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

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 effort to replace the red grape varieties with Riesling in particular 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:

• Assmannshausen: Frankenthal, Hinterkirch, Höllenberg
• Böddiger: Berg
• Delkenheim: Grub
• Dotzheim: Judenkirch
• Eltville: Kalbspflicht, Langenstück, Rheinberg, Sonnenberg, Taubenberg
• Erbach: Hohenrain, Marcobrunn, Michelmark, Rheingarten, Rheinhell, Schlossberg, Siegelsberg, Steinmorgen
• Flörsheim: Herrnberg, St. Anna Chapel
• Frankfurt on the MainLohrberg slope
• Frauenstein: Herrnberg, Homberg, Marschall
• Geisenheim: Fuchsberg, Kilzberg, Kläuserweg, Mäuerchen, Mönchspfad, Rothenberg, Schlossgarten
• Hallgarten: Hendelberg, Jungfer, Schönhell (with KL Frühernberg), Würzgarten
• Hattenheim: Engelmannsberg, Hassel, Heiligenberg, Mannberg, Nussbrunnen, Pfaffenberg, Rheingarten, Schützenhaus, Steinberg, Wisselbrunnen
• Hochheim: Berg, Domdechaney, Herrnberg, Hofmeister, Hölle, Kirchenstück, Königin Victoriaberg, Reichestal, Stein, Stielweg
• JohannisbergGoldatzel, Hansenberg, Hölle, Klaus, Johannisberg Castle, Schwarzenstein, Vogelsang
• Kiedrich: Gräfenberg, Klosterberg, Sandgrub, Turmberg, Wasseros
• Lorch: Bodental-Steinberg, Kapellenberg, Krone, Pfaffenwies, Schlossberg
• Lorchhausen: Rosenberg, Seligmacher
• Mainz-Kostheim: White Earth, Steig, St. Kiliansberg
• Marthinstal: Langenberg, Rödchen, Wildsau
• Massenheim: Castle Garden
• Mittelheim: Edelmann, Goldberg, St. Nikolaus
• Oestrich: Doosberg, Klosterberg, Lenchen, Reichartshausen Castle
• Rauenthal: Baiken, Gehrn, Langenstück, Nonnenberg, Rothenberg, Wülfen
• Rüdesheim: Kaisersteinfels Mountain, Roseneck Mountain, Berg Rottland, Schlossberg Mountain, Bischofsberg, Drachenstein, Kirchenpfad, Klosterberg, Klosterlay, Magdalenenkreuz, Rosengarten
• Schierstein: Dachsberg, Herrenberg, Hölle
• Walluf: Berg-Bildstock, Gottesacker, Langenstück, Oberberg, Vitusberg, Walkenberg
• Wicker: König Wilhelmsberg, Mönchsgewann, Nonnberg, Stein
• Wiesbaden: Neroberg
• Winkel: Dachsberg, Gutenberg, Hasensprung, Jesuitengarten, Schloss Vollrads (Gewanne Schlossberg, Greiffenberg)

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 = smaller than 0.5 ha):

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.