Germany: Back to the big five: Spain – France – Italy – USA – Chile
Other next ten – Argentina – Australia – China – India – New Zealand – Portugal – Romania – South Africa – Turkey
Countries index – Winemaking – Grapes
| Germany: Germany has thirteen wine-growing regions, mostly in its western area. Some 60% of its wine is produced in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, where six of the thirteen regions, for quality wine, are situated. The wild vine, forerunner of the cultivated Vitis vinifera, grew in the upper Rhine back to historic time, The Roman occupation was to the west, safeguarding the Empire from Germanic tribes on the other side of the Rhine. It was they that brought viticulture to Germany. Image source: vineyards.com It is the eighth-largest wine-producing country in the world. |
QUICK LINKS TO GERMANY REGIONS
| Ahr Baden Franken Hessisce-Bergstraße Mittelrhein Mosel Nahe | Pfalz/Palatinate Rheingau Rheinhessen Saale-Unstrut Sachsen Württemberg |
[Ahrw]
[Pfal]
GERMANY REGION-BY-REGION
| Ahr: Situated in the valley of the river Ahr, a tributary of the Rhine. It is one of the smallest wine-growing regions Winemaking is said to have begun with the Romans, but evidence is sketchy. Image source: moonhoneytravel.com Areas: Ahrweiler, Altenahr, Bad Neuenahr-Dernau, Helmersheim, Mayschoss, Neuenahr, Rech, Walporzheim.# Grapes: Red: Frühburgunder (Pinot Madeleine), Portugeiser, Regent, Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) White: Müller-Thurgau, Pinot gris, Riesling, Weißburgunder (Pinot blanc) Image source: winetourism.com Image source: wine-searcher.com | Pfalz/Palatinate: The region holds the largest wine festival in the world at Bad Dürkheim – and, the first and best-known wine route, the Deutsche Weinstraße. It is an important supplier of the components for Liebfraumilch. Image source: german-wineroute.com Areas: Bad Dürkheim, Birkweiler, Burrweiler, Deidesheim, Forst an der Weinstrasse, Gimmeldingen, Godramstein, Haardt, Kallstadt, Koinigsbach, Landau, Laumersheim, Neustadt, Rupertsberg, Schweigen, Siebeldingen, Ungstein, Wachenheim Grapes: Red: Dornfelder, Portugieser, Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir), White: Chardonnay, Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris), Kerner, Müller-Thurgau, Muscat, Riesling, Weißburgunder (Pinot blanc) Image source: winetourism.com Image source: wine-searcher.com. |
[Bade]
[Rheg]
| Baden: This is the southernmost, and third largest in Germany. It is a long, strip of vineyards nestled between the hills of the Black Forest and the Rhine River. Baden is the most important German region for Pinot Noir. Image source: wine-searcher.com Areas: Baden-Baden, Bodensee, Freiburg, Heidelberg, Kaisertuhl, Karlsruhe, Kraichgau, Ortenau, Tauberfranken Grapes: Red: Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) White: Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris), Gutedel, Müller-Thurgau, Riesling, Weißburgunder (Pinot blanc), Image source: winetourism.com Image source: wine-searcher.com | Rheingau: This is a narrow strip along the Rhine between Wiesbaden and Lorch am Rhein, which extends to Flörsheim-Wicker in the east. Image source: germany.travel Areas: Assmannhause, Eltville, Erbach, Geisenheim, Hallgarten, Hochhei, am Main, Johannisberg, Kiedrich, Lorch, Martinshal, Mittelheim, Oestrich, Rauenthal, Rüdesheim, Walluf, Wicker, Wiesbaden, Winkel Grapes: Red: Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) White: Riesling Image source: winetourism.com Image source: wine-searcher.com |
[Fran]
,/p>
[Rhen}
| Franken: East of Frankfurt on the south-facing slopes lining the Main River and its tributaries Bocksbeutel is the trademark of Franconian wine, which has been cultivated for over 1200 years, especially along the Main River. Image source: wineninjas.org Areas: Burgstadt, Castell, Escherndorf, Frickerhausen, Grossheubach, Homburg, Iphofen, Klingenberg, Michelbach, Randersacker, Rodelsee, Sommerhausen, Thungersheim, Volkach, Würzburg (baroque festival town) Grapes: Red: None detected White: Bacchus, Kerner, Müller-Thurgau, Riesling, Silvaner Image source: winetourism.com Image source: wine-searcher.com | Rheinhessen: Germany’s largest wine region, that lies in a valley of gentle rolling hills. The gastronomy here has as much diversity as the range of grape varieties grown in the region. About one third of the area’s wine is exported, in part because it is the primary supplier of the components for Liebfrauenmilch. Image source: liz-palmer.com Areas: Alzey, Bechteim, Bingen, Bodenheim, Dalsheim, Hohen-Sulzen, Mainz, Rheinetrrasse, Siefersheim, Westhofen, Worms, Grapes: Red: Dornfelder., Portugieser White: Kerner, Müller-Thurgau, Pinot blanc, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Silvaner Image source: winetourism.com Image source: wine-searcher.com |
[Hess]
[Saal]
| Hessisce-Bergstraße: This part of the Bergstrasse has been an independent wine-growing region since 1971, divided into two separate areas: The Starkenburg Region begins south of Darmstadt with sporadic vineyards, then south from Zwingenberg the vineyards become more frequent. This area ends south of Heppenheim on the Hessian border. The second, much smaller area – the “Odenwald Wine Island” – bears the official name “Umstadt Area”. Its center is the city of Groß-Umstadt. Image source: winetourism.com Areas: Starkenburg (Auerbach, Bensheim, Heppenheim), Umstadt, Grapes: Red: Pinot Noir, White: Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris), Riesling, Silvaner, Weißburgunder (Pinot blanc) Image source: winetourism.com Image source: wine-searcher.com | Saale-Unstrut: The rivers Saale and Unstrut run through this area, characterised by steep terraces, stone walls, orchards and river meadows. Vines have been cultivated here since 998 CE. The “Romanesque Road” and the “Skywalk” run along the Saale-Unstrut Wine Route. Castles and palaces such as Neuenburg or Rudelsburg, important buildings like Naumburg Cathedral, and mystical sites such as the place where the Bronze Age Sky Disk of Nebra was found Image source: winetourism.com Areas: Bad Kösen, Kreyburg, Naumburg Grapes: Red: Dornfelder White: Bacchus, Müller-Thurgau, Riesling, Silvaner, Weißburgunder Image source: winetourism.com Image source: wine-searcher.com |
[Mitt]
[Sach]
| Mittelrhein: This is the Middle Rhine Valley between Bonn and Bingen aka the Rhine Gorge. It is a beautiful region of steep, terraced vineyards and some of the wine world’s most spectacular scenery – medieval castles and ruins clinging to rocky peaks, sites of ancient legends where Siegfried, Hagen and the Loreley seem to spring to life Image source: wine-searcher.com Areas: Bacharach, Bingen, Boppard, Koblenz, Oberwesel, Grapes: Red: Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) White: Müller-Thurgau, Riesling, Weißburgunder (Pinot blanc) Image source: winetourism.com Image source: wine-searcher.com | Sachsen: Easternmost area and one of the smallest wine-growing regions. Vines are planted along a 25m (40km) stretch of the Elbe river valley, from Pillnitz near the city of Dresden, in a north-easterly direction to Diesbar-Seusslitz, just downstream of the city of Meissen. Image source: germany.travel Areas: Dresden, Meissen, Radebeul Grapes: Red: Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) White: Elbling, Goldriesling, Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris), Gutedel, Müller-Thurgau, Riesling, Weißburgunder (Pinot blanc) Image source: winetourism.com Image source: wine-searcher.com |
[Mose]
[Wurt]
| Mosel: The winegrowers here categorise themselves as Riesling specialists. The region has six areas: Image source: germanwineusa.com Areas: Bernkastel, Cochem, Koblenz, Piesport, Trier, Zell Grapes: Red: Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) White: Elbling, Riesling, Rivaner (Müller-Thurgau), Weißburgunder (Pinot blanc) Image source: winetourism.com Image source: wine-searcher.com | Württemberg: This ranks fourth-largest winegrowing area. Large parts of the region can be discovered along the Württemberger Wine Route, which runs for more than 500 kilometers from Weikersheim, near Bad Mergentheim, to Metzingen, east of Tübingen Image source: winetourism.com Areas: Heilbronn, Stuttgart Grapes: Red: Lemberger (aka bull’s blood), Schiller (Rosé), Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir), Trollinger White: Kerner, Müller-Thurgau, Schwarzriesling Image source: winetourism.com Image source: wine-searcher.com |
[Nahe]
| Nahe: The Nahe region is named after its river, from the forested Hunsrück Hills as it gently flows toward Bingen on the Rhine. Image source: wine-searcher.com Areas: Bad Kreuznach, Bad Münster am Stein-Ebernburg, Bad Sobernheim Grapes: Red: Dornfelder, Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) White: Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris), Riesling, Rivaner (Müller-Thurgau), Weißburgunder (Pinot blanc) Image source: winetourism.com Image source: wine-searcher.com |
Wines of Germany
Image source: sommtv.com
Back to the big five: Spain – France – Italy – USA – Chile
Other next ten – Argentina – Australia – China – India – New Zealand – Portugal – Romania – South Africa – Turkey