Rheingau
Main grapes: Riesling (over ¾ of what is grown there!), Spätburgunder and a little Müller-Thurgau and Ehrenfelser
Sub-regions: Hochheim, Eltville, Hattenheim, Oestrich-Winkel, Geisenheim (home to a world renowned wine research institute), Rüdesheim and Assmannshausen
Climate: Conveniently sheltered by the Taunus Mountains, the Rheingau happily enjoys mild winters and warm summers. The Rhine river also helps the whole situation because it reflects the heat to give the vines a little extra lovin’.
You should know... Back in the day the Rheingau was THE German wine region. Since it was full to the brim with German aristocracy (and with them, their fancy castles which make for pretty handy wine estates), it’s not exactly surprising that it was labeled a ‘noble’ wine region. In the 1980s, however, it lost its mojo a little and people took to seeking more exciting wines from Pfalz or Rheinhessen. Thankfully in recent years some fantastic producers have burst on to the scene and now a pretty substantial portion of the best German sweet Beerenauslese and Trockenbeernenauslese wines are produced here – in other words, Sweet Rieslings are all the rage.
Sub-regions: Hochheim, Eltville, Hattenheim, Oestrich-Winkel, Geisenheim (home to a world renowned wine research institute), Rüdesheim and Assmannshausen
Climate: Conveniently sheltered by the Taunus Mountains, the Rheingau happily enjoys mild winters and warm summers. The Rhine river also helps the whole situation because it reflects the heat to give the vines a little extra lovin’.
You should know... Back in the day the Rheingau was THE German wine region. Since it was full to the brim with German aristocracy (and with them, their fancy castles which make for pretty handy wine estates), it’s not exactly surprising that it was labeled a ‘noble’ wine region. In the 1980s, however, it lost its mojo a little and people took to seeking more exciting wines from Pfalz or Rheinhessen. Thankfully in recent years some fantastic producers have burst on to the scene and now a pretty substantial portion of the best German sweet Beerenauslese and Trockenbeernenauslese wines are produced here – in other words, Sweet Rieslings are all the rage.