wine cellar of the Hessian state winery and is used for wine auctions.

Old wine cellar at Kloster Eberbach

Legend has it that Charlemagne let the first vineyards be planted in the region, close to present-day Schloss Johannisberg.^[2] Better documented is the early influence of the church on Rheingau winemaking, which was controlled from Kloster (Monastery) Eberbach. Augustinians and Benedictines are known to have inhabited the area of the later abbey from 1116, and in 1135 the Cistercians arrived, sent out from Clairvaux. Legend has it that the Cistercians, which are also credited with having founded the wine industry in Burgundy, brought Pinot noir with them to Rheingau, although the earliest record of the grape variety in Rheingau is from 1470.^[3] The slopes down from the Taunus mountains belonging to Kloster Eberbach were planted as vineyards in the 12th Century, and early in the the 13th Century the vineyards had reached their present area. In medieval times, more red than white wine was produced, usually as Gemischter Satz, i.e. the vineyards were planted with mixed varieties which were vinified together.

[edit] Villages and producers

Vineyards close to the village Rüdesheim, collectively known as Rüdesheimer Berg, as seen from the opposite side of the Rhine. Some of the finest Rheingau rieslings are grown here.

Some villages of Rheingau, listed in the downstream direction of Rhine, with some notable vineyards and producers.

• Hochheim am Main
  • vineyards Domdechaney, Kirchenstück and Hölle
  • Weingut Künstler
• Eltville
  • Hessische Staatsweingüter Kloster Eberbach ("Hessian State Wineries"), will move to a newly constructed cellar next to the vineyard Steinberg
• Rauenthal
  • vineyards Baiken and Nonnenberg
• Kiedrich
  • vineyard Gräfenberg
  • Weingut Robert Weil
• Hattenheim
  • vineyards Mannberg and Wisselbrunnen
  • vineyard Steinberg, next to Kloster Eberbach, does not use a village name in its vineyard designation
  • vineyard Marcobrunn, is shared with the neighbouring village of Erbach
• Oestrich
  • vineyards Doosberg and Lenchen
  • Weingut Josef Spreitzer
  • Weingut Peter Jakob Kühn
• Winkel
  • vineyards Hasensprung and Jesuitengarten
  • Schloss Vollrads, both a producer and a vineyard name, does not use a village name in its vineyard designation
• Johannisberg
  • Schloss Johannisberg, both a producer and a vineyard name, does not use a village name in its vineyard designation
• Rüdesheim
  • vineyards in Rüdesheimer Berg, primarily Berg Roseneck, Berg Rottland and Berg Schlossberg
  • Weingut Georg Breuer
  • Weingut Josef Leitz
• Assmannshausen
  • vineyard Höllenberg, famous for its red wines
  • Weingut August Kesseler

[edit] References

1. ^ Deutsches Weininstitut: German Wine Statistics 2006/2007
2. ^ Wein-Plus Glossar: Rheingau, read on September 9, 2007
3. ^ Wein-Plus Glossar: Kloster Eberbach

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