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Regions

Comprehensive description of all European growing areas, their grape varieties, traditions and legal rules with maps.

Rheingau

Description to 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 wine route "Rheingau Riesling Route" runs along the right bank from Lorch to Hochheim. Emperor Charlemagne (742-814) allegedly had the first vineyard planted near today's Johannisberg Castle. It is also said that the Spätlese was "invented" here, as evidenced by the story of the Spätlesereiter (Late Harvest Rider ). Especially in the Rheingau, the Benedictine and Cistercian orders did a lot for viticulture and also owned extensive estates of vineyards.

Rheingau - Karte

The quality designation Kabinett goes back to the still existing Cabinet cellar of the famous Cistercian monastery of Eberbach. It was also from this monastery that the endeavour to replace the red grape varieties, above all with the Riesling, started. The first documented mention of this variety dates back to 1435 in Rüsselheim. The VDP-Rheingau holds an annual auction here for charitable purposes, as well as organising the Glorious Rheingau Days. The village of Hochheim has become synonymous with German Rhine wines, and the place name has given rise to the term Hock, which is common in England. In 1872, the Research Institute for Viticulture, Fruit Growing and Horticulture, which was significant for German viticulture, was founded in Geisenheim. In the Rheingau, a curious free state of Flaschenhals existed for three years after the First World War.

Climate and soil

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. Phyllite slate around Assmannshausen also offers optimal conditions for red wines. Well protected from the winds by the Taunus mountain range, there are mild winters and warm summers.

Area, municipalities and vineyards

The Rheingau consists (since 1971) of the single area Johannisberg with eleven Großlagen and 123 Einzellagen. From the 1999 vintage onwards, the designation Erstes Gewächs was introduced with wines from first-class classified sites (see VDP classification). Many of the single vineyard sites extend over several municipalities. However, if they have the same name, they are not always the same vineyard. The municipalities with their single vineyards:

Rheingau - Rüdesheim

Grape variety list

There were no major changes compared to 2009. The two dominant grape varieties are Riesling with 78% and Pinot Noir with 12%. All other varieties make up the remaining 10%. As in the other growing regions, the up-and-comers were the varieties Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. The status in 2018 (0 = less than 0.5 ha):

Grape variety
dt. Main name
In Germany
common synonyms
Colour Hectare
2018
%-
Ant
Hectare
2009
Riesling White Riesling, Rhine Riesling white 2.505 78,1 2.420
Pinot Noir incl. Samtrot Pinot Noir, Blauer S., Pinot Noir red 392 12,2 368
White Burgundy Pinot Blanc, Pinot Blanc white 53 1,7 20
Müller-Thurgau Rivaner, Riesling-Sylvaner white 32 1,0 47
Grey Burgundy Ruländer, Pinot Gris white 29 0,9
Chardonnay - white 24 0,8 11
Sauvignon Blanc Muscat-Silvaner white 17 0,5 7
Dornfelder - red 13 0,4 18
Kerner - white 10 0,3 16
Green Silvaner Silvaner white 9 0,3 9
Red Traminer Traminer, Gewürztraminer white 9 0,3 -
Dunkelfelder - red 8 0,3 12
Ehrenfelser - white 6 0,2 10
Frühburgunder Blue Frühburgunder, Clevner red 6 0,2 7
Dakapo - red 6 0,2 6
Merlot - red 6 0,2 4
Cabernet Sauvignon - red 5 0,2 3
Saint Laurent Saint Laurent red 5 0,2 -
Scheurebe seedling 88 white 5 0,2 2
Auxerrois Small Heunisch white 4 0,1 1
Rotberger - red 4 0,1 6
Cabernet Mitos - red 3 0,1 2
Müllerrebe Black Riesling, Pinot Meunier red 3 0,1 -
Portugieser Blue Portugieser red 3 0,1 7
Regent - red 3 0,1
Yellow Muscat Muscat, Muscat Blanc white 2 0,1 -
Grüner Veltliner - white 2 0,1 -
Albalonga - white 1 - 1
Bacchus - white 1 - 1
Blue Zweigelt Zweigelt red 1 - -
Cabernet Blanc - white 1 - -
Cabernet Dorsa - red 1 - 0
Ehrenbreitsteiner - white 1 - 1
Faberrebe - white 1 - -
Gold muscatel - white 1 - -
Pinotin - red 1 - -
Reichensteiner - white 1 - 3
Acolon - red 0 - 0
Blueburger - red 0 - -
Blue Silvaner - white 0 - -
Blue Trollinger Trollinger, Schiava Grossa red 0 - -
Bronner - white 0 - -
Cabernet Cortis - red 0 - -
Cabernet Cubin - red 0 - -
Cabernet Dorio - red 0 - 0
Cabernet Franc - red 0 - -
Cabertin - red 0 - -
Cover red - red 0 - 0
Domina - red 0 - 1
Boulder Bouvier white 0 - -
Freisamer - white 0 - -
Hegel - red 0 - -
Helfensteiner - white 0 - -
Herald vine - white 0 - -
Hibernal - white 0 - -
Hölder - white 0 - -
Huxelrebe - white 0 - 0
St John - white 0 - 1
Jewel - white 0 - -
Chancellor - white 0 - -
Kernling - white 0 - -
Limberger Blue Limberger, Blaufränkisch red 0 - -
Malvasia Frühroter Veltliner, Early red white 0 - 0
Merzling - white 0 - -
Morio muscat Morio white 0 - -
Muscaris - white 0 - -
Muscat Ottonel - white 0 - -
Muscat Trollinger Muscat d'Hamburg red 0 - -
Neronet - red 0 - -
Nobling - white 0 - -
Optima Optima 113 white 0 - -
Ortega - white 0 - -
Pearl - white 0 - -
Phoenix - white 0 - 0
Prior - red 0 - -
Rieslaner - white 0 - 1
Rondo - red 0 - -
Red Elbling Elbling white 0 - 1
Red Muscat Muscat white 0 - -
Saphira - white 0 - -
Schönburger - white 0 - 0
Siegerrebe - white 0 - -
Solaris - white 0 - -
Souvignier gris - white 0 - -
Syrah Shiraz white 0 - 0
Dove black Blue Hanger red 0 - -
Viognier - white 0 - -
White Elbling Elbling, Kleinberger white 0 - -
White Gutedel Chasselas white 0 - -
Würzer - white 0 - -
Dyer grape Teinturier du Cher red - - 0
Osteiner - white - - 0
Other white varieties - white 31 1,0 59
other red varieties red 2 0,1 16
WHITE VARIETIES 2.748 85,6 2.610
RED SORT 463 14,4 452
TOTAL 3.211 100 3.062


Producers

Well-known producers in the Rheingau are Albus, Allendorf, Altenkirch, Baron Knyphausen, Barth Norbert, Bausch Hans, Becker Hans-Josef, Bibo & Runge, Bischöfliches Weingut Rüdesheim, Bott Michael, Breuer Georg, Breuer Stefan, Brueder Eser, Chat Sauvage, Daniel Holger, Diefenhardt'sches We ingut, Domdechant Werner'sches We ingut, Dr. Corvers-Kauter, Dr. Nägler, Erbslöh, Eser August, F.B. Schönleber, Flick Joachim, Freiherr Langwerth von Simmern, Freimuth Alexander, Fürst Löwenstein, Geheimrat J . Wegeler Erben, George, Georg Müller Stiftung, Goziewski Jörn, Graf von Kanitz, Hessische Staatsweingüter, Himmel Emmerich, Hirschmann Christoph, H. J. Ernst, Johanninger, Johannishof Eser, Jung Jakob, Kaufmann Urban, Kesseler, Klosterweingut Abtei St. Hildegard, König Klaus & Ursula, König Robert, Krone, Kühn Peter Jakob, Künstler Gunter, Lamm-Jung, Laquai Paul, Leitz Johannes, G.H. von Mumm, Nikolai Heinz, Oetinger, Prinz Fred, Prinz von Hessen, Querbach, Rebenhof Willi Orth, Ress Balthasar, Rothenbach Fritz, Rotkäppchen-Mumm, Rüdesheimer Sektkellerei Ohlig, Schloss Johannisberg, Schloss Reinhartshausen, Schloss Schönborn, Schloss Vollrads, Solter, Spreitzer Andreas & Bernd, Strieth Thilo, Toni Jost Hahnenhof, Trenz Michael, Vaux, Weil Robert, Wilhelm Mohr Erben and Winzer von Erbach.

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