Cultivated area

Ahr
Middle Rhine
Mosel
Nahe
Palatinate
Rheinhessen

 

“Guude” is what you’ll often hear in Rheinhessen when it comes time to savor the moment. In this grand wine-growing region on the Rhine, the many hiwwel (hills) are what lie behind our success. They provide the backdrop for Germany’s largest area of wine cultivation. Some of the most popular wineries in the country can be found here.

“Rheinhessen is Germany’s largest wine-growing region.”

However, it isn’t just the wine that invites you to relish the moment in Rheinhessen: towns steeped in history, including Mainz, Bingen, Alzey, and Worms, alternate with vibrant villages and scenic hiking trails known as the “Hiwweltouren.” Check out this land of a thousand hills and see for yourself how hiwwel-y it is here.

 

Grand history, glorious gusto, and GG-designated wines

Cultivated area

25%
75%

Over more than 27,000 hectares of cultivated land, white wine varieties account for 75 percent and red wine varieties for about 25 percent of the yield.

View over the vineyards

Soil characteristics and grape varieties

Rich in variety

From lime and loess to clay and slate – the soils in Rheinhessen feature great variety. Something truly distinctive is the Roter Hang in the vicinity of Nierstein on the Rhine, whose steep slopes of clay sandstone have a red sheen. The limestone soils are ideal for growing Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay, and they also offer optimal conditions for outstanding Rieslings. Loess soils are the most important soil type in Rheinhessen. They hold water well and thus provide a great environment for the entire spectrum of grape varieties, ranging from Riesling and Burgundy to Sylvaner and Dornfelder.

Wine styles

Diverse

The diversity of the Rheinhessen soils and grape varieties is reflected in the flavor profiles of the wines made there, with the nuances ranging from fresh and fruity to subtly mineral to boldly aromatic. The high lime content of the soils serves as a good buffer for the fresh acidity. Some 65 wines that have earned the coveted designation of Großes Gewächs thrive in this region. In addition, each year an independent jury chooses which wines may bear the “Selection Rheinhessen” label, a title conferred only on the best wines of Rheinhessen.

Wineries and annual yield

2,244 wineries

The approximately 2,244 wineries with 1.936 of them marketing their own bottled wine – account for the production of an average of 2.2 million hectoliters of wine per year. The wine-growing domain Oppenheim, one of our state-owned wineries, is also located in Rheinhessen.

Things to see and do

Rheinhessen is full of variety: take a stroll through history on a tour of a historical town center, discover extraordinary architecture, or simply get away from it all out among our scenic natural landscapes.

 

Grapes hanging in the sunlight
Far view over Rheinhessen

Jewish history

Celts? They were here before you. Romans? They were too. Nibelungen? Possibly. One thing is for certain: there’s much to discover here. Next to the Cathedral and the Nibelungen Festival, there is a thousand years of Jewish culture to explore such as the synagogue of Worms or the Rashi House.

Historic city center of Mainz

Johannes Gutenberg of Mainz revolutionized printing with the invention of movable metal type – reason enough to visit the Gutenberg-Museum. You also shouldn’t miss the impressive cathedral, the church of St. Stephen with its Chagall windows, the lively market, and the historic half-timbered houses.

Hiking to the trullo

Trulli are not only found in Apulia - there is also a well-known example on the Adelberg in Flonheim. The round house is reminiscent of a sugar loaf and was originally built as a shelter for the workers in the vineyard. Now you too can seek shelter while hiking in the Rheinhessen trullo.

Bingen am Rhein

As the gateway to the Upper Middle Rhine Valley, the town where the medieval mystic Hildegard von Bingen once lived is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Rhine promenade invites visitors to take picturesque walks. The Bingen Wine Festival is the longest on the Rhine.

Would you like to discover more of Rheinhessen?

If so, the best place to go is the wine-growing region’s website

rheinhessenwein.de

Further information can be found here:
Tourism and Experience
Investments
Make it in Rhineland-Palatinate