The wine-growing region is situated in the federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany. The vineyards cover 23,554 hectares of vineyard area, making it the second-largest German wine-growing region after Rheinhessen. Until 1995, it was known as the Rheinpfalz; the current name (from the Latin ‘palatium’ = palace) derives from the Counts Palatine of the Holy Roman Empire, who resided in the city of Heidelberg from the 13th century until the mid-18th century.

History

The earliest evidence of viticulture dates back to long before the Romans, to Celtic graves dating from as early as 550 BC, which were found in Laumersheim and Bad Dürkheim. Following the Romans’ withdrawal from this area, viticulture was revived in the 7th century with the emergence of monasteries. By the 8th century, over a hundred wine-growing villages were already being mentioned. In the 12th and 13th centuries, the first vineyard designations appeared in this area, some of which have been preserved to this day in the names of individual vineyards.

The Thirty Years’ War (1618–1648) and subsequent conflicts arising from the Reformation and Counter-Reformation led to widespread devastation and a decline in viticulture. Around the middle of the 19th century, there was initially a revival, but mildew and phylloxera led to another major slump by the end of the century. As a countermeasure, a school of fruit-growing and viticulture was founded in Neustadt an der Weinstraße in 1899 to advance research and provide systematic training for winegrowers. 

Modern era

Following an eventful history, a crisis arose in the 1970s, from which the Palatinate recovered in the 1980s, with innovative winegrowers driving dynamic further development, particularly through high-quality Rieslings. The Palatinate stretches south of Worms in a belt-like formation, covering a length of 80 kilometres as far as the French border north of Alsace, and from the slopes of the Palatinate Forest down to the Rhine Valley.

Climate and Soil

The climatic conditions for viticulture are nothing short of ideal. Summers are dry and not too hot, whilst winters are mild. With around 1,800 hours of sunshine a year, the Palatinate is one of Germany’s warmest wine-growing regions, boasting an almost Mediterranean climate. The soils in the Haardt region consist entirely of mixtures of sand, loam, marl and clay. The soils along the Southern Wine Route are considered more nutrient-rich and therefore heavier due to their higher loam content. In the Mittelhaardt-Deutsche Weinstraße area, the soils are lighter and more permeable to water. Limestone soils dominate the peripheral hill zones.

Areas, municipalities and vineyards

Viticulture is practised in a total of 144 Palatinate villages, primarily in the Southern and Vorderpfalz regions on the western edge of the plain between the Rhine and the Palatinate Forest. Originally, the wine-growing region was divided into three parts, structured from south to north as Oberhaardt, Mittelhaardt and Unterhaardt. In 1935, the German Wine Route was established as the first of its kind. It runs from Bockenheim in the north to Schweigen-Rechtenbach on the French border. Since 1969, the two Palatinate regions – the Mittelhaardt-German Wine Route and the Southern Wine Route – have also been named after it; these are divided into a total of 25 major vineyards comprising 325 individual vineyard plots.

Mittelhaardt-German Wine Route

The Mittelhaardt-German Wine Route region begins in the north on the border with Rheinhessen and stretches across the Zellertal valley, Grünstadt and Bad Dürkheim as far as Neustadt an der Weinstraße. Soils here are predominantly lighter and well-drained, ranging from loamy sand to sandy loam. Deep loess soils are mainly found on the hills and in the plains, where they are intermixed with loam and clay. The area is divided into 16 major vineyard sites: Feuerberg, Grafenstück, Hochmeß, Hofstück, Höllenpfad, Honigsäckel, Kobnert, Mariengarten, Meerspinne, Pfaffengrund, Rebstöckel, Rosenbühl, Schenkenböhl, Schnepfenflug von der Weinstraße, Schnepfenflug vom Zellertal and Schwarzerde. Well-known wine-growing villages and their individual vineyards are:

• Asselheim: Goldberg, Schloss, St. Stephan
• Bad Dürkheim: Abtsfronhof, Bettelhaus, Fronhof, Fuchsmantel, Herrenberg, Herrenmorgen, Herzfeld, Hochbenn, Kalkofen, Kirchenstück, Michelsberg, Nonnengarten, Nußriegel, Osterberg, Rittergarten, Spielberg, Steinberg, Weilberg
• Bissersheim: Goldberg, Held, Orlenberg, Steig
• Böchingen: Rosenkranz
• Bockenheim/Weinstraße: Burggarten, Goldgrube, Hassmannsberg, Heiligen Kirche, Klosterschaffnerei, Schlossberg, Sonnenberg, Vogelsang
• Dackenheim: Kapellgarten, Liebesbrunnen, Mandelröth
• Deidesheim: Grainhübel, Herrgottsacker, Hohenmorgen, Kalkofen, Kieselberg, Langenmorgen, Leinhöhle, Letten, Mäushöhle, Nonnenstück, Paradiesgarten
• Diedesfeld: Berg, Johanniskirchel, Ölgässel, Paradies
• Dirmstein: Herrgottsacker, Jesuitenhof Garden, Mandelpfad
• Duttweiler: Kalkberg, Mandelberg
• Ellerstadt: Bubeneck, Dickkopp, Kirchenstück, Sonnenberg
• Erpolzheim: Goldberg, Kieselberg, Kirschgarten
• Forst: Bischofsgarten, Elster, Freundstück, Jesuitengarten, Kirchenstück, Musenhang, Pechstein, Stift, Ungeheuer (including the Ziegler field or cadastral parcel )
• Freinsheim: Goldberg, Musikantenbuckel, Oschelskopf, Schwarzes Kreuz
• Gimmeldingen: Biengarten, Kapellenberg, Mandelgarten (including the Meerspinne field), Schlössel
• Gönnheim: Klostergarten, Mandelgarten, Martinshöhe, Sonnenberg
• Großkarlbach: Burgweg, Im großen Garten (since 2014), Osterberg
• Haardt: Bürgergarten (Breumel within the walls), Herrenletten, Herzog, Mandelring
• Hambach: Römerbrunnen, Schloßberg
• Haßloch: Leisböhl
• Herxheim am Berg: Himmelreich, Honigsack, Kirchenstück
• Kallstadt: Annaberg, Kreidkeller, Kronenberg, Saumagen, Steinacker
• Kindenheim: Burgweg, Katzenstein, Sonnenberg, Vogelsang
• Kirchheim on the Wine Route: Geißkopf, Kreuz, Römerstraße, Steinacker
• Königsbach: Idig, Jesuitengarten, Ölberg, Reiterpfad
• Laumersheim: Kapellenberg, Kirschgarten, Steinbuckel (known as Mandelberg until 2009)
• Leistadt: Herrenmorgen, Herzfeld, Kalkofen, Kirchenstück (with the land parcel or cadastral location ‘ Felsenberg ’)
• Meckenheim: Neuberg, Spielberg
• Mußbach: Bischofsweg, Eselshaut (including the fields or cadastral locations Am Rothenstein, Beim Steinernen Bild, Dreißig Morgen), Glockenzehnt, Johannitergarten, Kurfürst, Spiegel
• Neuleiningen: Feuermännchen, Schlossberg, Sonnenberg
• Neustadt/Weinstraße: Biengarten, Bischofsweg, Bürgergarten, Erkenbrecht, Eselshaut, Gässel, Glockenzehnt, Grain, Herrenletten, Herzog, Idig, Jesuitengarten, Johanniskirchel, Johannitergarten, Kalkberg, Kapellenberg, Kreuzberg, Kroatenpfad, Kurfürst, Langenstein, Lerchenböhl, Mandelberg, Mönchgarten, Ölberg, Ölgässel, Paradies, Reiterpfad, Römerbrunnen, Schlossberg, Spiegel, Vogelsang
• Niederkirchen: Klostergarten, Osterbrunnen, Schlossberg
• Obersülzen: Schnepp
• Ruppertsberg: Gaisböhl, Hoheburg, Linsenbusch, Nußbien, Reiterpfad, Spieß
• Sausenheim: Honigsack, Hütt, Klostergarten
• Ungstein: Bettelhaus, Herrenberg, Michelsberg, Nußriegel, Osterberg, Weilberg
• Wachenheim: Altenberg, Belz, Bischofsgarten, Böhlig, Fuchsmantel, Gerümpel, Goldbächel, Königswingert, Luginsland, Mandelgarten, Odinstal, Rechbächel, Schlossberg
• Weisenheim am Sand: Altenberg, Burgweg, Goldberg, Hahnenberg, Halde, Hasenzeile
• Zell: Klosterstück, Königsweg, Kreuzberg, Schwarzer Herrgott

Southern Wine Route

The Southern Wine Route region lies within the district of the same name and stretches from the Alsatian border in the south (with some plots near Weißenburg even lying on French territory) to the southern edge of Neustadt/Weinstraße. Loess and loam soils predominate here. The region is divided into nine major vineyards: Bischofskreuz, Guttenberg, Herrlich, Kloster Liebfrauenberg, Königsgarten, Mandelhöhe, Ordensgut, Schloß Ludwigshöhe and Trappenberg. Well-known wine-growing villages and their individual vineyards are:

• Albersweiler: Latt
• Alsterweiler: Kapellenberg
• Appenhofen: Steingebiss
• Arzheim: Kalmit (only since 2010), Rosenberg, Seligmacher
• Billigheim: Rosenberg, Sauschwänzel, Steingebiss, Venusbuckel
• Billigheim-Ingenheim: Pfaffenberg
• Birkweiler: Kastanienbusch, Mandelberg, Rosenberg
• Burrweiler: Altenforst, Schäwer, Schlossgarten (Im goldenen Jost), St. Annaberg
• Edenkoben: Bergel, Blücherhöhe, Heidegarten, Heilig Kreuz, Kastaniengarten, Kirchberg, Klostergarten, Mühlberg, Schwarzer Letten
• Edesheim: Forst, Mandelhang, Rosengarten, Schloss
• Eschbach: Hasen
• Essingen: Osterberg, Rossberg, Sonnenberg
• Flemlingen: Herrenbuckel, Vogelsprung, Zechpeter
• Frankweiler: Biengarten, Kalkgrube
• Freinsheim: Goldberg, Musikantenbuckel, Oschelskopf, Schwarzes Kreuz
• Gleisweiler: Hölle
• Göcklingen: Kaiserberg
• Godramstein: Münzberg
• Hainfeld: Chapel, Kirchenstück, Letten
• Hochstadt: Roter Berg
• Ilbesheim near Landau: Kalmit (only since 2010), Rittersberg, Sonnenberg
• Insheim: Schäfergarten
• Kirrweiler: Mandelberg, Oberschloss, Römerweg
• Klingenmünster: Mary Magdalene
• Knöringen: Hohenrain
• Landau: Altes Löhl, Herrenberg, Höhe, Kaiserberg, Kirchenstück, Münzberg, Mütterle, Pfaffenberg
• Leinsweiler: Sonnenberg
• Maikammer: Heiligenberg, Immengarten, Kapellenberg, Kirchenstück
• Mühlhofen: Rosenberg
• Niederhorbach: Silberberg
• Nußdorf: Herrenberg, Kaiserberg, Kirchenstück
• Rhodt unter Rietburg: Klosterpfad, Rosengarten, Schlossberg
• Rohrbach: Mandelpfad
• Roschbach: Rosenkränzel
• Schweigen: Sonnenberg (Kammerberg, Raedling, St. Paul, Strohlenberg in Alsace)
• Siebeldingen: Im Sonnenschein (including the Ganz Horn field ), Mönchspfad, Rosenberg
• St. Martin: Baron, Kirchberg
• Venningen: Doktor
• Walsheim: Silberberg
• Weyher in the Palatinate: Michelsberg
• Wollmesheim: Mütterle

Grape variety overview

Riesling remains the undisputed leader, accounting for a quarter of the vineyard area. As in other wine-growing regions, the proportion of ‘ Pinot varieties ’ has risen sharply; the biggest climbers are Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Status as at 2018 (0 = less than 0.5 ha):

Producers

There are over 20 winegrowers’ cooperatives, whose members – often with very small plots – cultivate around a fifth of the region’s vineyard area. One well-known winegrowers’ association is Forum Pfalz. Well-known producers include Acham-Magin, Ackermann Frank, Aloisiushof, Andres Jürgen & Armin, Argus Peter, Bärenhof, Bassermann-Jordan, Becker Friedrich, Benderhof, Benzinger, Bergdolt-Reif und Nett, Bergdolt St. Lamprecht, Bernhart, Bietighöfer, Biffar Josef, Bohnenstiel, Borell-Diehl, Braun Fritz, Brenneis-Koch, Castel Peter, Christmann Arnold, Corbet, Darting Helmut, Diehl Andreas, Doppler-Hertel, Dr Bürklin-Wolf, Dr Wehrheim, Ehrhart, Emil Bauer & Sons, Erlenwein, Eymann Rainer, Fader Kastanienhof, Feitig-Richter, Fitz-Ritter, Forster Winegrowers’ Association, Gabel Oliver & Wolfgang,

Galler Ansgar, Gaul Karl-Heinz, Gaul-Triebel, Bart Brothers, Privy Councillor J. Wegeler’s Heirs, Gies-Düppel, Gnägy, Gut Zumstein, Hagenbuch Lothar, Hanewald-Schwerdt, Heinz Bus & Son, Henninger IV, Henninger Walter, Herrenhof Schmitzer, Isegrim, Jesuitenhof, Jülg Werner, Karst Ernst, Kassner-Simon, Kaub Karl-Heinz, Kimich, Klein Gerhard, Knipser, Koch Bernhard, Koehler-Ruprecht, Kranz Boris, Krauß Harald, Krebs Harald, Kuhn Philipp, Langenwalter, Leiner Bruno, Lergenmüller, Lichti & Astroh, Lorentz, Lucashof, Margarethenhof, Meier – Winery in Weyher, Mesel, Meßmer Herbert, Meyer Frank, Meyer Stefan, Minges Theo, Mosbacher Georg, Möwes, Müller-Catoir, Müller Eugen, Münzberg, Naegele Georg, Neiss Axel, Odinstal, Ohler Johann, Ökonomierat Rebholz, Petri, Pfaffmann Karl,

Pfaffmann Wolfgang, Pfeffingen, Rebenhof Leiner, Reichsrat von Buhl, Reinhardt Stefan, Rings, Sandwiese, Heiner ‘acid ’, Schaefer Karl, Scheu Klaus, Schlossgut Janson, Schmitt Egon, Schneider Eugen, Schneiderfritz, Scholler Helmut, Schumacher, Seeber Winfried, Siben, Siegrist, Siener Peter, SieneR – Wettstein, Spindler Heinrich, Stachel Erich, St. Annaberg, Stern Wolfgang and Dominic, Stübinger Peter, Studier, Villa Wolf, Wachtenburg Winzer, Wageck-Pfaffmann, Waldkirch, Walter Fritz, Weegmüller, Wegner Joachim, Weik Bernd, Weingut am Nil, Weingut von Winning, Wilhelmshof, WG Herxheim am Berg, Wolf Michael, Zelt Mario, Zeter Oliver, Ziegler August and Zöller Hermann.