German Wine

German Wine Regions – The Famous Five!

Mosel

From just south of the Roman city of Trier, north to Koblenz, where it empties into the Rhine, the Mosel River snakes its way past dramatically steep, slatey slopes, some of which are Germany’s most famous vineyards known for top quality Riesling wines in the world. The wines of the Mosel and its tributaries, the Saar and the Ruwer, are richly fragrant, pale to golden in colour, and light bodied with a lively, fruity acidity. The slatey soil imparts a distinctive taste to these remarkable wines ranging from fine-fruity to earthy or “flinty”, often with a hint of effervescence.

Nahe

Germany’s best kept secret both for breathtaking landscape and for the handful of Germany’s finest Riesling producers, this region offers some of the least known and therefore the country’s most excellent wine values. The varied soil ranging from sandy loam which produces wines that resemble the neighbouring Rheinhessen, to the more slatey soil which brings forth the flowery bouquets reminiscent of Mosel wines, combines to create racy fruitiness with an almost spicy mineral complexity that is not to be found elsewhere in the country. The excellent German wines of this tiny region can certainly hold their own with the best of the larger and more famous vineyards.

Pfalz

The Pfalz region long known for its simple and inexpensive wines produced in large quantities, has recently begun a trend back towards low yielding, high quality vines. A new generation of young, highly-educated wine growers has noticed the world’s desire to experience intensely flavoured, robust German wines, and therefore has reversed the trend of this region. The Pfalz is the largest wine producing region in Germany and boasts many small producers whose commitment to quality is beginning to renew the region’s reputation for producing excellent wines. Take a trip back in time and visit Germany’s most central wine growing region and home to some of the world’s oldest wine-growing families.

Rheingau

The region of Rheingau is one long hillside topped by the thick forest of the Taunus Hills to the north and bordered by the Rhine River to the South. The southern facing exposure, condensation from the river, large amount of clay in the soil, and the Mediterranean-type climate combine to produce densely rich flavours and heavy masculine wines. This is where the famous cloisters and estates cultivated and refined the noble Riesling.

Rheinhessen

Deep within a valley of gently rolling hills, bordered by the Nahe River and the Rhine Rivers, lies the region of Rheinhessen. The largest of Germany’s wine growing regions, its production is second only to that of Pfalz. Here in this land of varying climates and geography, many different types of grapes, both red and white varieties, are planted producing wine that is delicately fragrant, and medium bodied. The Rheinfront or Rheinterrasse are names given to the vineyards on gentle slopes directly facing the Rhine near the town of Nierstein. Here, some of the finest wines in Germany are produced, especially from the Riesling grape.