🇩🇪GERMANY–Rheingau

RHEINGAU IS–  Bereiche– 1   Grosslage– 11   Einzellage– 129   @Wiesbaden

  • WEIS= Riesling 79%, Rivaner 2%, Weissburgunder 2%, Scheurebe, Ortega, Welschriesling, Gewurztraminer
    • –International– Chardonnay
  • ROT= Spatburgunder 12%, Dornfelder

GEOGRAPHY– Germany(South-West Interior), ANBAUGBEIETE-Rheingau, LATITUDE: 50°‘N’

  • BETWEEN-Wiesbaden & Rudesheim, From the Confluence of the Wisper River at Lorch to the Confluence of Main River at Mainz, (50km. Long)
  • VILLAGES-Eltville, Erbach, Geisenheim Hallgartn, Hattenheim, Johannisberg, Kiedrich, Martinsthal, Oestrich, Rauenthal, Walluf, Winkel
  • Sub-Zones- Western Rheingau,  Central Rheingau, Eastern Rheingau, Maingua
    • Bereich- Johannisberg
    • Landweingebiete- Rheingaues Landwein, Landwein Rhein

TOPOGRAPHY– “Hilly/ Mountainous/ Valley/ Terraced”

  • SLOPES/ Tannus Mountains, +Alt.75mt.- 300mt., +Gradient(15° to 65°)
  • On~Rhine~River~(Right Bank)~Before Nahe~Estuary~
  • Rhine Rivers is 700km. Long. In the Rheingau Region the River Takes a Distinct Turn West For 30km. From Its North to South Path, Between the Cities of Mainz and Wiesbaden. This Allows Vineyard In This Section of the Tannus Mountains to Face South and Achieve Optional Ripeness.
  • Sub-Zones-
    • Upper Rheingau– Part of the Mainz Basin(Sedimentary Marls, Gravel, Sand, Loams, Loess)
    • Lower Rheingau–  Part of the Rhineland Slate Mountains(Devonian Sandstone, Quartzite, Shale)

SOILS– “Metamorphic”, “Sedimentary”, Limestone

  • Calcareous Loess, Loam, Slate, Mica Schist, Quartzite, Argilaceous Shale

CLIMATE– “Continental”,  +Rain Shadow/ Tannus Mountains

  • *Summers– Sunny, Long   |   *Winters– Wet Cold

VITICULTURE–  3,200 ha. Planted,  (85% White/ 14% Red)

  •   ~Erstes Gewachs~ ~E.G.~ A Gross Gewach From Rheingau.
    • Varieties That Can Be Used to Produce Grosses Gewachs…
      • Riesling, Spatburgunder
  • CHALLENGES– Spring Frost, Hail, Erosion, Shallow Soils, Fungal Infections
  • ASSOCIATIONS~ ~Rheingau Charta~
    • Mission~ 1983 Formed to Promote Classic Dry Wine Style of Riesling From Rheingau Region, Validates Dry Wines Within a System That Only Awards Sugar Level. “Charta” Bottles Distinguished by Three Roman Arches.
    • Original 28 Producers Merged Into VDP. In 1999
    • Goldkapsel/ Gold Capsule/ & Lange Goldkapsule/ Long Gold Capsule Are Mainly Used In the Mosel and Rheingau to Indicate a Wine With a Higher Sweetness and to Signify Botrytis In a Auslese Wine.
    • PIONEERS~ ~Bernhard Breuer~ “Germany”, Founded Rheingau Charta
  • ASSOCIATIONS~ ~Verband Deutscher Pradikatsweinguter~ VDP.
    • Association of German Pradikats (and Quality) Wine Esates.
    • Mission~ German Vintners Who Are Committed to Terroir-Driven Viticulture at the Highest Level.
    • **Refer to “GERMANY/ Home” For Detailed Information On VDP.

VINICULTURE

  • Hock- Refers to Wine Produced In Hockheim In Rheingau Region.
    • Now It’s a Popular General Term Use by Outside German to Describe German Riesling Produced In a “Tall Flute” Style Bottle. Some of the General Names For German Wines Liebfraumilch, Piesporter, Blue Nun
  • Botrytis(Noble Sweet)- (Auslese, Beerenauslese, Trockenbeerenauslese)
    • WEIS= Riesling, Scheurebe, Ortega, Welschriesling, Gewurztraminer
  • Liebfraumilch- Qualitatswein Quality Wine That Contains at Least 70% Riesling, Silvaner, Kerner or Muller-Thurgau. (Liebfraumilch is A Sweeter Style Wine With a Minimum 18 G./ L. or Residual Sugar or Halbtrocken, Usually Bulk Wine Produced For Export.)

HISTORY–

  • 779 @Rheingau– Grapes Started to Be Produced
  • 1100 @Rheingau– First Vines Planted at Would Become Schloss Johannesburg.
  • 1211 @Rheingau– Grapes First Vines Planted at Schloss Vallrads
  • WINE & WAR~
    • During WW ll, These Regions Were Subject to Reoccurring Aerial Bombardment. The Vineyards Were Not Specifically Targeted but Allied Air Forces Would Once  Completing a Mission Over Germany Would Routinely Jettison Remaining Munitions On Their Way Back to England to Conserve Fuel.
    • August 12th. 1942- Schloss Johannisberg and the Surrounding Vineyards Were a Secondary Target of an Air Raid On Mainz With a Third of the Vineyards Destroyed.
    • Result of Battles In Rheingau & Baden
    • The Effects On the Wine Culture of Rheingau & Baden

CULTURE– “Rheingau”…+Pronounced…“Ryne-gow”

  • BOTTLE SHAPES~ Know For “Rhein-Flute” Style Bottle
  • “Monks & Monasteries”
    • ~Johannisberg~ Benedictine  Monks From Vougeot Brought Viticulture/ Pinot Noir From Burgundy to Rheingau In the Year 1107, Prince Abbott Constantine of Fulda Decrees That Only Riesling Will Be Planted In the Vineyards of Johannisberg
    • ~Kloster Eberbach~ Cistercians
  • ACADEMIC~ ~Geisenheim Grape Breeding Institute~
    • Specialization~ Grape Research For the Practical Advancement of Wine
  • UNESCO. WORLD HERITAGE SIGHT~ ~Middle Rhine~ (Cultural, Landscape, Vineyard)
  • GASTRONOMY…             CHEESE…
  • WINE HOLIDAY~ ~International Riesling Day~ (May 13st.)

GOING THERE–

  • RIVER CRUISE~ Take a Rhine River Cruise to See and Better Understand the Geography and Topography.

**Refer to “GERMANY/ Overview” For Detailed Information On Germany as a Country.

**Rheingau Images Courtesy of Delong Maps, Purchase These Maps at Delongwine.com

JOHANNISBERG–Bereiche     @Johannisberg

  • GEOGRAPHY- Germany, ANBAUGEBIETE-Rheingau
    • Glosslage-(10)– Burgweg, Daubhaus, Deutelsberg, Erntebringer, Gottesthal, Heiligenstock, Honigberg, Mehrholzchen, Steil, Steinmacher
  • TOPOGRAPHY- “Rolling/ Hilly”, SLOPES/ ?, +Gradient(15°-65°),  On~Rhine~River~(Right Bank)
  • VITICULTURE-  ? ha. Planted
    • Estate/ Producers-(Not Located Within Designated Grosslage)– Allendorf, Barth, Eva Fricke, Franz Kunsler, Langwerth Von Simmern, Josef Leitz, Peter Jakob Kuhn, Robert Weil,  Schloss Schonborn
  • Western Rheingau
  • BURGWEG–Grosslage     @Lorch
    • WHITE= Riesling        RED= Pinot Noir
    • GEOGRAPHY– ANBAUGEBIETE-Rheingau, BEREICHE-Johannisberg(Western)
      • Villages- Geisenheim, Lorch, Rudesheim
      • Einzellage- Berg Roseneck~E.G.~(24ha.), Berg Rottland~E.G.~(30ha.), Berg Johannisberg, Berg Schosberg~E.G.~(21ha.),  Bischofsberg~E.G.~, Drachenstein~E.G.~, Fuchsberg~E.G.~,  Kapellenbrg(25.5ha.), Kilzberg,  Kirchenpfad, Klaus(Laps),  Klauserweg~E.G.~(50ha.), Klosterberg Klosterlay~E.G.~, Krone(8.2ha.), Magdalenen-Kreuz~E.G.~, Mauerchen~E.G.~, Monchspfad~E.G.~, Pfaffenwies(22ha.), Rosengerten, Rothenberg~E.G.~(20ha.), Schlosbarten, Schlossberg(16ha.)
    • TOPOGRAPHY- On~Rhine~River~(Right Bank)
    • VITICULTURE-  ? ha. Planted
      • Estate/ Producers- Balthasar Ress, Friedrich Altenkirchen, Georg Breuer, Graf Von Kantig, Schloss Schonborn, Spreitzer
    • CULTURE- GOING THERE~ ~Ehrenfels Castle~ Ruins of a Citadel Dating Back to the Year 1000.
  • Central Rheingau
  • STEIL–Grossslage     @Assmannshausen
    • WEIS= ?      |   ROT= Pinot Noir
    • GEOGRAPHY- ANBAUGEBIETE-Rheingau, BEREICHE-Johannisberg(Central)
      • Villages- Assmannshausen, Aulhausen
      • Einzellage- Berg Kaisersteinfels(2.2ha.), Frankenthal~E.G.~(14ha.), Hollenberg~G.G.~(37ha.), Hinterkirch
    • TOPOGRAPHY- “Rolling/ Hilly/ Mountainous”, +Alt. 80mt.- 300mt.
      • On~Rhine~River~(Right Bank)
    • VITICULTURE-  ? ha. Planted
    • SOILS- “Metamorphic”, Mica Slate, Loess Loam, Taunus Quartzite
      • Estate/ Producers- Assmannshausen, August Kesseler, Fritz Allendorf, Josef Leitz, Kloster Elberbach, Drone, Robert Konig, Staatsweinguter
  • ERNTEBRINGER–Grosslage     @Johannisberg
    • GEOGRAPHY- ANBAUGEBIETE-Rheingau, BEREICHE-Johannisberg(Central)
      • Villages- Johannisberg, Winkel
      • Einzellage- Dachsberg, Edelmann, Goldatzel, Goldberg, Gutenberg, Hansenberg, Hassensprung~E.G.~, Holle~E.G.~(18ha.), Kilzberg, Klauserweg, Klaus~E.G.~(2.1ha.), Jesuitengarten~E.G.~, Mittelholle, Schloss Johannisberg*, Schwarzenstein, Schlossberg, Vogelsang, Schlos Vollrads*~E.G.~, St. Nikolaus, Vogelsang
    • TOPOGRAPHY- On~Rhine~River~(Right Bank)
    • VITICULTURE-  ?  ha. Planted
      • Estate/ Producers- Geheimrat “J” Wegener-Gutshaus Oestrich, Johannishof, Schloss Vollrads*(Since 1211), Schloss Johannisberg*(*1100/50ha.)
      • GOING THERE- Johannisberg Castle, Vollrads Castle
  • MEHRHOLZCHEN–Grosslage     @Hallgarten
    • GEOGRAPHY- ANBAUGEBIETE-Rheingau, BEREICHE-Johannisberg(Central)
      • Villages- Eberbach, Erbach, Hallgarten
      • Einzellage- Hendelberg(22ha.), Hohenrain~E.G.~, Honigberg,  Marcobrunn~E.G.~, Michelmark~E.G.~, Rheinhell,  Schlosberg~E.G.~, Schonhell~E.G.~, Steinmorgen~E.G.~, Jungfer~E.G.~(68ha.), Wurzgarten~E.G.~
    • TOPOGRAPHY- On~Rhine~River~(Right Bank)
    • SOILS- Calcareous Clay-Marl
    • VITICULTURE- ?  ha.
      • Estate/ Producers- Fürst Lowenstein, Heinz Nikolai, Kloster Eberhach, Prinz
    • CULTURE- “Monks & Montestaries”  ~Kloster Eberbach~
  • GOTTESTHAL–Grosslage     @Oestrich
    • GEOGRAPHY– ANBAUGEBIETE-Rheingau, BEREICHE-Johannisberg(Central)
      • Villages- Oestrich
      • Einzellage- Doosberg~E.G.~, Klosterg Lenchen~E.G.~, Schlos Reichharshausen
    • TOPOGRAPHY- On~Rhine~River~(Right Bank)
    • VITICULTURE-  ? ha. Planted
      • Estate/ Producers-
  • DEUTELSBERG–Grosslage     @Hattenheim
    • GEOGRAPHY- ANBAUGEBIETE-Rheingau, BEREICHE-Johannisberg(Central)
      • Villages- Hattenheim
      • Einzellage- Engelmannsberg~E.G.~, Hasslel~E.G.~(32,7ha.), Heiligenberg~E.G.~, Mannberg~E.G.~(6ha.), Nubbrunnen~E.G.~(10ha.), Pfaffenberg~E.G.~(6ha.), Schutzenhaus~E.G.~(52ha.),  Steinberg~E.G.~,(37ha.), Wisselbrunnen~E.G.~(17ha.)
    • TOPOGRAPHY- On~Rhine~River~(Right Bank)
    • VITICULTURE- ?  ha. Planted
      • Estate/ Producers- Hessische Staatsweinguter, Kloster Eberbach, Kaugmann
  • HONIGBERG–Grosslage     @Erbach
    • GEOGRAPHY- ANBAUGEBIETE-Rheingau, BEREICHE-Johannisberg(Central)
      • Villages- Erbach, Mittleheim, Winkel
      • Einzellage- Biennengarten, Dachsberg, Edelmann~E.G.~, Goldberg,  Gutenberg~E.G.~, Hasensprung~E.G.~, Hohenrain(14.8ha.), Klaus,  Jesuitsgarten~E.G.~(23ha.),  Marcobrunn(7ha.), Schlosberg~E.G.~(6ha.), Siegelberg(15ha.),  St. Nikolaus~E.G.~
    • TOPOGRAPHY- On~Rhine~River~(Right Bank)
    • VITICULTURE-  ? ha. Planted
      • Estate/ Producers- FB. Schonlbeer
  • HEILEGENSTOCK–Grosslage     @Keidrich
    • GEOGRAPHY- ANBAUGEBIETE-Rheingau, BEREICHE-Johannisberg(Central)
      • Villages- Kiedrich
      • Einzellage- Grafenberg~E.G.~(10ha.), Klosterberg Sandgrub~E.G.~, Turmberg(3.7ha.), Wasseros~E.G.~
    • TOPOGRAPHY- On~Rhine~River~(Right Bank)
    • VITICULTURE-   ?  ha. Planted
      • Estate/ Producers- Robert Weil
  • STEINMACHER–Grosslage     @Eltville
    • GEOGRAPHY- ANBAUGEBIETE-Rheingau, BEREICHE-Johannisberg(Central)
      • Villages- Eltville, Martinsthal, Niederwalluf, Oberwalluf, Rauenthalm, Walluf, Wiesbaden, Orsteil Doltzheim/ Frauenstein/ Schierstein
      • Einzellage- Berg-Bildstock, Baiken~E.G.~(13.4ha.), Fitusberg, Gehrn~E.G.~, Herrnberg, Homberg,  Judenkirch, Kalbspflicht~E.G.~, Langenberg~E.G.~, Langenstuck~E.G.~, Marschall, Nonnenberg(Laps)(5.5ha.), Oberberg Rheinberg~E.G.~, Rodchen~E.G.~, Rothenburg~E.G.~, Sonnenberg~E.G.~, Sandgrub(Laps), Taubenberg~E.G.~, Walkenberg, Wildsau~E.G.~, Wulfen~E.G.~
    • TOPOGRAPHY- On~Rhine~River~(Right Bank)
    • VITICULTURE-  ? ha. Planted
      • Estate/ Producers- Hessische Staatsweinguter Kloster Eberbach, JB. Becker
  • Eastern Rheingau
  • DAUBHAUS–Grosslage     @Hochheim
    • GEOGRAPHY- ANBAUGEBIETE-Rheingau, BEREICHE-Johannisberg(Eastern)
      • Villages- Boddiger, Florsheim, Frankfurt, Hochheim, Massenheim, Wicker
      • Einzellage- Berg, Burg Bofmeister~E.G.~, Domdechaney~E.G.~(10ha.), Herrnberg~E.G.~,  Hofmeister, Holle~E.G.~(43ha.), Konigin Victoriaberg~E.G.~, Konig Wilhelmsberg, Kirchenstuck~E.G.~(15ha.),  Lankreis, Melsungen Berg, Lohrberger Hang, Monchsgewann~E.G.~, Nonnberg(Laps),  Reichesthal~E.G.~(28ha.), Sommerheil, Steig, Stein~E.G.~, Stielweg~E.G.~, Weiberd~E.G.~
    • TOPOGRAPHY- On~Main~River~(Right Bank)
    • VITICULTURE-  ? ha. Planted
      • Estate/ Producers- Franz Kunstler, Domdechant Werner, Joachim Flick, Kunstler, Schloss Schonborn

**Refer to “BIBLIOGRAPHY/ Sources” For Details On Scholarly Works Referenced.