Discover Germany's Wine Regions - Saksan Viinitiedotus

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Experience 40 Landmarks of Wine Culture

The best tips, addresses and information about

Germany’s wine-growing regions.

Traveling green offers recommendations to

environmentally-conscious wine lovers

Up to date information

www.merian.de

At a glance:overview map of Germany’s wine-growing regions

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Discover Germany’s Wine Regions

worth seeing > 40 Landmarks of Wine Cultureinnovative > Generation Rieslinginformative > large Glossary of German wines

with an overview map of Germany’s wine-growing regions

Riesling, pinot noir & Co.: www.germany.travel

Discover the taste of Germany

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Discover Germany’sWine Regions

Claudia Weber was born in Heidelberg in 1964 and grew up in the wine-growingregion of Baden. She studied art history,architectural history and archaeology.Today, she lives on the German Wine Route.

The 40 Landmarks of German WineCulture are marked with a numberinside a circle.

Prices for a three-course meal (beverages not incl.):

€€€€ 60 € and up€€€€ 35 € and up€€€€ 25 € and up€€€€ 25 € up to

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Ñ p. 2: Vogelsburg Monastery and its vineyard are nestled in the midst of the Franken

wine-growing region.

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ContentsWelcome to Germany’s Wine Country 4

bg!13! MERIAN-TipsTips to help you discover some lesser-known features of Germany’s most beautiful wine-growing regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Traveling Green . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

On the Road in Germany’s Wine Regions 12

Ahr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141 Mayschoss: Birthplace of the wine growers’ cooperatives . . . . . . . 152 Marienthal Monastery: wine tasting in a vaulted cellar . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Baden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223 The “Holy Ghost Torkel” in Meersburg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244 Reichenau – where wine is made on the water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245 The Great Cask at Heidelberg Castle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256 Winklerberg Volcanic Rock Garden, Ihringen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

In Focus – Wine and Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Franken . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 367 Staatlicher Hofkeller Würzburg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 388 Bürgerspital zum Heiligen Geist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 409 Würzburger Juliusspital . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4210 Castell and Silvaner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Hessische Bergstrasse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5011 Wine and Stone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5212 Lorsch Abbey and the history of viticulture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55


In Focus – Generation Riesling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Mittelrhein . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6013 Bopparder Hamm: the wine loop on the Rhine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6114 Bacharach: the center of Rhine Romanticism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Mosel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6815 The Roman wine presses of Piesport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7016 Wine Estate of the Ver einigten Hospitien, Trier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7117 Vineyard sundials on the Mosel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7218 Traben-Trarbach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7319 The Bremmer Calmont . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

Nahe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8020 Disibodenberg Monastery ruins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8121 The Schlossböckelheimer Kupfergrube . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8422 Bad Sobernheim Open-Air Museum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

Pfalz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8823 The Roman wine estate in Ungstein . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9024 Rhodt unter Rietburg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9125 Deidesheim: big politics in a small wine village . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9326 The Wine Museum in Speyer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

Rheingau . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10027 Kloster Eberbach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10228 Schloss Johannisberg and the discovery of Spätlese . . . . . . . . . . 10429 Oestrich-Winkel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106

Rheinhessen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11030 The Liebfrauenstift-Kirchenstück in Worms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11131 The Niersteiner Glöck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11232 Kupferberg Visitors’ Center in Mainz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114

Saale-Unstrut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12033 The Rotkäppchen Sparkling Wine Cellars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12234 Vintners’ huts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12435 The “Stone Picture Book” near Naumburg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

Sachsen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13036 Schloss Wackerbarth: riddled, but not shaken . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13137 Hoflössnitz and the Saxon club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133

Württemberg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13838 The Kessler Sekt Manufactory in Esslingen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14039 Hornberg Castle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14240 Pfedelbach and the Prince’s Barrel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144

Important Facts about Germany’s Wine Regions 148

The Western and Southern Wine Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . front flap

The Eastern Wine Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . back flap

Maps and Diagrams

Extra fold-out map: Germany’s Wine Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . back flap

At a glance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .150Wine glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158Imprint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160


grown red grape variety at 11%, fol-lowed by Dornfelder with 8% per-cent and Portugieser with 4%. Each year, approximately 48,000wineries produce nine to ten millionhectoliters of wine; around 11,000 ofthem market their own wines. Aboutone-fifth of the wine produced isexported, primarily to the USA,Great Britain and the Netherlands.Two-thirds of Germany’s vineyardsare located in the state of Rheinland-Pfalz alone, including six of the 13 wine regions: Ahr, Mittelrhein,Mosel, Nahe, Pfalz and Rheinhessen.Germany’s largest wine-growingcommunities – Landau andNeustadt on the German Wine

The production of quality wines takes place in 13 different regions ofGermany. With ca. 26,500 ha ofvineyards, Rheinhessen is the largestwine-growing area, followed by thePfalz with 23,500 ha and Baden withnearly 16,000 ha. Out of a total ofabout 102,000 ha of vines, some65,500 ha are used for growing whitewine varieties; red wine grapesoccupy around 36,500 ha. Amongthe white grape varieties, Rieslingdominates with 22 percent of the total vineyard area. Thirteen percentis devoted to Müller-Thurgau, alsoknown as Rivaner; Silvaner occupiesanother five percent. Spätburgunder(Pinot Noir) is the most widely-

Welcome to Germany’s Wine Country. The sloping

and terraced vineyards of Germany’s wine regions are as

varied as the wines they produce.


Welcome

Route – are also located in the Pfalz.

The microclimate makesthe differenceThe majority of Germany’s vine-yards are located in the area of the50th parallel or further south. Thefact that quality and superior qualitygrape varieties are able to thrive sofar north at all can be attributed totheir protected locations, which userivers and soils to store heat, therebycreating an ideal microclimate forwine cultivation. Most of Germany’sprime locations are used for growingRiesling. This demanding, late-ripening grape variety, which pro-duces fruity, acidic wines, representsGerman wine culture like no otherfruit.

Roman legacyGrapevines probably arrived in theRhine and Mosel regions with theRoman legionnaires. WhereasEmperor Domitian forbade the culti-vation of grapes outside the Romanmainland in 92 AD, in the 3rd cen-tury, Emperor Probus permitted theprovinces to own grapevines andproduce wine as well. A Roman winepressing house was unearthed inPiesport, on the Mosel: Here, as manyas 1700 years ago, up to 130 workersproduced around 60,000 liters ofwine per year. In the Palatinate villageof Ungstein (near Bad Dürkheim),archaeologists discovered a multi-story mansion with thermal bathsand stables, as well as a wine pressingfacility, which still contained grapeknives and hoes and even grape

seeds. An examination of the speci-mens determined that the Romanswho lived at the foot of the PalatinateForest had cultivated early forms ofRiesling, Traminer and Pinot grapes. In the Middle Ages, monasterieswere primarily responsible for main-taining the wine-growing tradition.In 2005, the oldest grape plants everfound on German soil were discov-ered on the grounds of the Disibo-denberg Abbey, where Hildegard ofBingen lived and worked in the 12thcentury – five gnarled vines of theOrleans variety, which were between500 and 900 years old. During theRenaissance and Baroque periods,secular princes also exercised pow-erful influence over viticulture. TheGreat Cask at Heidelberg Castle stillbears witness to this fact today: Builtfor the Palatine Elector CharlesTheodore, the “Heidelberg Tun” hasa capacity of 219,000 liters. On theLössnitz slopes near Dresden, theSaxon Elector Augustus the Strongheld rollicking celebrations at thehunting estate of Hoflössnitz; thewine was supplied directly by theadjacent winery.

40 Landmarks of GermanWine CultureIn 2010, the German Wine Institutebegan honoring outstanding placesof interest in all of the German wineregions, sites which not only clearlyrepresent the history and tradition ofviticulture but which also testify tothe achievements of the wine indus-try and to wine as a cultural asset. Inthis book, we will describe in detailthe 40 Landmarks of Wine Culture,which were selected by an independ-ent jury from a pool of over 100 can-didates.

É The view from Meersburg (Ñ p. 24)

extends as far as the Alps.

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bg 1! The Red Wine Hiking TrailThis picturesque trail leadsthrough the vineyards andwinemaking communities ofthe Ahr valley (Ñ p. 20).

bg 2! The “Rebenbummler” Museum TrainThis historic steam locomoti-ve puffs along through thevineyards in Baden’s Kaiser-stuhl district (Ñ p. 31).

bg 3! On the Main River throughFrankenTraveling by raft or canoe, youcan view the vineyard slopesalong the Main from anunusual perspective (Ñ p. 45).

bg 4! Bergsträsser WeinlagenwegThis hiking trail between Alsbach and Heppenheim isat its most beautiful whenthe almond trees are inbloom (Ñ p. 52).

bg 5! “Castle of the Year”With 365 windows, 52 doorsand twelve towers, ArenfelsCastle on the Rheinsteighiking trail is distinguishedby its parallels to the calen-dar year (Ñ p. 64).

bg 6! TrierAncient buildings still shapethe face of Germany’s oldestcity (Ñ p. 75).

Tips Experience more with . Embark on these wine tours

and discover Germany’s wine regions as only natives know them.

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bg 7! VinotherapyIn the wellness oases of theNahe region, grape extractsand warm spring water areused to combat the effects ofaging (Ñ p. 86).

bg 8! Slevogt’s country idyllImpressionist painter MaxSlevogt transformed the oldNeukastel estate near Leins-weiler in the southern Pfalzinto his summer home (Ñ p. 97).

bg 9! Eltville am RheinThe oldest city in the Rhein-gau invites visitors to strollalong its riverside promena-des (Ñ p. 109).

bg10! Trullo – TrulliThe vineyard huts in Flon-heim and the neighboringvillage of Uffhofen were pro-bably modeled after thosefound in Apulia (Ñ p. 115).

bg11 The Goseck CircleThis sun observatory on theSaale is several thousandyears older than Stonehenge(Ñ p. 127).

bg12 The cradle of SachsenIn 1710, the Saxon electorAugustus the Strong estab-lished the world famous por-celain factory in Meissen (Ñ p. 135).

bg13! The Stuttgart Wine VillageVisitors can sample over 500 different wines at one ofGermany’s largest wine festi-vals (Ñ p. 147).

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GRÜNER REISEN

People who follow an environmentally aware lifestyle at home willprobably want to do the same on vacation. With the tips we offer youin this “Traveling Green” chapter, we hope to help you put some ofyour “green” ideals into practice at your travel destination and sup-port other people who are committed to interacting responsiblywith the environment.

Organic wines are on the riseAbout 5% of the vineyards in Germany’s growing regions are cultivatedby certified organic producers according to ecological guidelines.These vintners’ goal is to create a balanced ecosystem in the vineyardswith minimal use of synthetic substances. This process begins with thesoil, where growers employ nutrient sources such as humus and com-post instead of chemical fertilizers. Since monoculture is detrimentalto the soil in the long run, organic vintners foster green vegetationbetween the vine rows. Here, grasses and clover, as well as sunflowers,vetches, mallow and lupines provide a habitat for beneficial insectsthat destroy the eggs of the dreaded grape berry moth and other pests.Weeds, which rob the cultivated plants of water, light and nutrients,are removed mechanically rather than with chemical herbicides. Inorder to combat over fertilization of the soil – which can lead to ele-vated nitrate levels in the ground water – vintners avoid the use of pes-ticides as much as possible. Instead, they focus on strengthening thevines and combating parasites by natural means.

Traveling Green


Traveling green

now has around 200 members, whocultivate almost half of all the organicvineyards in Germany. For an overviewof farming associations, organic farm-ing control boards and certified produc-ers: visit www.oekolandbau.de.

ORGANIC WINERIES

Natural products from the MoselIn the summer of 2007, Paul Hoffmannof Weingut Ernst Hoffmann convertedhis estate to organic farming methods.His organic wines include dry whitessuch as Riesling Classic or RieslingSpätlese, but also off-dry and fruity-sweet whites, as well as Dornfelder. Inaddition to the estate’s own wines, thevinotheque also carries other organicproducts, such as grape seed oil,cheese, sausages and honey.Weingut Ernst Hoffmann • Mosel-weinstr. 14, Minheim • Tel. 06507-9920 90 • www.weinguthoffmann.de

Organic viticulture in WürttembergThe Strombergkellerei in Bönningheimproduces Lemberger with Trollinger,Regent dry and off-dry rosé wines – allgrown organically. Here, in selectedvineyards, grapes are cultivated usingtraditional methods and processedinto sophisticated organic wines.Strombergkellerei e.G. • CleebronnerStr. 70, Bönnigheim • Tel. 07143-88770 • www.strombergkellerei.de

Organic wines in the RheingauSince 2005, Dagmar and Rainer Haasof the Jakob Christ Winery inRüdesheim have been committed tothe cultivation of organic wine grapes.The wine bar’s specialty menuincludes small meals and snacks, aswell as organic wines. The cozily fur-nished press house restaurant oper-

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TIPS FOR CONSUMERS

What does organic wine taste like?“As far as flavor is concerned, there isno difference between organic and con-ventionally-grown wines,” say expertsat the German Wine Institute in Mainz,“because in the cellars, organic vint-ners employ the same methods that areused in every other winery.” Organicwine is neither drier nor sweeter thanwine produced using conventionalmethods. The difference lies in the cul-tivation of the vineyards, the fertiliza-tion of the soil and the combating ofpests. Whether wines are organic ornot, environmentally-conscious prac-tices are standard procedure in the Ger-man wine industry. In terms of pest con-trol and fertilization, even conventionalvintners adhere to the principle of “asmuch as necessary and as little as pos-sible.” The range of grape varieties isalso comparable, although organicgrowers favor hardy grape varietals,such as Regent, which are less suscep-tible to fungal diseases.

How to recognize organic wineOrganically grown wines are certifiedby independent control boards, whichcheck for compliance with EU OrganicFarming Regulations and verify thegrowers’ organic farming practices.Consumers can identify these winesby the government control number onthe bottle’s label – e.g., DE-ÖKO-022.Many organic vintners also have theirwines tested by organic farming associ-ations, whose cultivation and produc-tion guidelines are even stricter thanthe EU regulations. These associationsinclude Demeter, Naturland andBioland as well as Ecovin, Germany’slargest organic wine growers’ associa-tion. Founded in 1985, the association


TRAVELING GREEN

ates under the “Slow Food” principle.This initiative, which originated inItaly, is based around regional foodsand beverages, traditional recipesand the use of locally-produced plantand animal products.Weingut Jakob Christ • Grabenstr. 17,Rüdesheim am Rhein, • Tel. 06722-25 72 • www.weingut-jakob-christ.de

Sustainability on the NaheAs early as 1989, oenologist ReinholdGrossmann converted his family’sthird-generation winery to organicfarming methods. He and his wife,agricultural engineer Sigrid Gross-mann, consider the joy of living andworking in harmony with nature theirhighest priority. Their organic prod-ucts include white and red wines,sparkling wines and distillates, as wellas vinegar and oil.Sigrid & Reinhold Grossmann •Öko logisches Weingut • Im Setzling 8,Windesheim • Tel. 06707-583 •www.bioweinegrossmann.de

Solar energy in BadenHofgut Sonnenschein in the southernBaden town of Fischingen is located inthe border triangle between Germany,France and Switzerland. Between theBlack Forest and Alsace, the vineyardsowned by Markus Bürgin are bathed insunshine. His motto: “Using the powerof the sun and the diversity of life toensure harmonious coexistence.” Hesees organic farming as an opportu-nity to provide the next generationswith the legacy of a stable ecosystemand a healthy balance betweenhuman beings and nature. Visitors canenjoy his organic wines – as well asorganically grown apples, pears, cher-ries, plums, peaches and nectarines –all with a good conscience.

Markus Bürgin • Dorfstr. 33, Fischin-gen • Tel. 07628-98 79 •

www.hofgut-sonnenschein.de

Certified Saxon wineHoflössnitz in Radebeul, the first certi-fied organic winery in Sachsen, usesno synthetic fertilizers in its vineyards,relying instead on organic substancesand rock flour, and strictly adhering tothe guidelines for controlled organicfarming. In April, the winter green covercrop in between the vine rows is tilledinto the soil and used as a base fertil-izer. Elemental sulfur, copper salts,silicic acid, baking powder and herbextracts such as fennel oil or horsetailextract are used for pest control. Thesematerials coat the leaves with a protec-tive film, which protects them frompowdery and downy mildew or fungalspores.Weingut & Weinstube Hoflössnitz •

Knohllweg 37, Radebeul • Tel. 0351-839 83 33 • www.hofloessnitz.de (Ñ p. 133)

FAMILY TRAVEL TIP

Biosphere Reserve AdventureParkThe Pfälzerwald-Nordvogesen Bios-phere Reserve lies directly west of thevineyards of the Palatinate hill country.Its gorgeous hiking paths and castlesmake this a recreational destination forall ages. Nordic walkers and mountainbikers can also find a great variety ofroutes here. In Fischbach bei Dahn, theBiosphärenhaus (Biosphere House)presents information about nature, itsvarious habitats and concepts for sus-tainable energy in a fascinating man-ner. The nature adventure centerincludes an interactive trail with infostations that are accessible for strollersand seniors. Along with the water

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Traveling green

Nicole Roth, a vintner from the Hoflössnitz winery (Ñ p. 133) in Radebeul checks the

bottling equipment of the first certified organic winery in Sachsen.

adventure trail, the treetop trail isanother highlight: Between 18 and35m above the forest floor, two paths –one easy and one more challenging –wind through the branches and revealsecrets about the natural world. Youcan choose a leisurely descent via rampor speed down the 40-m-long slide.Biosphärenhaus Pfälzerwald/Nord -vogesen • Am Königsbruch 1, Fisch-bach/Dahn • Tel. 06393-921 00 •www.biosphaerenhaus.de • April,May & Oct: open daily 9:30 am-5:30pm; June-Sept: daily 9:30 am-6:30pm; Nov.: Mon-Fri 9:30 am-4 pm;Early to mid-Dec.: Mon-Fri 9:30 am-3:30 pm • Entrance fee 8 €

FESTIVALS AND EVENTS

Neckarsulm Organic Wine FestivalSince 2008, Württemberg vintners com-

mitted to organic wine-growing prac-tices have presented their nativeSwabian products at the Organic WineFestival in Neckarsulm. In addition toorganically-produced wines, visitorswill find an organic market full of culi-nary delights and a program of musicalperformances and informative lectures.For information about the programand participating wineries: Wino-Bio-landbau • Im Hasenlauf 1, Bracken-heim, • Tel. 07135-93 76 70 •www.wino-biolandbau.de • Wine tasting €10

SERVICEINFORMATION

ECOVIN Bundesverband Ökologischer Weinbau e. V. •Wormser Str. 162, Oppenheim •Tel. 06133-16 40 • www.ecovin.de

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Vine rows shape the landscape at the

foot of the southern Black Forest: here,

in Ballrechten-Dottingen.


Each of Germany’s wine-growing regions has its own special characteristics. They can be steep slopes at riverbends, rolling hills or terraced vineyards.

On the Road in Germany’s Wine Regions


The Ahr Rugged cliffs and wild, romantic, sloping

banks accompany the Ahr River on its way through Nordrhein-

Westfalen and Rheinland-Pfalz, from the Eifel region to the

Mittelrhein. Top quality wines are grown in the terraced

vineyards.


Mayschoss

The red kingThe microclimate and the soil pro-vide perfect conditions for red grapecultivation. Occupying 85% of thevineyards, the proportion of redsgrown here is higher than anywhereelse in Germany. Among the morethan twenty red grape varieties, Spät-burgunder (pinot noir) accounts formore than 60% of the cultivated area.In the Ahr region, the “king of thered grapes” is characterized by anaroma of herbs and dark berries,with the addition of an elegant min-eral note. Portugieser, Frühburgun-der (Pinot Noir précoce or PinotMadeleine) and Dornfelder grapesare also grown here. In this red wine paradise, white vari-eties play only a secondary role. Nev-ertheless, the region also produceshigh-quality white wines; among the45 white grape varieties approved forcultivation, Riesling and Rivaner areworthy of mention. The first grapevines were brought tothis remote side valley of the Rhineby the Romans, around 2000 yearsago. Later, monasteries continuedthe tradition of wine cultivation.However, Spätburgunder did notreach the Ahr region until after theThirty Years’ War.

Mayschoss: Birthplace ofthe wine growers’ coopera-tives Ñ Fold-out map, C 13

Beneath the imposing stone ruins ofthe Saffenburg lies the wine-growingcommunity of Mayschoss. On De-cember 20, 1868, the world’s firstwine growers’ cooperative wasfounded here. Crop failures, damagedue to the vine louse phylloxera, andpolitical crises had led to dire straitsin the wine-growing industry, to say

1

The Ahr River has its source at thewestern edge of the Ahr Hills, nearBlankenheim in the Eifel Mountains.On the way to its mouth into theRhine, between Remagen-Kripp andSinzig, it passes through such tradi-tion-rich wine communities as Alte-nahr, Mayschoss, Rech, Dernau,Walporzheim, Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler and Heimersheim. Overthe course of millions of years, theriver carved a nearly vertical slicethrough the Rhenish Slate Moun-tains. Particularly in the Middle Ahrregion, the valley is narrow and thebanks are steep. This is where thewine region begins, with sun-washed terraced vineyards on thesouthern slopes. Near Rech, the val-ley widens before reaching the“Bunte Kuh” overhang, which marksthe passage to the Lower Ahr. Thefascinating river landscape, with itssouthern-facing vineyard slopes andwooded northern banks is repeated-ly interrupted by bizarre rock forma-tions. Rare animal species, such askingfishers and wildcats make theirhomes here; and from a botanicalstandpoint, the Ahr valley is themost species-rich region in theRhenish Slate Mountain Range.

Small but sunnyWith about 550 ha (1235 acres) ofvineyards, this small wine region in-cludes the Walporzheim/Ahrtal dis-trict with its collective vineyard site,Klosterberg. Sheltered from the rain,the southern slopes warm up quicklyin the sun. The soil stores the heatand passes it on to the vines at night.

É The Red Wine Hiking Trail leads

through Mayschoss (Ñ p. 15) and other

wine-growing towns in the Ahr valley.

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AHR

nothing of the wine trade. In this sit-uation, the members of the coopera-tive promised to help each other helpthemselves. The 18 founding mem-bers soon had a great deal of compa-ny: By 1881, the cooperative includ-ed 141 wine growers. The success ofthe Mayschoss vintners creatednothing less than a boom. At the endof the 19th century, about 20 addi-tional wine growers’ cooperatives ex-isted in the Ahr region, representingtheir members’ mutual interests. To-day, 90% of the Ahr’s vintners belongto cooperatives.

Successful fusionIn 1982, the wine growers’ coopera-tives of Mayschoss and Altenahrmerged to form the “Mayschoss-Al-tenahr Wine Growers’ Cooperative.”Today, the group has 320 memberswho cultivate vineyards coveringover 120 ha. (296 acres). Sixty per-cent of these are devoted to Spätbur-gunder; Riesling accounts for 20%.With an annual production of over 1million liters, the cooperative ranksamong Germany’s medium-largeoperations. In 2000, the celebratedGault Millau wine guide named itthe “discovery of the year.”The huge, vaulted cellars of theMayschoss Wine Growers’ Coopera-tive are well worth a visit – preferablycombined with a wine tasting. Theadjacent Viticulture Museum, withits small exhibition of historic wine-growing equipment, offers visitors alook at the daily work of the Ahr’svintners and the history of this tradi-tion-rich growing region. A hikethrough the vineyards lets you expe-rience the glorious landscape thatsurrounds Mayschoss. The ruins ofthe Saffenburg fortress provide a

wonderful view into the valley. Theoldest castle on the Ahr dates back tothe 11th century. In 1704, it was de-stroyed by French troops in the Warof the Spanish Succession. A one-time resident of the castle, CountessKatharina von der Mark, who died in1646, is commemorated in a blackmarble tomb at the parish church ofSt. Nicholas in Mayschoss.

Winzergenossenschaft Mayschoss-Altenahr • Ahrrotweinstr. 42, May-schoss • Tel. 02643-936 00 • www.winzergenossenschaft-mayschoss.de• Wine tasting with cellar tour, muse-um and four wine samples € 6,50 •

May-Oct: open daily 9 am-6:30 pm;Nov-April: Mon-Fri 8 am-6 pm, Sat,Sun & holidays 10 am-6pm • Reserva-tions required for wine tasting

Marienthal Monastery:wine tasting in a vaultedcellar

Ñ Fold-out map, C 13

The community of Marienthal (pop.100) is located on the Middle Ahr be-tween the wine villages of Wal-porzheim and Dernau. Grapevinesare nestled along the steep slopes tothe north of the river. The ruins ofthe oldest monastery in the Ahr Val-ley dominate the view of the village.The Marienthal Monastery wasfounded under the patronage of theDukes of Saffenburg. In 1135, an Au-gustinian convent was establishedhere on the slopes above the Ahr:Forty nuns lived here and farmed thesurrounding parcels of land, whichincluded vineyards. The convent wasplundered twice during the ThirtyYears’ War – by Swedish troops in1632 and French soldiers in 1646. In1792, the nuns left the convent, and

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Mayschoss – Marienthal Monastery

its furnishings were transferred tothe surrounding churches. Somepieces can be seen in the parishchurch of St. Nicholas in Mayschoss;the altar is now located in the churchat Arenberg in the Eifel region. In thecourse of secularization, the Marien-thal Monastery complex was sold,and it changed hands several times.In 1925, the Prussian State Wine Do-mains moved in. Since 2004, thecomplex and its vineyards have beenthe property of Weingut KlosterMarienthal. Of the monastery build-

ings, the imposing church wallsmake up most of what remains today.The ivy-covered ruins form an at-mospheric architectural frameworkfor special events. The wine cellar,with its massive barrel vaults, alsodates from the 12th century. Winetastings are held here at which, in ad-dition to the estate’s own wines suchas Cuvée Blanc, Cuvée Rouge, Spät-burgunder Weissherbst (rosé), andSpätburgunder Klostergarten, guestscan sample wines from theMayschoss-Altenahr Wine Growers’

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As it winds through the Ahr Valley, the Red Wine Hiking Trail passes by the pictur-

esque ruins that house Weingut Kloster Marienthal and serve as a setting for events.


AHR

Cooperative, the Dagernova WineManufactory, the Meyer-Näkel Win-ery and other partner wineries.Weingut Kloster Marienthal alsohosts barrel tastings, wine-relatedtheme evenings, as well as hiking andbicycling tours through its vine-yards. Those who like to hike cantravel part of the Red Wine HikingTrail: it leads past the MarienthalMonastery; some of it is even laid outas an educational wine path. Onepopular destination is the “BunteKuh,” a rock formation located be-tween Marienthal and Walporzheim,which offers a fabulous view of theAhr valley.– Weingut Kloster Marienthal • Klos-terstr. 3–5, Marienthal • Tel. 02641-980 60 • www.weingut-kloster-marienthal.de • Open daily 10 am-6:30 pm– Winzergenossenschaft Mayschoss-

Altenahr • Ahrrotweinstr. 42, May-schoss • Tel. 02643-936 00 • www.winzergenossenschaft-mayschoss.de– Dagernova Weinmanufaktur • Ahr-weg 7, Dernau • Tel. 02643-12 66 •

www.dagernova.de • Mon-Fri 8 am-12noon and 1-6 pm, Sat & Sun 9 am-12noon and 1-6 pm– Weingut Meyer-Näkel/Ahr • Frieden -str. 15, Dernau • Tel. 02643-16 28 •

www.meyer-naekel.de • Mon-Fri 9am-noon and 2-5 pm, Sat 11 am-4 pm

Nearby destinationsSIGHTSThe “Bunte Kuh”Close by Walporzheim, the “BunteKuh” (“colorful cow”) towers over theAhr valley. This curious name refersto an outcropping which juts out highabove the river. Since it does not re-semble a cow, there are a wide varietyof legends surrounding the name of

18

On the hiking trails along the steep slopes of the Ahr valley, spectacular views

appear at every curve. Sunny spots are a great place for a break or a snack.


Marienthal Monastery – Nearby destinations

the rock. One possible explanationrefers back to the time of the War ofthe Spanish Succession in the early18th century: The French troops inthe Ahr valley were said to have de-scribed the local wine as “bon de gout”(“good-tasting”), which the Ahr’svintners understood as “Bunte Kuh”.Located above the rock is the winetavern “Zur bunten Kuh”, whose gar-den terrace offers a unique view. Weinhaus “Zur bunten Kuh” • Marien-thaler Str. 60, Walporzheim/Ahr •Tel. 02641-346 06 • www.weinhaus-bunte-kuh.de • Warm meals served all

day Tues-Sun

DernauThe landmark of the largest wine-growing village on the Ahr is theKrausberg. From here, on a clear day,one can see as far as the CologneCathedral. When a white flag wavesat the top of the observation tower,the hiking lodge on the Krausberg isopen for service. Dernau is alsohome to the largest wine growers’ co-operative in the region, the Dagerno-va Weinmanufaktur.www.krausberg-dernau.de

Bad Neuenahr Golf ClubWith its 18-hole championshipcourse, this uniquely situated golfclub, on the heights to the northeast ofBad Neuenahr, is among the top golfcourses in the Cologne-Bonn areaand is listed among the “Leading Golf

Courses of Germany.” Non-golferswill also receive a warm welcome atthe renowned Köhlerhof restaurantlocated on the club grounds.– Golf- und Landclub Bad Neuenahr •Großer Weg 100, Bad Neuenahr-Lohrsdorf • Tel. 02641-95 09 50 •www.glc-badneuenahr.de– Restaurant Köhlerhof • open daily 9am-midnight • Tel. 02641-66 93 •www.koehlerhof.de

RechWith its stone arches straddling theAhr, the Nepomuk Bridge is the fas-cinating landmark of this old wine-growing village in the SaffenburgerLändchen region. Built in 1723, itwas the only Ahr bridge to survivethe great flood of 1910 – perhaps be-cause it was protected by its patronsaint. Rech lies on the middle reach-es of the Ahr, very close to the de-lightful section where the rivermakes its narrowest loops.www.rech-weindorf.de

WALKING AND HIKING TRAILS

Ahr Valley Bike TrailFrom the Rhine near Sinzig to theAhr’s source in the Eifel village ofBlankenheim – on the Ahr ValleyBike Trail, you ride “against the cur-rent” through the beautiful riverlandscape. Terraced vineyards andrugged rock faces are interspersedwith sections of forest and romanticcastle ruins. In the wine-growing vil-lages, there are places to stop for re-freshment that will suit every taste.With its minimal inclines, the biketrail is ideal for families and seniors.

FOOD AND DRINK

Brogsitters Sanct PeterSince 1246, this historic inn in Wal-

19

DID YOU KNOW ...

… that the “Bunte Kuh” marks thenarrowest point in the Ahr valley?It opens into the wider valley bot-tom of the Lower Ahr.


AHR: Nearby destinations

porzheim has been welcomingguests to its gourmet RestaurantBrogsitter, the Weinkirche restaurantand the Kaminstube (fireplacelounge). Guests can enjoy creativegourmet cuisine, regional specialtiesand sophisticated, high-qualitywines in the tasteful atmosphere ofthese 13th-century buildingssteeped in tradition. From 1246 to1805, the property, with its inn andwinery, belonged to the chapter ofCologne Cathedral, whose canonsvalued the excellent Ahr wine sohighly that they dubbed it the “pearlof the cathedral treasury.”Walporzheimer Str. 134, Bad Neuen-ahr-Ahrweiler/Walporzheim • Tel. 02641-977 50 • www.sanct-peter.de • open from 6 pm, Weinkirche andKaminstube from 11 am • €€€€


Ahr Wine MarketOn Pentecost weekend (late May-early June), visitors have the uniqueopportunity to sample wines fromthroughout the Ahr valley. At theWine Market in Ahrweiler’s historicOld Town, vintners and growers’ co-operatives present their wines andsparkling wines and brandies. Thehighlight of the market is the crown-

ing of the new Ahr Valley WineQueen on the Saturday before Pente-cost.Pentecost weekend (2012: May 26-28) • www.ahrtal.de/weinfeste.php

Historic Wine Festival and Vintners’ Parade, HeimersheimIn Heimersheim, the Middle Agescome to life again every year in Au-gust. Knights, noblewomen, monksand witches parade through thestreets; minstrels, drummers, luteplayers and bear trainers provide en-tertainment and live music. Bowmakers, potters and cheese makerspresent their handiwork, and mouseroulette is a lively diversion. And ofcourse, there is no shortage of deli-cious grape products from the Ahrregion.Third weekend in August •www.historisches-weinfest-heimersheim.de

Art & Wine, BachemIn September, Bachem is trans-formed into a giant open-air studio,where painters, sculptors, wood-carvers and other artists allow visi-tors to look over their shoulderswhile they work. On Sundayevening, the “Parade of 10,000Lights” lends the wine-growing vil-lage a magical glow.Second-to-last weekend in Septem-ber • www.weindorf-bachem.de

SERVICEINFORMATION

Ahrwein e. V./Ahrtal-Tourismus •Hauptstr. 80, Bad Neuenahr-Ahrwei-ler • Tel. 02641-917 10 • www.ahr-wein.de, www.ahrtal.de

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T

THE RED WINE HIKING TRAIL

The picturesque Red Wine HikingTrail is a must-see in the Ahr valley. Over a distance of 35 km(22 miles), it connects the wine-growing villages in the Ahr valleyfrom Bad Bodendorf to Altenahr. www.ahrwein.de

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Baden In the warmest part of Germany, nestled

between sheltering mountain ranges, lies the wine-growing

region of Baden. The sunny vineyard slopes provide ideal

conditions for growing high quality wines.


Baden

(Pinot Blanc) account for more thanhalf of the varieties cultivated here.This region is considered one of theworld’s most important sources ofSpätburgunder. Nevertheless, thegrape varieties that grow in Baden areas diverse as the region itself. In addi-tion to Pinots, there are Riesling,Müller-Thurgau, Silvaner, Muskatel -ler (Muscat), Traminer and the re-gional specialty, Gutedel (Chasselas).This diversity is made possiblethanks to the wide range of land-scapes and soils. The gentle eleva-tions in the Kraichgau stand in con-trast to the heights of the Kaiserstuhlarea and the southern flair of the Bo-densee region. The different grapevarieties thrive on the heat-retainingmoraine deposits of the lake, shell-limestone and keuper in the Kraich-gau and on the Tauber River, andloess and loam in the Kaiserstuhl,Tuniberg and Markgräflerland dis-tricts.

From Kraichgau to theKaiserstuhlWine cultivation in Baden datesback to the Romans. They began cul-tivating grapes to the west of theRhine over 2000 years ago. Begin-ning in Alsace, cultivation spread towhat is now the wine-growing re-gion of Baden. The first grapes wereplanted as early as the 1st centuryCE. Wine cultivation was first docu-mented in the 8th century. The culti-vation of quality wines was not pro-moted until around 1700. Today,Baden is famous throughout theworld for its high-quality wines.Over 100 wine festivals, numerouseducational and hiking trails and ofcourse, the many wine taverns bearwitness to this long tradition.

Like a long, narrow ribbon, the wine-growing region of Baden stretchesfor 400 km (249 miles) along theRhine. It extends from the Bodensee(Lake Constance) in the south up toTauberfranken, which forms thenorthwest border of the region,somewhat removed from the Rhine.The Vosges mountains, Black Forest,Palatinate Forest and Odenwald hillssurround the region, where – thanksto its sheltered location and abun-dant sunshine – the weather condi-tions are almost Mediterranean.

Baden: “Pinot Country”The third-largest wine-growing re-gion in Germany, with ca. 16,000 ha(39,537 acres) of vineyards, is subdi-vided into nine districts. From thesouth are the Bodensee (Lake Con-stance), Markgräflerland and Tu-niberg – through Breisgau nearFreiburg, to the Kaiserstuhl, thewarmest region in Germany. To thenorth, it stretches across the Orte-nau, the Kraichgau and the BadischeBergstrasse up to Tauberfranken.Sufficient summer precipitation,protection from cold winds, andstrong sunshine provide optimalconditions. Baden is the only Ger-man wine-growing region to be clas-sified in EU wine-growing zone B –the same zone as Champagne, Alsaceand Savoie. For vintners, this meansthat the minimum starting mustweights of their grapes are higherthan in other regions.Baden is Pinot country: Spätburgun-der (Pinot Noir), Grauburgunder(Pinot Gris) and Weissburgunder

É The pilgrimage church of Birnau

towers above the abbey’s own vine-

yards on the banks of Überlingen Lake.

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BADEN

The “Holy Ghost Torkel” inMeersburgÑ Fold-out map, G 22

The rooms of the former Holy GhostHospital in Meersburg now house thesmall wine museum, also known asthe “Heilig-Geist-Torkel” (“HolyGhost Torkel”). The name is bor-rowed from that of the torkel, an oldwine press. The word “torkel” stemsfrom the Latin root “torquere,” mean-ing to crank or turn. The massive,wooden Holy Ghost Torkel datesback to 1607, and is thought to be theoldest functioning wine press in theLake Constance region. It was usedfor pressing wine here until 1922.In 1961, the Viticulture Museummoved into the rooms of the formerhospital, which is only a short dis-tance away from the picturesquebanks of the Bodensee. In formertimes, the ground floor of this 17th-

3

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century building contained thewine-pressing hall, while the upperfloor housed the hospital’s so-called“prebendary quarters.”

Viticulture exhibitionIn the 1950s, Willy Stingl, the cellarmaster of the Meersburg State Win-ery at that time, began collecting theobjects on display in the museum today. In addition to the torkel, an-other highlight is the imposing“Türkenfass.” This richly ornament-ed wine cask has a capacity of 50,000liters. The exhibit also includes tradi-tional cooper’s tools, beautifullycarved wine barrels and a grapetransporter.Weinbaumuseum • Vorburggasse 11,Meersburg • Tel. 07532-44 04 00 •www.meersburg.de • April-Oct: openTues, Fri & Sun 2-6 pm • Entrance fee € 2

Reichenau – where wine ismade on the water

Ñ Fold-out map, G 22

In 724, Reichenau did not look as pic-turesque. A primeval forest coveredthe island when the itinerant monkSt. Pirmin arrived there and foundeda Benedictine monastery. As early as818, Abbot Hatto I planted the firstgrapevines; they flourished so wellthat 100 years later, vineyard workershad to be imported onto the island tohelp with the cultivation.However, it was not only wine thatbrought fame to this tiny island,which is only 4 km (2.5 miles) longand 1.5 km (0.9 miles) wide. In theMiddle Ages, with its numerouschurches and abbey complexes, Rei -chenau Island developed into an im-portant spiritual and cultural centerof the Holy Roman Empire. A large

4

Meersburg Castle was home to the poet

Annette von Droste-Hülshoff.


The “Holy Ghost Torkel” – The Great Cask

number of its churches and muralsare still well preserved today and areopen to visitors. In 2000, Reichenauwas named a UNESCO World Her-itage Site.

The island with the best climateFor centuries, viticulture formed theeconomic basis for the island’s resi-dents. The mild Bodensee climate,with its minor temperature fluctua-tions, provides the ideal conditions.Only later was vegetable cultivationadded as an additional branch ofeconomic activity. Nevertheless,even the favorable climate could notprotect Reichenau’s inhabitants fromsetbacks. In the 19th century, theywere plagued by crop failures, vine-yard pests and an overall decline inprices. In response, Reichenauparish priest Meinrad Meier found-ed the Reichenau Wine Growers’ Co-operative together with 62 othervintners. Today, Baden’s smallest in-dependent wine-growing coopera-tive cultivates approximately 18 ha(44 acres) of vineyards; 100 yearsago, this number was 140 ha (345acres). In the past, churches andvineyards dominated Reichenau’slandscape; today, they are joined bygreenhouses and lettuce fields.– Tourist Information • Pirminstr. 145,Reichenau • Tel. 07534–920 70 •www.reichenau.de– Winzerverein Insel Reichenau e. G. •Münsterpl. 4, Reichenau • Tel. 07534–293 • www.winzerverein-reichenau.de

The Great Cask at Heidelberg Castle

Ñ Fold-out map, F 17

The wine cask of Count Palatine Jo-hann Kasimir was intended to be

5

larger than any other barrel on earth.After the death of his brother, ElectorPalatine Ludwig VI, Johann Kasimirtook over regency of the Kurpfalz(Electoral Palatinate) in 1583, asguardian of his nephew Friedrich. In1591, after many years of labor, Lan-dau cooper Michael Werner com-pleted the enormous cask – a gigan-tic container capable of holding127,000 liters of wine. An extra roomhad to be built in the HeidelbergCastle just to accommodate it: Thevat was housed directly adjacent tothe royal hall. This was especiallypractical for large celebrations, sincerefills were readily available whenthe wine in the glasses ran out.“This work is by God worth seeing,when the appropriate opportunityarises. I do not believe there is anoth-er such vessel enriched by the greatgift of the vine within the reaches ofthe globe.” So reads the oldest pre-served description of the Great Cask,composed by the theologian andpastor Anton Praetorius in 1595. To-day, we can only guess at the intend-ed purpose of this oversized cask; it ispossible that the tithe wine of theKurpfalz was stored here.

Colossal dimensionsBetween 1618 and 1648, the JohannKasimir Cask was destroyed in theThirty Years’ War, and the wood wasset afire. In 1664, Elector Karl Ludwigordered the construction of an evenlarger barrel. This 195,000-liter caskeven had a dance floor built on the top.It survived the destruction of the cas-tle in 1688-89 and 1693, but attemptsat repairing it proved unsuccessful.Thus, in 1728, the third cask wasconstructed. With a capacity of202,000 liters, it was even larger than

25


BADEN

its predecessor – but unfortunately, itleaked. Its contractor, Elector KarlPhilipp, brought a 100 kg (220 lb),heavily drinking dwarf back withhim from a trip to Tyrol, and ap-pointed the man his court jester andguardian of the barrel. When askedwhether he could drink the contentsof the cask all by himself, the dwarfreportedly answered “perché no?”(“why not?”) – and was henceforthcalled Perkeo. Perkeo was given thehuge key to the wine cellar and enter-tained both the court and the city ofHeidelberg with his antics. Accord-ing to legend, Perkeo died after adoctor forbade him to continuedrinking exclusively wine and or-dered him to drink water. Perkeodrank water, and died one day later.Today, his statue stands next to theGreat Cask, now the fourth of itskind.

26

Leaky, but impressiveThe Karl Theodor Cask was com-pleted in 1751 through the completerebuilding of the Karl Philipp Cask,as well as partial new construction.Its volume was 221,726 liters, but itunfortunately proved to be as leakyas the previous barrel, and was there-fore filled only three times in its exis-tence. Today, the Great Cask’s capac-ity has shrunk by over 27,000 litersdue to the drying out of the wood.Nevertheless, the Karl Theodor Caskin the castle’s vaulted cellar is a mag-net for tourists just like its predeces-sors; every year it attracts nearly onemillion visitors.Also well worth seeing are the castleruins themselves with their variouswings, and the breathtaking view ofHeidelberg and the Neckar valleyfrom the castle terrace. In addition tothe permanent exhibition, “The

The Great Cask at Heidelberg Castle has a capacity of 219,000 liters. The initials refer

to Elector Palatine Karl Theodor, who ordered its construction.


The Great Cask – Winklerberg Volcanic Rock Garden

Palatinate on the Rhine,” which is de-voted to the history of the Kurpfalz,the castle garden and the GermanApothecary Museum – one of Ger-many’s most frequently visited mu-seums – make for a rewarding visit. The castle is easily accessible via fu-nicular railway. Those who are goodat walking can take the steep but pic-turesque paved mountain path fromthe valley station in the Old Town:You can reach the castle on foot injust a few minutes. At the castle itself,events are held throughout the year –from tours with guides dressed inhistorical costumes, to concerts, tothe illumination of the castle in thesummer months. Heidelberger Schloss • Service-Center • Tel. 06221-53 84 31 • www.schloss-heidelberg.de • Castle gar-den and Great Cask open daily 8 am -5:30 pm • Entrance fee € 5 (includesfunicular, castle garden, Great Caskand German Apothecary Museum)

Winklerberg Volcanic RockGarden, Ihringen

Ñ Fold-out map, D 21

In the middle of the Kaiserstuhl dis-trict, not far from Freiburg, is a trulyexotic site: wild cacti with sweet-and-sour fruits grow between thesteep vineyard slopes of Ihringen’sWinklerberg; countless orchids growhere (a total of 33 species exist in theKaiserstuhl); and rare western greenlizards sun themselves on the drystone walls. Flitting in between arered-winged grasshoppers, an insectspecies that is also very rare in Ger-many. The mild climate and volcanicsoils, the products of a 15-million-year-old extinct volcano, provide anoptimal habitat for these unusual an-imals and plants.

6

The noble Kaiserstuhl winesFlourishing here too, of course, arethose products that made thiswarmest region in Germany famous:the premium Kaiserstuhl wines. Thefirst written record of the Kaiser-stuhl’s wine-growing community ofIhringen, dating from 962, docu-ments wine cultivation which hadprobably already existed here formuch longer. Outstanding Bur-gundy varieties grow on the steep,terraced slopes. The vintner GeorgErnst Lythin first laid the ground-work for cultivating this noble winein 1813. He planted Pinot, Traminerand Muskateller grapes, which flour-ished beautifully on the volcanicstones, and developed their unique,volcanic mineral note.Today, around 600 ha (1482 acres) ofvineyards are cultivated in Ihringen.The most famous location is Winkler-berg, which takes its name from thecrooked, labyrinthine (verwinkelt)layout of the vineyards. Much of the

work on Winklerberg is still done byhand, since the steep slopes are virtu-ally unreachable with machines.Visitors who wish to explore theWinklerberg on their own can followthe trail marked “Vulkanfelsgarten-Pfad” (“Volcanic Rock GardenTrail”), which begins at an informa-

27

DID YOU KNOW ...

… that the Baroque poet JohannJakob von Grimmelshausen, aut-hor of the novel The AdventurousSimplicissimus, was a patron ofviticulture? On behalf of HansReinhard von Schauenburg, heordered the planting of the Ober-kirch vineyards.


BADEN

tion board at the intersection ofWinklerberg/Achkarren. Ascendingthe path, you are treated to a magnif-

icent view extending as far as theVosges Mountains, the Black Forestand the Jura Mountains in Switzer-land. Plan around 1 ½ hours to travelthe 2.4 km (1.5 miles) trail on foot.Tourist-Info • Bachenstr. 38, Ihringenam Kaiserstuhl • Tel. 0 76 68/93 43 •www.ihringen.de, www.kaiserstuhl.eu

Nearby destinationsSIGHTS

The mysterious MummelseeJust a few kilometers from the com-munity of Sasbachwalden, in a darkmountain lake, the Mummelseeghost carries out its mischief. Atnight, the Mümmlein (water spirits)rise to the surface and dance. Onlyone of the Mümmlein ever incurred

the rage of her king: she fell in lovewith a local farmer’s son and wascondemned to die. Today, well-known artists display their work outdoors on the Artists’ Path thatsurrounds the legend-steeped Mum -melsee. The circular walking trailsthat lead past the lake are also recom-mended.Mummelsee Erlebniswelt, BerghotelMummelsee • Schwarzwaldhochstr.11, Seebach/Mummelsee • Tel.07842-992 86 • www.mummelsee.de

Müllheim in the Markgräflerland Southern European flair greets visi-tors to the town of Müllheim. In thesummer months, this town in thesouthern Black Forest hosts numer-ous open-air events, from concerts tostreet performers to wine festivals.One of the annual highlights is thewine market held in April – the oldestof its kind in Baden. If you want to,you can even help out Müllheim’svintners in September and October.In the nearby village of Zunzingen isGermany’s only wine label museum,with around 1200 items on display.– Tourist Information • Wilhelmstr.14, Müllheim • Tel. 07631-80 15 00 •www.muellheim.de– Wine Label Museum at Weingut Dr.Schneider • Rosenbergstr. 10, Müll-heim-Zun zingen • Tel. 07631-29 15 •www.weingut-dr-schneider.de • Mon-Sat 2-6 pm

TauberbischofsheimIn the midst of the lovely Tauber val-ley, in the northernmost section ofthe Baden wine-growing region, liesthe wine-growing town of Tauber-bischofsheim. The historic OldTown, housing buildings from theRenaissance, Baroque and neo-

28

The medieval Türmersturm in Tauber-

bischofsheim dates back to 1280.


Winklerberg Volcanic Rock Garden – Nearby destinations

you can also take tours of the vine-yards by tractor or guided vineyardwalking tours (reservations re-quired).Kaiserstühler WinzergenossenschaftIhringen • Winzerstr. 6, Ihringen •Tel. 07668-903 60 • www.winzer -genossenschaft-ihringen.de

MUSEUMS

Freilichtmuseum Vogtsbauernhof(Open Air Farm Museum)What were life and work like foreveryday people in the Black Forestcenturies ago? At Baden-Württem-berg’s largest open-air museum, lo-cated in the Ortenau district, the pastcomes alive. Visitors can see farms,mills and saws, farmers’ gardens andstables. An especially pleasant way toarrive is via the Black Forest Railwayto Hausach. From there you cancomplete the trip by bus or on foot;the walk to the museum takes a littleover half an hour.Schwarzwälder FreilichtmuseumVogtsbauernhof • Gutach • Tel. 07831-

29

Gothic periods, is particularly wortha visit, and a variety of guided toursare available. Both children andadults can scale the city’s landmark,the 28 m-high Türmersturm tower. Tourist Information • Marktpl. 8, Tau-berbischofsheim • Tel. 09341-803 13• www.tauberbischofsheim.de

Vogtsburg in KaiserstuhlIn the small town of Vogtsburg inKaiserstuhl, all activity really doesrevolve around wine: six wine grow-ers’ cooperatives, around 1000 vint-ners and an annual production of al-most 11 million liters of wine makeVogtsburg the largest viticulturalcommunity in Baden-Württemberg.In addition to the many tours andvisits that are available, you can alsoenjoy the Viticulture Museum in thesuburb of Achkarren, and theCorkscrew Museum in Burkheim,where over 800 corkscrews are ondisplay.– Tourist Information • Bahnhofstr. 20,Vogtsburg-Oberrotweil • Tel. 07662-940 11 • www.vogtsburg-im-kaiser-stuhl.de– Kaiserstühler Weinbaumuseum (Viticulture Museum) • Schloss-bergstr., Vogtsburg-Achkarren • FromPalm Sunday to All Saints’ Day, openTues-Fri 2-5 pm, Sat & Sun 11 am-5 pm • Entrance fee € 2 – Korkenziehermuseum (CorkscrewMuseum) • Mittelstadt 18, Vogtsburg-Burkheim • Tel. 0173-700 12 42 •www.korkenzieher.de • March-Dec,Wed-Sun 11 am-6 pm

Wine tastingAnyone who spends time in Kaiser-stuhl should definitely attend a winetasting – for example, at the IhringenWine Growers’ Cooperative. Here

A vintner examines a white wine with an

experienced, critical eye.


BADEN

935 60 • www.vogtsbauernhof.org •April-Oct, open daily 9 am-6 pm; inAugust until 7 pm • Entrance fee € 7

PfahlbaumuseumUnteruhldingenThe Lake Dwelling Museum, whichopened in 1922, transports visitorsback to the Stone and Bronze Ages.On a trip back in time, the museumdemonstrates how, 6000 years ago,people literally settled on the Bo-densee. The lake dwellings have beenreconstructed as faithfully as possi-ble and give a vivid impression of thelives of their inhabitants. The muse-um’s exhibition rooms contain spec-tacular original artifacts accompa-nied by changing special exhibitions.Pfahlbaumuseum Unteruhldingen •Strandpromenade 6, Uhldingen-Mühlhofen • Tel. 07556-92 89 00 •www.pfahlbauten.de • April-Sept,

open 9 am-7 pm; for other opening times, call or see museum website •Entrance fee € 7,50

Rothenburg ob der TauberRothenburg ob der Tauber is home totwo unusual museums. A favoriteamong visitors from both Germanyand abroad is the Christmas Museumin the town center. Here, sparklingtree ornaments, bearded SantaClauses, nutcrackers and giganticChristmas pyramids are on displayall year round. Just one block away,the focus is on less charming themes:the Medieval Crime Museum, themost important museum of legal his-tory in Germany, is devoted to thelaws and punishments of the past1000 years.– Deutsches Weihnachtsmuseum •Herrn gasse 1, Rothenburg ob der Tau-

30

The legend-shrouded Mummelsee lies at the foot of the Hornisgrinde, the highest

mountain in the northern Black Forest (Ñ p. 28).


Nearby destinations

ber • www.weihnachtsmuseum.de •April to mid-Dec, open daily 10 am-5 pm; mid-Jan to March, Sat & Sun 11 am-4 pm • Entrance fee € 4 – Kriminalmuseum • Burggasse 3–5,Rothenburg ob der Tauber • Tel.09861-53 59 • www.kriminalmuseum.rothenburg.de •Nov, Jan, Feb, opendaily 2-4 pm; March, Dec, daily 1-4 pm; April daily 11 am-5 pm; May-Oct daily 10 am-6 pm • Entrancefee € 4


Baden Wine RouteThe Baden Wine Route begins on theLichtentaler Allee in Baden-Badenand continues over 160 km (100miles) to Weil am Rhein, just beforethe Swiss border. The scenic routeleads through many important wine-growing communities in Ortenau,Breisgau, Kaiserstuhl, Tuniberg andMarkgräferland. Along the way, inaddition to vineyards, educationalwine paths and countless wine tav-erns, visitors can also discover plentyof monasteries, castles and old tim-ber-frame buildings. You can explorethe Baden Wine Route on foot, by bi-cycle, and of course by car.– Schwarzwald Tourismus • Ludwig -str. 23, Freiburg • Tel. 0761-896 46 93• www.schwarzwald-tourismus.info– OFL Medien • Meisternstr. 20, BadWildbad • Tel. 07081-72 05 •www.deutsche-weinstrassen.de

Markgräfler WiiwegliWeil am Rhein marks the beginningof the Wiiwegli, a 77 km-long (48miles) hiking trail through the Mark-gräflerland at the edge of the southernBlack Forest. Over the course of fourday trips, you can explore this won-derfully warm wine-growing region

on foot. The trail leads along the vine-yards through Efringen-Kirchen, BadBellingen, Müllheim and Sulzburg, allthe way to Freiburg. Signs bearing ared diamond with a cluster of grapespoint the way. The trail is at its mostbeautiful in the spring, when the fruittrees are in bloom, or in the fall at har-vest time. Then there is always the op-portunity to stop at a winery, seasonalwine tavern or vinotheque for restand refreshment. Schwarzwald Tourismus • Schwennin-ger Str. 3, Villingen-Schwenningen •Tel. 07721-84 64 15 • www.wiiwegli.de, www.wein-schwarzwald.info

Letzenberg Wine TrailIn the northwestern Kraichgaustands the Letzenberg, which pro-vides a magnificent panoramic viewof the Odenwald to the north, theBlack Forest to the south, the Palati-

31

THE “REBENBUMMLER” MUSEUM TRAIN

Puffing comfortably along, the“Rebenbummler” (“Grapevinewand erer”), with its historic steamlocomotive, makes its way throughthe vineyards of the Kaiserstuhl.The summits of Belchen,Schauinsland and the BreisachMünsterberg lie in the distance; af-ter traveling 16 miles, you can ex-plore the Old Town of Breisach.“Wine Tastings on the Rails” are al-so available from May to October.Kaiserstühler Verkehrsbüro •

Adelshof 20, Endingen • Tel. 07642-689 90 • www.rebenbummler.de

MERIAN-Tip bg !2!


BADEN

nate Forest to the west and theKraichgau hill country to the east.The hill where the Peasants’ Revoltbegan at the prince-bishopric ofSpeyer in 1525 is now the site of a 7 km(4.3 miles)-long, wine-themedhiking trail. Along the way, signs provide infor-mation on various subjects – from an ABC of wine, to the history of the wine-growing community ofMalsch. The local wine estates wel-come visitors to wine tastings; theaward-winning Hummel estate – aproducer of both wine and Sekt(sparkling wine) – also offers wineand cheese seminars and guidedtours of its vineyards. – Community of Malsch • Kirchberg10, Malsch • Tel. 07253-925 20 •

www.malsch-weinort.de– Wein- & Sektgut Hummel • ObererMühlweg 5, Malsch • Tel. 07253-

271 48 • www.weingut-hummel.de,www.leben-im-kraichgau.de

FOOD AND DRINK

ZirbelstubeFine Swiss pinewood (Zirbelholz)decorates the walls and ceilings ofthis gourmet restaurant in Freiburg.Here, award-winning chef AlfredKlink continually surprises his guestswith ingenious creations from hiskitchen. Since 2001, he has rankedamong the top 13 chefs in Germany.In the Hotel Colombi • Rott eckring 16,Freiburg • Tel. 0761-210 60 •

www.colombi.de • €€€€

Zehners StubeThis historic town hall, dating from1575, now contains a gourmet restau-rant whose chef, Friedrich Zehner, isknown as the “King of Sauces.” Theclassically elegant restaurant with its

32

The wine queen and her princesses greet visitors at the Wine and Harvest Festival in

Sasbachwalden on the western slopes of the Black Forest.


Nearby destinations

groin-vault ceilings serves high-quality Baden wines along with thechef ’s culinary creations.Weinstr. 39, Pfaffenweiler • Tel.07664-62 25 • www.zehnersstube.de• €€€€

Jägersteig Restaurant and HotelLocated beneath the romanticWindeck Castle ruins, the Jägersteigrestaurant in Bühl offers excellent re-gional cuisine and an enchantingview across the Rhine valley as far asthe Vosges Mountains.Kappelwindeckerstr. 95, Bühl-Kap-pelwindeck • Tel. 07223-985 90 •www.jaegersteig.de • €€

“Hikers’ restaurant”: Zur LilieThis inn is located directly in theLilienthal, a recreational area that ishome to many exotic plants. The“Lilie” (“Lily”) offers home-style cui-sine from the Baden region and fea-tures an adventure playground for itsyounger guests.Am Lilienhof, Ihringen • Tel. 07668-7808 • www.lilie-ihringen.de • €


Winzertage Medieval WineFestival, SteinbachAgainst a picturesque backdrop oftimber-frame buildings, the medievalWinzertage wine festival takes placeeach year at the beginning of June inthe Steinbach suburb of Baden-Baden. Jousting tournaments, theaterperformances and authors’ readingsare held here in the Städl (Old Town)surrounding the 750-year-old citywall. The athletic highlight of the 3-day festival is the Markt -schesenrennen (pushcart race) aroundthe church. If you want to know whatthis is all about, it is best to ask the lo-

cals! Along with the region’s culinaryspecialties, a wide variety of Badenwines are available here.Early June– Ortsverwaltung Rebland • Steinba-cher Str. 55, Baden-Baden • Tel.07223-93 12 63 • www.baden-baden.de– Baden-Baden Kur & Tourismus •Solmstr. 1, Baden-Baden • Tel.07221-27 52 00

Freiburg Wine FestivalFor one week at the beginning of July, everything in Freiburg revolvesaround its wine festival. With thebreathtaking Freiburg Minster as itsbackdrop, wine-growing coopera-tives and wine estates from through-out the region present their wares on the Münsterplatz (MinsterSquare). Early July • Freiburg Wirtschaft Touris-tik und Messe • Rathausgasse 33,Freiburg • Tel. 0761-38 81 01 •

www.freiburger-weinfest.de

SERVICEINFORMATION

– Badischer Wein GmbH • BaslerLandstrasse 28 b, Freiburg • Tel 0761-89 78 47 84 • www.badischerwein.de– Badischer Weinbauverband e. V. •Freiburg, Merzhauser Str. 115, Frei-burg • Tel. 0761-45 91 00 •www.badischer-weinbauverband.de

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Travelers to the Baden wine regionwho wish to visit one of the area’smany wine festivals can consult theGerman Wine Institute’s easy-to-read calendar on the Internet.www.deutscheweine.de/Wein-Tourismus/Veranstaltungstipps

33


ported throughout the world. From St.Petersburg to New York and from Lon-don to Florence, Selters soon becameknown as the epitome of highest-qual-ity mineral water. Even today, in manycountries, the name is a synonym forsparkling, carbonated mineral water.In the USA it is called “seltzer”, in Por-tugal “Agua de seltz”, in Russia “Sel-terskaja woda”, and in Turkey “Seltzsuyu”.At the beginning of the 19th century,the famous springs dried up. However,thanks to the citizens of Selters,drilling was initiated at the end of the19th century. There was great jubila-tion when, in 1896, a tremendousfountain of crystal-clear water shot up

Just as a good wine reflects the terroirtypical of its origin, every mineral wa-ter has its own unique taste as well.The most influential factor is thestones with which it has come intocontact over the course of thousandsof years.

Liquid treasure As early as the Middle Ages, thesparkling spring water from Selters ander Lahn was a highly prized beverage.The refreshing mineral water quicklybecame well known even beyond theborders of the Lahn valley, and wasdrunk at the noblest tables. Bottled inheavy clay jugs, this delicious waterfrom Hessen’s mineral springs was ex-

Wine and Water This liquid treasure is

between eight and twelve thousand years old: the mineral

springs in Selters an der Lahn.

In Focus


luxurious red wines – particularly tobarrique-fermented premium wineswith strong aromas and high tannincontent. Due to its low-sodium miner-al content, it is also ideal for preparinginfant formulas.

The right mineral balance“Man shall not live by bread alone,”the Bible says – and without water,wine only tastes half as good. Thosewho wish to truly enjoy wine shoulddrink double the amount of wateralong with it – ideally at a temperaturebetween 8 and 14 °C (46 to 57 °F). Therole of mineral water as an accompani-ment to wine has been studied at oneof the world’s leading colleges ofoenology and beverage technology.The Geisenheim Faculty at the Rhein-Main University of Applied Sciencesevaluated 16 premium mineral watersin an eight-month-long study with over100 participants, including studentsof the subject, doctoral candidates,oenologists, sommeliers and homeeconomists from 14 different wine-growing countries throughout theworld. On the one hand, the scientific tests ofdifferent waters in combination withvarious wines examined the bever-ages’ neutralizing effects; on the oth-er, it focused on the supplemental andcomplementary effects of different wa-ters when consumed together withwine. Engineering professor Dr. MarkStobl concluded from the study thatSelters water “is influenced by wine,and thereby enhances the taste expe-rience rather than dampening or di-minishing it”.Selters Mineralquelle Augusta Victoria • Seltersweg 1, Löhnberg-Selters • Tel. 06471-60 90 • www.selters.de

In Focus

from a depth of 300 m (984 ft) beneaththe Laneburg castle. The first mineralsprings operation was named in honorof Germany’s last empress, “Selters-Sprudel Augusta-Victoria”; today, thewater is known by the name “SeltersMineralquelle Augusta-Victoria.”Whether fizzy, lightly sparkling or still– the right water is available for every-one. The different variations in car-bonation and mineral content aresuitable for different dishes andwines, since the perfect mineral watercan enhance the flavor of a meal stillfurther.

Crystal-clear water from300 m (984 ft) below theearthA fizzy mineral water with a lively, re-freshing flavor, for example, is an ide-al accompaniment for sweet dishesand half-dry to semi-sweet, fruitywines. The balanced mineral composi-tion, including calcium, magnesium,hydrogen carbonate and other impor-tant ingredients gives the body thematerials it needs for a well-balancedwater supply.Mineral water with reduced carbona-tion combines well with full-bodied,dry white wines with pronounced acid-ity – for example, Riesling or Weissbur-gunder. However, it is also a goodmatch for light red wines or as an ac-companiment to poultry or seafood.Thanks to its ideal mineral composi-tion, this is also excellent water forsupporting athletic activity and ahealthy diet.Still, non-carbonated mineral watergently rounds off the strong flavors ofspicy dishes. It is a good companion to

É Sparkling or still mineral water is

always an ideal accompaniment to wine.

35


Franken Gently rolling hills and steep cliffs line the

banks of the Main River and its tributaries. This is the

home of Franconian wines, which are celebrated both in

Germany and throughout the world.


Franken

varieties are Bacchus, Scheurebe andRiesling. The leading red varieties areDomina and Spätburgunder.

The home of the BocksbeutelIn general, Franken’s climate is conti-nental, marked by cold winters andhot summers; however, in the shel-tered valleys of the Main and its trib-utaries and on the slopes of theSteigerwald, the microclimate isMediterranean in nature – with per-fect conditions for viticulture. Theregion’s soils are as varied as its land-scapes: keuper predominates in theSteigerwald, shell-limestone in theMain Triangle and new red sand-stone in the Main Square. The Mainriver loop near Volkach is dominatedby clayish marl/keuper and driftingsands, while grapevines in the Aschaffenburg area flourish on crys-talline primary rock. The soils arerich in nutrients and produce wineswith an earthy, mineral character. Inthe words of Kurt Tucholsky: “Fran-conian wine is as profound and pureas the chime of a bell.”According to a deed of gift fromCharlemagne, viticulture in Frankendates back at least as far as 777 AD.The oldest vineyard site with its ownofficial name is considered to be theWürzburger Stein. Even JohannWolfgang von Goethe, in his time,was enchanted by the wines that growin the steep site north of Würzburg.“Send me a few more Würzburger,because no other wine tastes good tome, and I am peevish when my ac-customed favorite drink has run out,”he wrote to his wife Christine in 1806.Today, the Würzburger Stein is Ger-many’s largest individual vineyardsite.

É Just one of the many beautifully

situated wine-growing villages on the

Main River, Stammheim

37

The Franken wine-growing regionlies between the Rhön Mountainsand the Tauber valley, the Spessartand the Steigerwald mountainranges. Most of the vineyards lineboth sides of the Main River. Vine-yards stretch across nearly 100 km(62 miles) within Franken’s cuestalandscape, from Schweinfurt in theeast to Aschaffenburg in the west.One highly recognizable feature ofFranconian wines is the Bocksbeutel,a short-necked, round bottle. Theoldest known ancestor of this char-acteristic bottle can be seen in theMainfränkisches Museum inWürzburg: a Celtic clay vessel datingfrom around 1400 BC, which wasdiscovered in Wenigumstadt, nearAschaffenburg. Today, the Bocksbeu-tel is a symbol for superior qualitywines.

“Mainfranken is wine Franken”The wine-growing region is subdi-vided into three districts: the “MainTriangle” between Schweinfurt,Marktbreit and Gemünden; the“Main Square” between Lohr,Wertheim, Miltenberg and Aschaf-fenburg; and the Steigerwald districtin the area around Iphofen andCastell. The vineyards are distributedacross approximately 6000 ha (14,826acres); some 20% are terraced orsteep slopes. Among the grape vari-eties, whites predominate: ca. 80%.The most widely grown grape isMüller-Thurgau, followed by Silvan-er, the flagship wine of Franconianviticulture. Other locally significant


FRANKEN

Staatlicher Hofkeller Würz-burg Ñ Fold-out map, H/J 15

When people talk about theWürzburg Residence, they usuallymention the splendid palace com-plex with its famous staircase and gi-gantic ceiling fresco. They rarelythink of the foundation of this im-portant structure and its spaciouscellars. But in fact, the Residence’sunderworld is no less important –not only for architecture enthusiastsbut for wine connoisseurs as well.Since the 13th century, the prince-

7 bishops of Würzburg had lived in theMarienberg Fortress high above theleft bank of the Main, across from theold city center. However, during theage of Absolutism, many rulersthroughout Europe wished to expresstheir claims to power through the ar-chitectural layout of their residences.Following the example of Louis XIV,who moved his residence from hisParis city palace to Versailles, thePalatine Prince Electors left theirstately castle in Heidelberg andmoved to their new residence in

38

In the vaulted cellars below the Würzburg Residence, elegant dinners are served

between the liquid treasures of the Staatlicher Hofkeller.


Staatlicher Hofkeller

Mannheim, while in Sachsen, Augus-tus the Strong pressed ahead with thebuilding of the Zwinger in Dresden.

The work of Balthasar NeumannThe new Prince-Bishop’s Residenceon the east side of Würzburg’s citycenter was also built during this peri-od. Prince-Bishop Johann PhilippFranz von Schönborn commissionedBalthasar Neumann to draw up thebuilding plans. The latter was a rela-tively unknown master builder at thetime, but he was on the path to a greatcareer. For the palace’s interior deco-ration, the prince-bishop called uponartists from all over Europe, the mostprominent being Giovanni BattistaTiepolo, who created the world’slargest continuous ceiling frescoabove the grand staircase, as well asthe frescoes and stuccowork in theimperial hall and the court chapel. Due to the international composi-tion of its building committee, itsambitious nature and the originalityof the complex, the Würzburg Resi-dence was declared a World HeritageSite in 1981 and named the most un-usual and harmonious of all Baroquepalaces. Balthasar Neumann also de-signed the foundation of the resi-dence, with its vaulted cellars andsupporting walls up to 6.5 m (21 ft)thick.The wine cellar dates back to a deedof gift from the Würzburg bishopEmbricho, dated 1128. It existed asthe “Court Cellar of the Prince-Bish-op” from the end of the 12th centuryuntil the building’s secularization inthe early 19th century. Following theCongress of Vienna, the entire vine-yard property of the prince-bish-opric fell into the hands of the King-

dom of Bavaria, and after 1814 it wasknown as the “Bavarian Royal CourtCellar.” When Ludwig III, the lastBavarian king, abdicated in Novem-ber 1918, the court cellar became theBavarian state wine estate, theStaatlicher Hofkeller Würzburg.

Today, the Würzburg Hofkeller rep-resents the oldest winery to continu-ously remain in the possession of itsstate’s sovereign. Its eventful history isreflected in the vineyards, which arescattered throughout the entire grow-ing region. With 120 ha (296 acres) ofvineyards and an annual productionof around 900,000 bottles, it ranksamong Germany’s largest estates. TheRosenbachpalais directly adjacent tothe Residence houses the estate’s ad-ministrative offices.The Residence’s vast cellar facilitiesare also open to visitors. At the en-trance, guests are immediately greet-ed by the historic Kellerrecht, arhyming list of house rules whichtranslates as: “It is forbidden tosquabble, curse or utter obscenities,or to fling grand words around;scratching, writing on the walls,knocking on the barrels with one’shands or any impertinence or un-ruliness are not allowed here!”After this etiquette has been estab-lished, the underworld of the Resi-dence opens up into a space measur-

39

DID YOU KNOW ...

… that in Franken, Federweisser isknown as “Bremser”? Followingthe grape harvest, the must,which has just begun to ferment,is a popular beverage in Häcker-wirtschaften, as the small seaso-nal wine bars are called here.


FRANKEN

ing 4557 square (14,951 sq ft) me-ters, with temperatures between 15and 18 °C (59-64 °F). The woodencask storeroom offers space forabout 600,000 liters of wine.The heart of the historic vault is theStückfass cellar, which contains 100small “Stück” barrels. A “Stück” is anold Franconian unit of measurementequal to about 1200 liters. The ad-joining oval “rondel cellar,” with itsmassive central round piers is con-sidered a masterstroke of buildingengineering by Balthasar Neumann.It once supported the enormousweight of the prince-bishop’s theater,where the portrait gallery is locatedtoday. From the rondel cellar, visitorscan proceed to the chamber cellar,where only the prince-bishop’s finestwines were stored. In the civil ser-vants’ wine cellar, the liquid wages ofthe court were kept in three giganticcasks. Distinguished red wines areaged in the south wing of the cellar

beneath the chapel, while the adja-cent ice cellar – designed byBalthasar Neumann as the Residence“refrigerator” – is now used for aginghigh-quality red wines in barriques. An underground tunnel connectsthe northern and southern sectionsof the Residence wine cellar. Alongthe approximately 60-m-(197-ft)-long corridor hang illustrations de-picting the most important stationsin the more than 875 years of thecourt cellar’s history – from its be-ginnings in the 12th century untilthe present day.Rosenbachpalais • Residenzpl. 3,Würzburg • Tel. 0931-305 09 23 •

www.hofkeller.de

Bürgerspital zum HeiligenGeist Ñ Fold-out map, H/J 15

A glockenspiel chimes in Würzburgevery day at 11:00, 1:00, 3:00 and5:00. In the timber-framed gables ofthe house on the corner of Theater-

8

40

The cultural festival at the Juliusspital Wine Estate in Würzbug (Ñ p. 42) is a time for

celebration, music and Franconian wine; its slogan is “Living like God in Franconia.”


Staatlicher Hofkeller – Bürgerspital zum Heiligen Geist

strasse and Semmelstrasse, 13 bellsplay the “Kilianslied,” while abovethem, figures of pilgrims move pastpaintings of the Franconian apostle,St. Kilian, and his comrades, St. Col-man and St. Totnan. A white dovethen flaps its wings three times and,accompanied by the song “DieWürzburger Glöckli” (“The Bells ofWürzburg”), figures from a vintners’parade then encircle the three saints.Finally, a cellar master raises a toastto passersby from a small window.The glockenspiel dates from 1956and is part of a building complexsteeped in history: the Bürgerspitalzum Heiligen Geist.The complex, which includes an innand a hospital chapel as well as thehospital building, originated with adonation made in the early 14th cen-tury. Around 1316, Johann vonSteren, a wealthy Würzburg patri-cian, founded this “New Hospital”for the poor and needy outside of thecity gates. The city’s rapidly growingpopulation and the accompanyingsocial welfare issues prompted manywell-to-do citizens to support thechurch in its charitable work.

A spirit of charityIncome from interest and propertyrevenues supported the upkeep ofthe New Hospital. Soon, however,the founding family’s financialmeans were no longer sufficient, andother charitably-minded donorsstepped in. With the expansion ofthe donor community, the name waschanged to “New Hospital of the Cit-izens of Würzburg.” In the 16th cen-tury, the foundation acquired thename that it still bears today. Accord-ing to Würzburg’s list of assets from1583, some property outside of

Würzburg also belonged to the Bürg-erspital. In addition to the extensivereal estate, the income from 58 ha(143 acres) of farmland and 10 ha (24acres) of vineyards contributed tothe maintenance of the hospital.The first vineyards were planted in1334, and laid the groundwork forthe foundation’s own winery. Initial-ly, the wine was used only to coverthe hospital’s own needs. A recordfrom 1598 states that each hospitalresident was granted a daily rationequal to 1.2 liters of wine – providedthey were well behaved. Those whowere unruly were punished by theaddition of water to their wine; in thecase of severe misdemeanors, thewine ration was withdrawn com-pletely. In 1726, the Würzburg city councilattempted to combat the adulter-ation of wine by declaring that theBocksbeutel certified pure, genuinewine, and the first bottles – sealedwith the city’s coat of arms – werestored in the cellars of the Bürgerspi-

41

Bocksbeutels at the Bürgerspital zum

Heiligen Geist (Ñ p. 40).


FRANKEN

tal. Visitors can still view some ofthese historic bottles today duringtours of the vaulted cellars.

Extreme slopesToday, the Bürgerspital owns around110 ha (271 acres) of vineyards, mostof them on hillsides and steep slopeswith gradients of up to 60 %. Prima-rily Riesling, Silvaner, Müller-Thur-gau, Weissburgunder, Grauburgun-der and Spätburgunder grapes aregrown here. With vineyards in pres-tigious locations in Würzburg, theMain Triangle and the Steigerwald,the Bürgerspital is one of Franconia’sleading wine estates. The Bürgerspi-tal’s “great wines” originate in theprime Würzburg vineyards Stein,Stein-Harfe, Abtsleite, the Fricken-häuser Kapellenberg and the Ran-dersackerer Pfülben.Cellar tours take visitors from the es-tate grounds into the press hall andthen to the wine cellar, tasting in-cluded. Here you can see one of thelargest and most beautiful woodencask cellars in Germany, containingapproximately 200 oak casks, somerichly decorated. The cellar also con-tains a true rarity: a bottle of Stein-wein from 1540, the vintage of themillennium, which is the oldest stilldrinkable wine in the world.As a part of the foundation, the win-ery supports the charitable work ofthe Bürgerspital with every bottle ofwine sold. The hospital’s originalpurpose – helping people in need ofcare – is still in effect today. Thus, thefoundation is now devoted to geri-atric rehabilitation, providing specialcare to over 750 older patients in re-tirement homes and care facilities.The hospital itself houses a rehabili-tation and physiotherapy clinic,

which cares for around 500 patientsper year. As in the past, the founda-tion’s assets are managed by the estateadministration. The building complex also includesthe Bürgerspital Wine Tavern,which, in addition to the estate’s ownwines, serves classic Franconiandishes such as Blaue Zipfel (Francon-ian bratwurst) or Züngle (tongue) ina sweet-and-sour marinade. Stiftung Bürgerspital zum HeiligenGeist • Theaterstr. 19, Würzburg •Tel. 0931-350 30– Wine estate: Tel. 0931-350 34 41 •

www.buergerspital.de • Open Mon-Fri8 am-5 pm; tours Sat 2 pm, April-Oct •Entrance fee € 6 – Bürgerspital-Weinstuben: Tel. 0931-35 28 80 • www.buergerspital-weinstuben.com

Würzburg Julius spitalÑ Fold-out map, H/J 15

The cornerstone for Würzburg’sJuliusspital was laid on March 12,1576. The hospital took its namefrom its patron, Prince-Bishop JuliusEchter von Mespelbrunn. Raised inthe moated castle of Mespelbrunn ina side valley of the Main, this ambi-tious young man became Prince-Bishop of Würzburg at the age of 28 –thereby also becoming a duke ofFranken. He is considered an impor-tant proponent of the Counter-Ref-ormation, and financed the renewedfounding of universities.At the very beginning of his tenure, hepurchased lands outside of the citygates, including a Jewish cemetery,which he had leveled. On this site, hebuilt a hospital for the poor and sick,where orphans and traveling pilgrimswere also provided with food and aplace to sleep. In order to finance the

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Bürgerspital zum Heiligen Geist – Würzburger Juliusspital

hospital, he established a foundationto which he added his extensive prop-erty, including vineyards in prime lo-cations.Over the course of its 400-year exis-tence, the foundation’s wine estategrew steadily. Vineyards in a varietyof locations were purchased andadded to the property, while unprof-itable sites or those with poor climac-tic conditions were sold. Today, with172 ha (425 acres) of vineyards, thehospital owns the second-largestwine estate in Germany, and also pos-sesses the best sites in every section of

Franken. Depending on the location,the appropriate grape varieties arecultivated – including Silvaner, Ries-ling and Rieslaner; Weissburgunderand Grauburgunder, Müller-Thur-gau, Bacchus and Scheu rebe; Spät-burgunder, Domina and Schwarz -ries ling (Pinot meunier); as well asindigenous varietals, such as Tramin-er and Muskateller. The wines reflect the microclimateand soil conditions of the variousvineyard sites. Well-structured,stimulating wines with great agingpotential flourish in the deep, finely

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The Baroque fountain designed by Jakob von Auvera adds an exuberant touch to the

gardens of the Juliusspital (Ñ p. 42).


FRANKEN

granulated gypsum keuper soilsaround Iphofen and Rödelsee. In theWürzburg, Randersacker, Thüngers -heim, Volkach and Escherndorf ar-eas, shell-limestone soils produce el-egant, delicately fruity wines withmineral components. The shallowsoils near Bürgstadt on the LowerMain give rise to elegant red wineswith a pleasant tannic structure.The heart of the Juliusspital Wine Es-tate is its historic, 250-m-(820-ft)-long wooden cask cellar, which ismore than 300 years old. Here, winesare aged in 220 large and small oakbarrels. Beside them, other wines arefermented in stainless steel casks.During cellar tours, guides provideknowledgeable and entertaining in-formation about the vineyards of thefoundation, the various grape vari-eties and the flavor nuances of thewines – three of which the guests areallowed to sample. In this worth-while tour, you can also learn a great

number of interesting facts about thefoundation’s historic building, theprince’s palace, the green spaces ofthe former botanical garden, theVierröhrenbrunnen (four-pipedfountain) and the “Old AnatomyBuilding”, where important doctorsand scientists have worked.Another very interesting sight is thecarved image of a Bocksbeutel, part ofa stone relief certificate, which com-memorates the founding of theJuliusspital. This is also the oldestknown image of a bottle resemblinga Bocksbeutel in the modern era.Weingut Juliusspital • Klinikstr. 1,Würzburg • Tel. 0931-393 14 00 •

www.juliusspital.de • Guided tours:April-Nov, Fri & Sat 5 pm • Entrancefee € 10

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Castell’s Baroque palace lies at the foot of the Schlossberg, where Germany’s first

Silvaner grapes were planted in 1659.


Würzburger Juliusspital – Castell and Silvaner

Castell and Silvaner Ñ Fold-out map, J/K 16

At the western edge of the Steiger-wald lies the birthplace of Silvanerwine in Germany. It was cultivatedon German soil for the first time inCastell, over 350 years ago. This Up-per Franconian wine-growing vil-lage, which today has a population ofabout 500, was the capital of the freeimperial County of Castell until1806. The houses are nestled on theSchlossberg hillside, between vine-yards, meadows, forests and fields.All that now remains of the ancestralseat of the Franconian Castell dynasty on the Schlossberg is an octagonal staircase tower. Since1691, the family has resided in theBaroque palace at the foot of theSchlossberg. Here, Count Ferdinandzu Castell-Castell manages the family-owned wine estate, theFürstlich Castell’sches Domänen amt.On April 6, 1659, his ancestor, Wolf-gang Dietrich zu Castell ordered the planting of 25 “ÖsterreicherFechser” on the Reitsteig site at thefoot of the Schlossberg. “Fechser” isan old term for a plant cutting; andup until the 19th century, “Österre-icher” (“Austrian”) was the commonname for the Silvaner grape variety. These grapes – apparently intro-duced from Austria – were hardy,and flourished during the cold peri-od known to climatologists as the“Little Ice Age.” Since bud burst islate, this variety is less susceptible tospring frosts. Thus, the importanceof Silvaner in Franken increasedsteadily. In the 19th century, the vari-ety was as common as “salt in ourfood” – in the words of pioneeringvintner Johann Philipp Bronner.Even today, Silvaner dominates the

10 majority of the vineyards of theFürstlich Castell’sches Domänenamtwith almost 40%. The vineyards ofthe 70 ha (172 acres) estate are locat-ed directly adjacent to the main resi-dence of this old family, which datesback to 1057.

The home of SilvanerThe oldest documented mention of avineyard on the Schlossberg datesback to 1266. On its southern andwestern slopes – whose gradientsrange between 40 and 70% – thegrapevines grow on gypsum keupersoils embedded with alabaster. TheSilvaner vines grow on the steeplyfalling protrusion on the western-facing side of the mountain, wherethe late afternoon sun provides themwith warmth and the west wind withgood air circulation. Beginning onthis terroir, Silvaner continued on its

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ON THE MAIN RIVER THROUGHFRANKEN

Traveling by water is also a won-derful way to explore the Frankenwine region – for example, by raftor canoe. A trip along the gentlyflowing Main leads through ro-mantic river landscapes, pastvineyards and idyllic villages, andalso gives you the opportunity toobserve the water birds and picnicon the gravelly banks. One of themost picturesque sections of theroute is the Main river loop nearVolkach.Tourist Information • Rathaus,Volkach • Tel. 09381-401 12 •

www.volkach.de

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FRANKEN

path to success throughout Frankenand into other German wine regions.A good way to explore the home ofSilvaner wine is with a walk throughthe vineyards or a hike on the slopesof the Steigerwald, with its small val-leys and picturesque wine-growingvillages. For example, well-con-structed paths let you scale theSchlossberg, from which you can en-joy a breathtaking view of theSteigerwald foothills. Along thepaths through the vineyards, signsnot only inform visitors about howSilvaner came to Franconia, but alsowhat is special about the slightly grit-ty gypsum keuper soil and how, 125million years ago, the PanthalassicOcean laid the groundwork for viti-culture on the Steigerwald. All thewalking and hiking trails begin at theFürstlich Castell’sches Domänenamtwine estate, which also offers guidedtours of the vineyards and wine cel-lars.Fürstlich Castell’sches Domänenamt •

Schlosspl. 5, Castell • Tel. 09325-601 60 • www.castell.de • Open Mon-Fri 8 am-6 pm, Sat 10 am-4 pmSchlossberg trail: 2.3 km (1.4 miles)


MiltenbergBetween the Spessart and the Oden-wald, on the “western knee” of theMain Square, lies the historic OldTown of Miltenberg. The “Pearl ofthe Main” is remarkable for its beau-tifully restored timber-frame houses– particularly around the market-place with its Market Fountain at thecenter. Interesting sights include theWeinhaus am Alten Markt (wine tav-ern on the old marketplace), the oldAmtskellerei (wine cellar), the

Schnatterlochturm (a tower of the oldcity wall) and the Renaissance gate-way arch leading to the castle ofMildenburg. The Haus zum Riesen, atradition-rich inn with a magnifi-cent timberframe façade, has servedguests ranging from Martin Lutherand Empress Maria Theresia to filmactor Heinz Rühmann and evenElvis Presley. Of the medieval citywalls, only the Mainz Gate and theWürzburg Gate remain.Tourist Information at the Rathaus (City Hall) • Engelpl. 69, Miltenberg •Tel. 09371-40 41 19 • www.milten-berg.info

Modern architectureAlongside the historic structures,there is also contemporary architec-ture to be found everywhere inFranken. Many vintners bridge thegap between the past and the presentand showcase their wines in a mod-ern setting. At the Hirn Winery inUntereisenheim, architect Heinz M.Springmann took inspiration fromFriedensreich Hundertwasser. Theaward-winning architecture of Lud-wig Knoll’s estate Weingut am Steincreates a cool and elegant ambiance.The architectural concept of theSommerach cooperative symbolizesthe vintners’ philosophy, connectingtradition with innovation in this“Kingdom of Wine.” – Weingut Hirn • Dipbacher Str. 8, Un-tereisenheim • Tel. 09386-388 •

www.weingut-hirn.de– Weingut am Stein • Mittlerer Stein-bergweg 5, Würzburg • Tel. 0931-258 08 • www.weingut-am-stein.de– Winzerkeller Sommerach •Zum Kat-zenkopf 1, Sommerach am Main • Tel. 09381-806 10 • www.winzerkeller-sommerach.de

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Castell and Silvaner – Nearby destinations

VeitshöchheimJust a few kilometers to the north-west of Würzburg stands the palaceof Veitshöchheim, which was built asa summer residence for the prince-bishops beginning in the 17th centu-ry. The Baroque master builderBalthasar Neumann completed theconstruction in the mid-18th centu-ry. Especially worth a visit is the cas-tle park, one of the few rococo gar-dens still remaining in Germany. Itsformal, ornamental borders andhedges give the impression that thegardeners have just laid down theircompasses and rulers. Arbors, pavil-ions and fountains all await visitors’discovery.Schloss und Hofgarten Veitshöch-heim • Echterstr. 10, Veitshöchheim •Tel. 0931-915 82 • www.schloesser.bayern.de • April-Oct, open Tues-Sun9 am-6 pm • Entrance fee € 4

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WürzburgIn addition to the Residence and itscourt gardens, Würzburg is home tomany other not-to-be-missed struc-tures. These include the Old MainBridge, which was the city’s only riverbridge up until 1886; the Old Crane,which measures the water level of theMain; the Falkenhaus on the market-place with its rococo gables and stuc-cowork façade; as well as the historicprivate homes and restaurants be-tween the marketplace and the Main,which you can pass by during a strollthrough the narrow streets of the OldTown. From the riverbank, a staircasewith 256 steps leads up to the Käppele(“little chapel”), a late Baroque pil-grimage church, which was complet-ed in 1750, according to plans draftedby Balthasar Neumann. The majesticMarienberg Fortress stands en-throned above the city. From its

It doesn’t always have to be baroque style: the atmosphere at the Sommerach am

Main wine bar (Ñ p. 46) is set by clear lines and local building materials.


FRANKEN

beautifully planted Princes’ Garden,you can enjoy a view of the city andthe river.Tourist Information • Falkenhaus amMarkt 9, Würzburg • Tel. 0931-37 2335 • www.wuerzburg.de

MUSEUMS

Mainfränkisches Museum WürzburgWürzburg’s famous landmark, theMarienberg Fortress, is now a muse-um of international standing. In 45exhibition rooms, the Baroque ar-mory and the Echter Bastion house acollection devoted to the artistic andcultural history of the central Mainregion, from the Stone Age up untilthe 19th century. Highlights includeworks by Tilman Riemenschneider,Lucas Cranach the Elder and Giovan-ni Battista Tiepolo, as well as buildingplans by Balthasar Neumann. On atour through the exhibit, visitors en-counter a completely preserved,16th-century wine tavern, sumptu-ously decorated with foliage paintingin the Renaissance style. You can alsolearn the story behind the Würzburg“Lügensteine” (“fake stones”).Marienberg Fortress • Oberer Burg-weg, Würzburg • Tel. 0931-20 59 40 •

www.mainfraenkisches-museum.de •April-Oct, Tues-Sun 10 am-5 pm; Nov-March, Tues-Sun 10 am-4 pm • En-trance fee € 4

Schloss Johannisburg, AschaffenburgThe former second residence of thearchbishops of Mainz serves today asa branch museum of the BavarianState Painting Collections. Thepainting gallery, which containsworks by Lucas Cranach the Elder, isconsidered to be the most important

collection of Cranach’s work in Eu-rope. Also worth seeing is the world’slargest collection of architecturalmodels made of cork, which repro-duces the most famous buildings ofancient Rome in minute detail.Schlosspl. 4, Aschaffenburg • Tel.06021-38 65 70 • www.aschaffen-burg.de • April-Sept, Tues-Sun 9 am-6 pm; Oct-March, Tues-Sun 10 am-4 pm • Entrance fee € 5


The Franconian Red Wine HikingTrailThe Franconian Red Wine HikingTrail extends for approximately 70 km(43 miles) through the Main valley,from Grosswallstadt to Brügstadt. Itpasses through picturesque half-tim-bered villages and is bordered by thewine region’s vineyard slopes. Alongthe way, you can learn plenty of inter-esting facts about wine cultivation.Mainland Miltenberg-Churfrankene. V. • Engelpl. 69, Miltenberg • Tel. 09371-40 41 59 • www.fraenkischerrotweinwanderweg.de

The Middle Franconian Bocksbeutel RouteIn the heart of Franken, this nearly 50 km-long (31 miles) circular routeincludes the impressive low moun-tain landscapes of the Steigerwaldand Frankenhöhe nature preserves.Between Scheinfeld and Bad Wind-heim, Tauberscheckenbach and Die -tersheim, the towns and communi-ties, wine-growers’ cooperatives,vintners and innkeepers all work toensure that visitors can experiencenature in its intact form, gather inter-esting information about history andculture.Tourist Information • Hauptstr. 1,

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Nearby destinations

Scheinfeld • Tel. 09162-124 24 •

www.bocksbeutelstrasse.de

FOOD AND DRINK

Schwab’s LandgasthofGoose and duck directly from thefarm, fresh porcini mushrooms fromthe Spessart mountains, as well as na-tive local fish all go into the pans andonto the table here at Schwab’sLandgasthof in Schwarzach amMain. Of course, the Franconianculinary specialties are also accom-panied by a good selection of Fran-conian wines.Bamberger Str. 4, Schwarzach amMain • Tel. 09324-1251 • www.landgasthof-schwab.de • €€


Wine festivalsThe locals celebrate wine festivalsfrom March to November. Almostevery wine-growing community hasa scheduled weekend on the calen-dar. When the time comes, the vint-ners serve their wines on romanticold streets, on cozy town squares andin festival tents. You can order a cal-endar of events from Frankenwein-Frankenland (the regional wine pro-motion board) for a small fee; anoverview is also available on the Internet.March-November • Gebietsweinwer-bung Frankenwein-Frankenland •Hertzstr. 12, Würzburg • Tel. 0931-3901 10 • www.frankenwein-aktuell.de,www.fraenkischer-weinfestkalender.de

Würzburg Baroque Festival atthe ResidenceIn the spring, the Würzburg resi-dence becomes an authentic periodsetting for the Baroque Festival. The

Franconian Wine Growers’ Associa-tion invites guests to enjoy music andwine in the Garden Hall and theWhite Hall. Renowned musiciansperform masterworks of the Baroqueperiod. Spring • Würzburg Baroque Festival atthe Residence • Residenzpl. 2, Würz-burg • Event organizer: FränkischerWeinbauverband • Hertzstr. 12, Würz-burg • Tel. 0931-390 11 11 •www.frankenwein-aktuell.de

SERVICEINFORMATION

– Frankenwein-Frankenland GmbH •Hertzstr. 12, Würzburg • Tel. 0931-3901 10 • www.frankenweinaktuell.de– Tourismusverband Franken •

Wilhelminenstr. 6, Nuremberg •Tel. 0911-94 15 10 • www.franken-weinland.de

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The Würzburg Baroque Festival is cele-

brated in authentic period style.


Hessische Bergstrasse Germany’s

smallest wine-growing region extends to the east of the

Upper Rhine, on the slopes of the Odenwald. Spring always

comes very early here.


Hessische Bergstrasse

soils as well as quartz porphyry andbasalt make the white wines of theHessische Bergstrasse quite filigreeand delicately fruity; the red winesgrown here are fruity and full-bod-ied.Among the grape varieties, Rieslingis known as the “king of theBergstrasse.” It accounts for almosthalf of the grapes cultivated here andgrows especially well, thanks to thelong vegetation period in the region.The other half of the vineyard area isdevoted to a number of varieties –from Müller-Thurgau to Gewürz-traminer to the rare Gelber Orleans.In recent years, an increasing num-ber of red varietals, such as Spätbur-gunder, Frühburgunder and St. Lau-rent, has been planted here.

Picturesque wine-growing villages The first grapes were brought to theBergstrasse region by the Romansaround 2000 years ago. The Frankssubsequently expanded viticultureto the fertile slopes of the Odenwald.The earliest documentation of wine-growing on the Bergstrasse appearsin the Lorsch Codex (> p. 55): this12th-century collection of recordslists all the possessions of the LorschAbbey, including numerous vine-yards on the Bergstrasse.Wine-growing villages and townsline the Hessische Bergstrasse likepearls on a string. All along the way,visitors can find lovingly restored oldtown centers with picturesquesquares and refurbished façades, oldchurches and noble medieval hous-es. Special highlights include the his-toric Scheuergasse and the remainsof the old city walls in Zwingenberg.With the issue of its town charter in

The Hessische Bergstrasse begins tothe south of Darmstadt and contin-ues southward through Seeheim,Alsbach, Zwingenberg, Auerbach,Bensheim and Heppenheim to Hes-sen’s state border. The nearly 440 ha(1087 acres) of cultivated vineyardsin Germany’s smallest wine-growingregion are divided between two geo-graphically separate areas: Alsbach,Zwingenberg, Bensheim and Hep-penheim make up the “Starkenburg”sector; the second district is the“Odenwälder Weininsel” (“Oden-wald Wine Island”), which includesGross-Umstadt and Rossdorf.

Almost like ItalyThe Hessische Bergstrasse owes itsmild climate primarily to the hills ofthe Odenwald Forest, which protectthe region from the harsh north andeast winds. In addition, the prevail-ing west winds bring in warm airfrom the Rhine, Main and Neckarrivers. “This is where Germany startsto become Italy,” declared EmperorJoseph II, when he traveled along theBergstrasse in April 1766. In fact,spring reaches this region earlierthan any other place in Germany – atthe same time that it begins in Italy’sPo valley. Figs, almonds, magnoliasand grapes all flourish in the shel-tered areas of this region.A vast range of soil types can befound in the vineyards of the Hessis-che Bergstrasse. In Zwingenberg,Auerbach and Bensheim, weatheredgranite soils predominate, whileloess and yellow sandstone are char-acteristic in Heppenheim. Crys-talline slate, warm sand and loess

É From the vineyards on the Bergstrasse,

you can gaze far across the Rhine plain.

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1274, this is the oldest city in theHessian part of the Bergstrasse. Gor-geous timber-frame houses sur-round the marketplaces of Heppen-heim and Gross-Umstadt. TheCarolingian King’s Hall at the LorschAbbey, constructed around 800, isone of the oldest completely pre-served architectural monuments inGermany and has been listed as aUNESCO World Heritage Site since1991. In Bensheim-Auerbach, the“Fürstenlager” – the summer resi-dence of the landgraves and granddukes of Hessen-Darmstadt – hasbeen preserved. In the midst of over40 ha (99 acres) of park space planted

BERGSTRÄSSER WEINLAGENWEG

The best time to enjoy the beauti-ful landscape of the HessischeBergstrasse is in the spring, whenthe peach, cherry and almondtrees are in bloom. The 22 km-long(13.5 miles) Bergsträsser Weinla-genweg (Berg strasse VineyardTrail) begins in Alsbach and leadsthrough the vine yards above Zwin-genberg, Auerbach, Bensheim andHeppenheim. The trail is extremelywell marked and allows hikers toenter at almost any point along theB3 federal highway. The Weinla-genweg is also suitable for inexpe-rienced hikers, families and seniorcitizens. Hikers are greeted with asurprise on the 1st of May: at eightdifferent tasting stands along theWeinlagenweg, young vintners in-vite visitors to sample the winesfrom their respective vineyards.

MERIAN-Tip bg !4!

HESSISCHE BERGSTRASSE

in the style of a British garden, youcan also find exotic plants and theoldest sequoia tree on German soil.Bensheim itself is also a sight to see,with a number of mansions designedby the important Art Nouveau mas-ter builder Georg Metzendorf, whoworked in the architectural studio ofhis brother, Heinrich Metzendorf, inHeppenheim around the turn of the20th century. With its terraced slopes of vineyardsand vintners’ huts, romantic castlesand idyllic timber-frame villages,the Hessische Bergstrasse is an invit-ing destination for wine lovers.From the walking trails on the slopesof the Odenwald, visitors have awonderful view of the Rhine valleyand the hills of the Palatinate Forestto the west.

Wine and Stone Ñ Fold-out map, F 16

Heppenheim is not only the oldestwine-growing community on theHessische Bergstrasse, it is also thelargest. A full 230 (568) of the region’sapprox. 440 ha (1087 acres) of vine-yards are located in Heppenheim andits suburbs. It is also the home of theregion’s largest wine producer – theBergsträsser Winzer e.G. wine grow-ers’ cooperative, which was foundedin 1904. Its membership includesaround 500 wine-growing families. Since 2007, wine and art have en-joyed a special relationship in Hep-penheim: the Wine and Stone Ad-venture Trail uses works of art todepict the cultural history of wineand provides visitors with informa-tion about the fundamentals of viti-culture. The nearly 7-km-(4.3miles)-long path contains about 70information stations devoted to wine

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Wine and Stone

cultivation. The trail begins and endsat the Winzerbrunnen (vintners’fountain) on Le-Chesnay-Platz.From here, the circular trail – whichwas constructed as a joint project ofthe Geopark Bergstrasse-Odenwaldand the Bergsträsser Vintners’ Co-operative – leads through theSteinkopf, Centgericht and Stemm-ler vineyards.

Learning along the wayInformation boards provide interest-ing facts about grape varieties, geolo-gy, climate and history. If you want tolearn more about how viticulturecame to the Bergstrasse, a year in thelife of a vintner, the phylloxera vinelouse, or the vintners’ huts, for exam-ple, or wonder how soil conditionsaffect wine quality, or what volcanicash has to do with it – you can findin-depth answers to all of these ques-tions here.

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The highlights of the adventure trailare the artwork and sculptures,which deal with viticulture and theregion. For example, the “Centurio”stele commemorates the Romans,who planted the first grapes on thesunny slopes between the Odenwaldand the Upper Rhine Valley about2000 years ago in order to keep theirtroops in good spirits. In the work“Aus die Laus” (“Out with thelouse!”), a gigantic phylloxera bugsymbolizes the vintners’ strugglesagainst this pest which, particularlyin the 19th century, had a devastat-ing effect on all of Europe’s wine-growing regions. Surface and spacepermeate one another in “Dank denReben” (“Thanks to the Grape -vines”): here, sculptor Alfred Wolfemphasizes the often arduous workof vintners on the vineyard slopes.“Strata Montana” is the name of amonumental panoramic image of

Odenwald sandstone inspired sculptor Alfred Wolf to create his work “Dank den

Reben” on Heppenheim’s Wine and Stone Trail.



the Bergstrasse, which the Heppen-heim-based artist Josef Schmitt cre-ated out of local red sandstone.These and many other works of artaccompany visitors along the adven-ture trail through the vineyards.Especially for children, theBergsträsser Winzer e.G. has pre-pared a quiz to go along with the ad-venture trail. Every young visitor whocompletes the questionnaire and re-turns it at the end of the trail will berewarded with a surprise. The pavedtrail is also easy to travel with a

stroller. Plan on about two to threehours to complete the circular route.All along the way, you can find bench-es where you can take a rest and enjoya beautiful view – for example, of theStarkenburg fortress to the south.– Bergsträsser Winzer e. G. • Darm-städterstr. 56, Heppenheim • Tel.06252-799 40 • www.bergstraesserwinzer.de, www.weinundstein.net – Geo-Naturpark Bergstrasse-Oden-wald e.V. • Nibelungenstr. 41, Lorsch •Tel. 0 62 51/70 79 90 • www.geo-naturpark.de

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The gatehouse of the Lorsch Abbey, a rare specimen of Carolingian architecture, is a

UNESCO World Heritage Site.


Wine and Stone – Lorsch Abbey

Lorsch Abbey and the history of viticulture

Ñ Fold-out map, F 16

Almost no other place on the Hessi -sche Bergstrasse can provide us withas much insight into the history ofviticulture as the Lorsch Abbey.Here, in the 12th century, the LorschCodex was assembled – an extensivecollection of deeds and recordswhich documented the possessionsof the Benedictine monastery.

Pilgrims and believersFounded in 764, the Abbey obtainedthe relics of St. Nazarius. The re-mains of this martyr – who died inRome in 304 during the persecutionof Christians under Emperor Dio-cletian – drew countless pilgrims toLorsch, who in turn brought an eco-nomic boom to the region. At thesame time, they also motivated manyof the faithful to make donations tothe monastery. For example, docu-ment 33 of the Lorsch Codex, whichdocuments that Count Palatine Ans-frid donated land to the monasteryin 866, states: “If we give a part of ourfortunes to the shrines of the saints,this will undoubtedly serve us ineternity, as we firmly believe.” Hisdonation also included “vineyardsthat yielded four Fuder (ca. 1000-liter barrels) of wine,” whose “life-long usufruct” Ansfrid guaranteed inthe same document. “In the year 888after our Lord’s incarnation,” a mannamed Arnulf presented the LorschAbbey with property located be-tween Edigheim and Oppau “includ-ing farms, ridges, buildings, serfs,cultivated and fallow lands, fields,meadows, pastures, ponds andbrooks, mills, fishponds, vineyards,paths and footbridges and roads

12 leading in and out” (document 48 ofthe Lorsch Codex). Shortly after itsfounding, even Charlemagne donat-ed holdings to the Lorsch Abbey –including, in 773, the village of Hep-penheim “with everything that law-fully belongs to this village, namelylands, houses, farm buildings, farm-ers, serfs, vineyards, forests, fields,meadows, pastures, still and flowingwaters…with all its border fencesand boundary stones” (document 6of the Lorsch Codex).

The Lorsch CodexThus, the Lorsch Abbey not only be-came one of the largest propertyholders in the region: the LorschCodex also documents the impor-tant role that viticulture played inagriculture. Over 1000 documentslist vineyards that were transferredto the Benedictine abbey during theMiddle Ages. Today, the Codex ishoused in the Würzburg city archive.What remains of the Lorsch Abbey –in particular, its magnificent King’sHall – has been a UNESCO WorldHeritage Site since 1991.In the northern section of the abbeygrounds, an herb garden was plantedin 2000 on top of the old monks’cemetery. In a form of creative mon-ument preservation, it protects whatlies hidden below the earth. At thesame time, the herb garden puts thearea to effective use. Today, it con-tains raised garden plots whose wallsare constructed from the stones ofruined monastery buildings. Withinsight of the former abbey church,you can discover chives, horseradish,lovage, savory, thyme, sage, lavenderand many other culinary and medic-inal herbs. “Harmless” plants growaround the edges of the beds, so that

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Tmu s



the garden is safe to visit with smallchildren. The semi-toxic medicinalplants, on the other hand, grow outof the reach of little arms, in the cen-ter of the raised plots. The unique at-mosphere of this garden, with itsflowering medicinal plants and fra-grant herbs, is a treat for the eyes andthe nose. Directly across from the King’s Hall,visitors to the Lorsch Museum Cen-ter can gain insight into the historyof the region. The Center containsthree separate museums devoted todifferent cultural and historicalthemes: the Monastic History De-partment of the Hessian State Castleand Garden Administration; theCultural Anthropology Departmentof the Hessian State Museum inDarmstadt; and the collections of theTown of Lorsch, including the To-bacco Museum.Museumszentrum Lorsch • Nibelun-genstr. 35, Lorsch • Tel. 06251-10 3820 • www.kloster-lorsch.de •Tours of the King’s Hall: March-Oct,Tues-Sun; Nov-Feb, Sat & Sun 11 am,12, 1, 2, 3 & 4 pm; tour lasts 30-45min • Entrance fee € 4

Nearby destinationsSIGHTSGrube MesselThe first German natural monumentto be inscribed as a UNESCO WorldHeritage Site lies between Darmstadtand Umstadt: the Grube Messel(Messel Pit). In the course of oil shalemining which took place beginningin the 1870s, petrified animals andplants were unearthed here, whichlived more than 47 million years ago.The fossils include mammals, birds,reptiles, fish and insects. In 2009, pa-leontologists uncovered “Ida,” the

world’s oldest completely preservedfossil of a primate. This sensationalfind from the Messel Pit representsthe missing evolutionary link be-tween apes and human beings.The fossil findings are preserved anddisplayed in the Senckenberg Muse-um in Frankfurt. The informationcenter at the Messel Pit helps visitorscomprehend scarcely-imaginableconnections: At the time of its for-mation, the Pit was a volcanic craterlake located at the place where Italylies today. As a result of continentaldrift, it reached its current locationover the course of millions of years.Rossdörfer Str. 108, Messel •Tel. 06159-71 75 35 • www.grube-messel.de •Info station open daily 11 am-4 pm

FOOD AND DRINK

Goldener EngelIn the heart of Heppenheim, directlyadjacent to the historic town hall,this restaurant serves local special-ties from the kitchen and the cellar.From the beer garden, visitors have awonderful view of the refurbishedtimber-frame houses that line themarket square.Heppenheim, Grosser Markt 2 •Grosser Markt 2, Heppenheim •www.goldener-engel-heppenheim.de• €€


Bergstrasse Wine Market, Heppenheim and Vintners’ Festival, BensheimTwo major wine festivals with exten-sive programs of events are theBergstrasse Wine Market, whichtakes place in Heppenheim in theearly summer, and the BergstrasseVintners’ Festival, celebrated in

56


Lorsch Abbey – Nearby destinations

Bens heim at the beginning of Sep-tember. The Bergstrasse’s regionalwine queen is crowned each year, al-ternately at one of the two festivals.Early summer and early September •Verein Bergsträsser Weinmarkt •Tel. 062 52-13 11 31 • www.heppenheim.de

Themed wine tastingsThe vintners of the HessischeBergstrasse hold wine tastingsthroughout the year. Upon request,almost every vintner will organize aguided vineyard walk – includingwine tasting and snacks, if desired.Culinary wine tastings are generallyoffered in connection with theBergsträsser Weinfrühling or Wein-herbst (spring and fall festivals); mu-sical and literary wine tastings areavailable all year round. A completeschedule can be found in the event

calendar which is issued each year inconjunction with the BergsträsserWeinfrühling, or on the Internet. In-formational brochures are also avail-able upon request (see below). – Dates: For calendar of events, visitwww.bergstraesser-wein.de– Informational brochures availablefrom the Weinbauverband HessischeBergstrasse e.V. (Ñ Information, p. 57)

SERVICEINFORMATION

Weinbauverband Hessische Berg-strasse e.V. • Kettelerstr. 29, Heppen-heim • Tel. 06252-756 54 •www.bergstraesser-wein.de

57

Magnificent timber-frame houses surround the Heppenheim marketplace. Most out-

standing is the City Hall, with its imposing tower.


Generation Riesling are all 35 yearsold or younger, excellently trained andinternationally oriented. They repre-sent the young generation of leadersin the German wine industry, be theyvintners in family-owned estates,managing directors in wine growers’cooperatives or cellar masters inwineries.

The “new kids” on theGerman wine sceneThe group’s many and varied activitiesinclude presentations at internationalwine trade fairs, such as “ProWein” inDüsseldorf or the London Wine Fair.The young vintners have also intro-duced their wines to students at the

“Riesling rocks,” “Born to make wine,”“Fresh, wild and surprising,” “Young,spontaneous and lively,” “Good, bet-ter, Riesling” – these are just a few ofthe slogans used by the representa-tives of Generation Riesling. The“young individualists” of the Germanwine scene have made it their goal topresent Riesling and other outstand-ing German wine varieties at events inGermany and throughout the world.The German Wine Institute (DWI) inMainz initiated the organization in2006 with a kick-off event in London.Its aim was to provide the young gen-eration of vintners with a national andinternational platform, independentof existing groups. The members of

Generation Riesling Young and

innovative representing fruity, delicate and refreshing wines:

the Generation Riesling.

In Focus


However, despite the name, the initia-tive also includes vintners who spe-cialize in Silvaner, Lemberger, Pinotsand other grape varieties.

People and wines withcharacterThis open-minded and steadily-grow-ing group met for the first time in thesummer of 2009 at a workshop inMainz, inspiring the entire wine in-dustry with the energy of 80 youngvintners. In addition to new ideas andmarketing concepts for the future, theworkshop gave rise to the websitewww.generation-riesling.de. Today,around 160 members have placedtheir profiles, wines and news on thisonline portal. Altogether, however,more than 300 representatives fromevery wine-growing region are regis-tered with Generation Riesling– andthe interest in participating continuesto grow. The concept formulated bythe German Wine Institute – throughwhich Generation Riesling will spark amovement that involves as many peo-ple as possible – seems to be work-ing. Generation Riesling is helping topresent the rest of the world with ayoung and modern image of Germanwines. The young vintners of GenerationRiesling are also convinced that theirinitiative will be a success. And let’sbe honest: What can go wrong whenyour mottos include “Wine buildsbridges,” and “Wine drinkers are nicepeople?”

Deutsches Weininstitut • Guten-bergpl. 3-5, Mainz • Tel. 06131-28 29 29 • www.deutscheweine.de,www.generation-riesling.de

In Focus

renowned universities of Oxford andCambridge. Back home in Germany,wine tastings have been held in beachclubs and Riesling Lounges in Cologneand Hamburg. At the internationaltrade fair “Forum Vini” in Munich inNovember 2010, 20 young vintnersfrom the Generation Riesling present-ed this multifaceted leading grape va-riety for the first time at a shared exhi-bition booth with the German WineInstitute. All the members of the initia-tive are eager to make appearances to-gether as ambassadors for modern,dynamic, high-quality wine produc-tion in Germany – without feeling theneed to renounce their individuality inthe process.The grape variety which gave the ini-tiative its name is especially popularat present. With its racy acidity, in-tense bouquet, and at times, mineralnotes, Riesling is considered the“king of the white wines.” It is full ofcharacter without seeming heavy; itembodies all the special characteris-tics of its terroir like almost no othergrape variety.

Riesling rulesRiesling grapes place high demandson vineyard sites, and although theyripen very. late they are less suscepti-ble to frost than varieties that ripenearlier.Rieslings grown in cool climates yieldthe most impressive wines. This is animportant factor that contributes tothe unique, inimitable character ofGerman Riesling wines.This explains why this lively wine withits pronounced acidity was chosen tolend its name to Generation Riesling.

É Innovative and highly motivated: Say

hello to Generation Riesling.

59


The Mittelrhein Romantic castles above

rugged rock faces and steep vineyard slopes characterize

the riverbank regions of the Mittelrhein. Here, wine growers

almost need crampons to work the vineyards.


Bopparder Hamm

ing vegetation period which extendsinto the late autumn. Moderately hotsummers with sufficient precipita-tion produce excellent vintages,which include sweet Auslese winesfrom selected, very ripe bunches.

Rheinischer RieslingSlate is the characteristic soil foundbetween Bingen and Koblenz. Huns -rück slate, dark slate, loam, or loess-loam with slate debris provide min-erals and acidity – ideal for theRiesling grapes which produce wine“typical of the Rhineland”: with min-eral notes, fine aroma and racy acid-ity. North of Koblenz, volcanicstones such as pumice, tuff and loesslend a robust quality to the wines.Classic grape varieties play a leadingrole on the approximately 460hectares of vineyards here in Ger-many’s second-smallest wine region.Accounting for over 70 % of the culti-vated lands, Riesling is clearly domi-nant here. The wealth of nuances inthe aromas of this late-ripening vari-etal are unparalleled and made Rhinewines world famous. Nowadays,many wineries further ferment a por-tion of their Riesling harvest to pro-duce varietal sparkling wine orWinzer sekt. Weissburgunder (PinotBlanc) and Grauburgunder (PinotGris) are also planted here. Of the redvarieties grown in the region, Spät-burgunder (Pinot Noir) and Dorn-felder predominate.

Bopparder Hamm: the wineloop on the Rhine


Close to Boppard lies not only thelargest loop of the Rhine River, butalso the largest contiguous vineyardarea in the Mittelrhein: the Bop-

13

The Mittelrhein wine-growing regioncovers a section along the Rhine Riverwhich extends for about 120 km (75miles) between Bingen and Bonn.The river winds its way through thelandscape, past vine-covered slopes,castles, fortresses and the legend-shrouded Loreley Rock. It is flankedby the low mountain ranges of theEifel and Westerwald to the north andthe Hunsrück and Taunus to thesouth. The mostly steep, terracedvineyards often hang like swallows’nests on the valley walls. Its rocky soilis protected from the wind and heatsup quickly in the sunshine.

From Bingen to Bonn The Upper Middle Rhine Valley re-gion between Bingen and Koblenzwas declared a UNESCO World Her-itage Site in 2002. Particularly on thewest side of the Rhine, it is plantedwith grapevines. On the Lower Mid-dle Rhine between Koblenz and theSiebengebirge, most of the vineyardslie to the east of the Rhine. In terms ofwine geography, the region consists oftwo districts: The villages in theRhine land-Palatinate are part of theLoreley district – east of the Rhinefrom Kaub to Unkel and west of theriver from Bingen to Koblenz – whilethe Sieben gebirge district encompass-es the NorthRhine-Westphalian wine-grow ing com munities of Königs win -ter, Oberdollendorf and Rhöndorf. The influx of mild air from the southcreates an ideal climate for grape cul-tivation. Riesling grapevines, in par-ticular, benefit from the moderatewinters with infrequent frosts, theearly start of spring and a long-last-

É The Marksburg is the only intact hill-

top castle in the Mittelrhein region.

61


MITTELRHEIN

parder Hamm. Whether the namestems from the Latin word for“hook” or “crook” (hamus) or from

the Rhineland term for a riverbank(Hamm) is uncertain. Nevertheless,the name “Bopparder Hamm” refersboth to the river loop and to the vine-yard sites on the steep left banks ofthe Rhine.

Aromas of apple and mintThe vineyard slopes cover an area of75 ha (185 acres) which extends forabout 5 km (3.1-miles). The south-facing slopes have an ideal angle ofinclination toward the sun; the sur-face of the Rhine serves as a heatreservoir; and the slate soil is espe-cially well suited for producing ex-cellent Riesling wines with fine min-eral notes and aromas of apple, mintand various spices. Located in the

large collective site Gedeonseck, theBopparder Hamm includes the vine-yards Engelstein, Ohlenberg, Feuer-lay, Mandelstein, Weingrube, Fässer-lay and Elfenlay. Even today, thesteep sites require a great deal ofmanual labor from the 16 full-timevintners who cultivate the vineyardsof the Bopparder Hamm. They pro-duce approximately 600,000 liters ofwine per year – almost exclusivelyRiesling. With its characteristic min-erality and racy acidity, it is by far themost commonly cultivated grape va-riety in the Mittelrhein.

Strolling through the vineyardsA walk through the vineyards of theRhine loop is an especially good wayto experience the area’s impressivecultural landscape. Every year, on thelast Sunday in April, Boppard’s wineestates organize a hike through thevineyards of the Bopparder Hamm,during which participants can sam-ple wines from the sites that they vis-it. Young chefs from the region makethe program complete with theirculinary delicacies. A free shuttle busis available from the Boppard railwaystation; busses leave every 15 minutesbetween 10 am and 7 pm. If you pre-fer to arrive by car, parking is avail-able on the B9 federal highway and inthe Peternacher Tal, the side valley onthe northern outskirts of town.For those who are not afraid ofheights, the Mittelrhein Klettersteig(climbing path) offers an athleticchallenge. Constructed in coopera-tion with the German Alpine Club, itleads climbers up the steep rock facesabove Boppard by means of elevenclimbing passages with ten ladders,130 iron footholds and around 180

62

Bacharach’s landmark, the Werner -

kapelle (Ñ p. 63), was never completed.


Bopparder Hamm – Bacharach

m (558 ft) of wire rope. Solid hikingshoes are required for this challeng-ing tour; children and inexperiencedclimbers must be accompanied by aprofessional guide. The climb takestwo to three hours, during whichparticipants have a spectacular viewof the Bopparder Hamm below. – Climbing equipment rental at theAral service station • Koblenzer Stras-se, Boppard • Tel. 06742-24 47 • Ren-tal fee € 5– Additional information: Tourist-InfoBoppard • Marktplatz (Altes Rathaus)• Tel. 06742-38 88 • www.boppard.de,www.mittelrhein-weinfuehrer.de/Boppard.html, www.klettersteig.de

Bacharach: the center ofRhine Romanticism

Ñ Fold-out map, D 14/15

Bacharach is located on the westernbanks of the Middle Rhine, 15 km(9.3 miles) to the northwest of Bin-gen. During the Middle Ages, thecity was an important stockyard andtransshipment point for transport onthe Rhine. Since the Binger Riff – arocky ridge at the bottleneck of theRhine leading into the Rhenish SlateMountains – made freight transporton the river impossible except atflood stage, barges had to be un-loaded at this point. Their cargo,which included many barrels of winefrom the southern wine-growing re-gions, were then transported over-land or on small boats with minimaldraft. It was only at Bacharach thattransport on large trading vesselscould be continued. In addition towines from the Mittelrhein, winesfrom the Rheingau and Rhein-hessen, Pfalz, Baden and Alsace werealso loaded onto ships here and mar-keted from that point on under the

14

name “Bacharacher.” In this way, thename became a synonym for winethroughout the world.Beginning in the 17th century, theBinger Riff was blasted open, mak-ing the Middle Rhine steadily morenavigable. With the creation of theBinger Loch (Bingen hole), as thepassage was known from then on,Bacharach lost its importance as a re-loading point for wine. Signs of thecity’s former prosperity are still evi-dent in the Old Town, with its his-toric marketplace and surroundingtimber-frame houses – not least thecozy, inviting wine restaurant AltesHaus (Old House) dating from 1368.The city’s medieval fortificationswith their imposing gates – as well asStahleck Castle, which stands highabove the Rhine – contribute to thepicturesque landscape which strong-ly influenced Rhine romanticism.

The Loreley RockThe author Clemens Brentano, one ofthe most important representativesof German romanticism, began hisfamous poem about the Loreley withthe words “Near Bacharach on theRhine…” Writers, painters and musi-cians – among them Lord Byron,Heinrich Heine, Victor Hugo andWilliam Turner – all praised thebeauty of the Mittelrhein landscape.Today, tourists and wine lovers fromall over the world come to Bacharachand enjoy the outstanding winesfrom the local vineyards Hahn,Posten, Wolfshöhle, Mathias Wein-garten, Kloster Fürstental and the is-land site Heyles’en Werth.– Rhein-Nahe Touristik • Oberstr. 45,Bacharach • Tel. 06743-91 93 03 •www.rhein-nahe-touristik.de– For further information, see:

63


MITTELRHEIN

www. mittelrhein-wein.com,www.welterbe- mittelrheintal.de,www.regionalgeschichte.net,www.rheinreise.de

Nearby destinations SIGHTSKoblenzThe largest city in the Mittelrhein re-gion is located at the confluence ofthe Mosel and Rhine Rivers. With its

many cultural landmarks, it is thenorthern gateway to the UNESCOWorld Heritage site Upper MiddleRhine Valley. With castles andpalaces, old patrician houses, roman-tic old streets, squares and parks,there are a vast number of interestingsites to visit here. From the Ehren -breit stein Fortress, visitors have anexcellent view of Koblenz and themouth of the Mosel at the DeutschesEck (German corner). Koblenz owesits reputation as a wine city to the ap-proximately half a million grapevineswhich grow on the slopes of theRhine and Mosel. At Koblenz’s Wein-dorf (wine village) you can even finda vineyard right in the center of thecity: the Schnorbach Brückstück. – Tourist Information: Main RailwayStation • Bahnhofpl. 17, Koblenz •

Tel. 0261-313 04– Tourist Information: Rathaus (CityHall) • Jesuitenpl. 2, Koblenz • Tel.0261-13 09 20 • www.koblenz-touristik.de

The Loreley On the right side of the Rhine, nearSt. Goarshausen, stands the leg-endary Loreley. According to folk-lore, a siren once sat on this rock,whose beauty proved to be fatal formany boatmen on the Rhine. Whenthe Loreley sang and combed herlong golden hair, many mariners be-came so distracted that they sailed offcourse and smashed their boatsagainst the rock. Extremely narrow,very deep and filled with strong cur-rents, the Loreley passage was, in fact,very dangerous in the past. Thanks toblasting in the 1930s, the legendaryrock is no longer as terrifying as itonce was, but its allure remains. Thevisitors’ center on the Loreley plateau

64

THE “CASTLE OF A YEAR”

With 365 windows, 52 doors andtwelve towers, Arenfels Castle, lo-cated amid the vineyards aboveBad Hönningen, is often called the“Castle of a Year” due to its numer-ical parallels to the calendar year.Originally built in the 13th centu-ry, the complex acquired its cur-rent appearance in the mid-19thcentury, when Ernst FriedrichZwirner, master builder of theCologne Cathedral, renovated thecastle in neo-Gothic style. Tours ofthe castle interior, including theknights’ hall and castle chapel,are available by advance reserva-tion. In good weather, you can en-joy coffee and cake in the gardencafé, with a magnificent viewwhich extends as far as the LowerMiddle Rhine valley. If you wish,you can combine your visit with ahike along a section of the Rhein-steig. This hiking route, which fol-lows the Middle Rhine on its east-ern side from Bonn to Wiesbaden,leads directly past Arenfels Castle.Tourist Information • Neustr. 2a,Bad Hönningen • Tel. 02635-22 73 • www.bad-hoenningen.de

MERIAN-Tip bg !5!


Nearby destinations

has interesting, informative presenta-tions on not only the mythology, butalso the natural and cultural land-scape of the Upper Middle Rhine.– Loreley Visitors’ Center • Auf der Lo-reley, St. Goarshausen • Tel. 06771-59 90 93 • March-Oct, open daily 10am-5 pm– Touristikgemeinschaft Loreley-Burgenstr. • Bahnhofstr. 8, St. Goars-hausen • Tel. 06771-91 00 •

www.loreley-touristik.de

OberweselWith its almost completely intact cityfortification, the wine-growing townof Oberwesel is a magnet for touristsin the Mittelrhein. Visitors can walkalong the top of portions of the townwalls, and their 16 preserved towersare an impressive example of me-dieval fortress architecture. Even theimposing western tower of St. Mar-tin’s church was once part of the de-

fensive structure. The marketplace islined with colorfully restored timber-frame houses, where wine tavernsand restaurants serve regional spe-cialties. A tour on top of the city wallis rewarding not least for the wonder-ful views it offers of the Rhine and itssloping, vine-covered banks.Tourist Information • Rathausstr. 3,Oberwesel • Tel. 06744-71 06 24 •www.oberwesel.de

MUSEUM

Arp-Museum, RemagenThe meticulously restored Rolands -eck railway station near Remagenopened its doors in 2004 in its newfunction. It has become a venue forcultural exchange which hosts con-certs, conventions and changing ex-hibitions. From the neo-classical sta-tion, a tunnel leads to the newstructure designed by New York stararchitect Richard Meier. Here, on the

65

From May to September, fireworks along the Middle Rhine between Bingen and Bonn

bathe the river in flames (Ñ p. 66).


MITTELRHEIN: Nearby destinations

Rhine heights above the RolandseckStation, the Arp Museum displaysworks by the artist Hans Arp and hiswife, Sophie Taeuber-Arp.Landesstiftung Arp Museum BahnhofRolandseck • Hans-Arp-Allee 1, Rema-gen • Tel. 02228-94 25 63 • www.arpmuseum.org • Open Tues-Sun 11am-6 pm • Entrance fee € 8


The Rheinsteig and the RhineCastle TrailThe Rheinsteig, on the east side of theRhine, promises “hiking at a high lev-el”; on the western side, the Rhein-burgenweg (Rhine Castle Trail) leadshikers through the breathtakinglandscape of the Mittelrhein with itsnumerous lookout points, palacesand castles. Romantischer Rhein Tourismus •

St. Goarshausen, Loreley-Besucher-zentrum • Tel. 0 67 71/95 93 80 •

www.rheinsteig.de, www.rheinburgenweg.com

FOOD AND DRINK

Burghotel Auf SchönburgHigh above Oberwesel, with a spec-tacular view of the Rhine Valley,stands the 1000-year-old Schönburgcastle with its romantic Burghotel.The sophisticated restaurant servesgourmet menus along with typicalregional wines.Oberwesel • Tel. 06744-939 30 •www.burghotel-schoenburg.de •

Open Tues-Sun noon-2 pm and 6:30-9 pm • €€€


Rhine in FlamesThe huge fireworks display, Rhein inFlammen (Rhine in Flames), is un-doubtedly one of the highlights

among the events held in the Mittel-rhein. It takes place every year in sev-eral stages: between Linz and Bonnon the first Saturday in May; betweenTrechtingshausen, Bingen and Rü -des heim on the first Saturday in July;between Spay, Braubach and Koblenzon the second Saturday in August; inOberwesel on the second Saturday inSeptember; and between St. Goarand St. Goarshausen on the third Sat-urday in September. In all, it’s an im-pressive display of the approximately120-km (75-miles) long stretch of theRhine between Bingen and Bonn, theromantic Middle Rhine Valley, withits castles and fortresses. Each fire-works show lasts one hour and maybe viewed from onboard a ship orfrom the riverbank. The auxiliaryprogram on the Rhine promenadesbegins in the afternoon.– Rheinland-Pfalz Tourismus • Koblenz,Löhrstr. 103-105 • Tel. 0261-91 52 00– Romantic Rhine Tourism • LoreleyBesucherzentrum, St. Goarshausen •Tel. 06771-95 93 80 • www.rhein-in-flammen.com

Wine festivalsCountless festivals are celebrated inthe Mittelrhein region throughoutthe year. Always on hand is the localwine. The best-known events in-clude the Wine Market in Oberweseland the Mittelrhein Wine Forum.For a current schedule, see the eventcalendar at www.welterbe-mittelrheintal.de.

SERVICEINFORMATION

Mittelrhein-Wein e. V. • Am Hafen 2,St. Goar • Tel. 06741-77 12 •www.mittelrhein-wein.com

66


© D

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Visit the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart.Then do a wine tasting in Württemberg.




our palae yakTTakThen do a wine tasting in

edes-Benz Museum in Stuttgcisit the MerV

e!turente on an advour pala.gttemberürWThen do a wine tasting in

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The Mosel Twisting and turning, the scenic

Mosel River winds its way through Germany’s oldest

wine-growing region. The steep, often terraced vineyards

call for sure-footed vintners who are not afraid of heights.


Mosel

The region’s sheltered sites areamong the warmest climate zones inGermany. The sun’s rays strike al-most perpendicularly to the steepcliffs. Millions of years ago, theseabed of the Panthalassic Ocean laywhere the grapevines grow today –as evidenced by the shell-limestonewhich predominates on the UpperMosel, along with dolomite, keuperand marl. On the steep slopes of theSaar, Ruwer and Middle Mosel, thesoil consists mainly of Devonianslate; on the Lower Mosel, it is pri-marily quartzitic and chalky sand-stone combined with slate.The slate soils provide ideal condi-tions for Riesling, which puts downdeep roots and draws richly on theminerals in the barren subsoil. With60 % of the vineyard area, it is themost frequently cultivated grape va-riety in the region. In addition, anold and now rare white variety is stillgrown on the Upper Mosel: Elbing.With its lively, pronounced acidity, itis well-suited for Sekt (sparklingwine) production. Other importantwhite varieties include Müller-Thur-gau, Kerner, Weissburgunder (PinotBlanc) and Grauburgunder (PinotGris). Among red varieties – whichmake up 10 % of the region’s wines –Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir), Dorn-felder and Regent are the most com-monly grown.

2000 years of wine-growing traditionThe Mosel, Saar and Ruwer rivershave cut deep into the Rhenish SlateMountains. Nowhere else are thevineyard slopes as steep as thosefound here – particularly on the Low-er Mosel in the Burg Cochem district.Here, terraced cultivation is often the

Viticulture was practiced on theMosel as early as 2000 years ago. Inthe sheltered areas of the RhenishSlate Mountains, both Celts and Ro-mans found suitable conditions forthe cultivation of grapevines. Nu-merous archeological discoveriesbear witness to the important rolethat wine played for the Roman set-tlers and soldiers: They include sev-eral pressing facilities and reliefs likethat of the Neumagen Wine Ship – arowing vessel loaded with large winecasks. It once decorated the grave of awine merchant and marked Neuma-gen-Dhron, the village where it wasfound, as the oldest wine-growingcommunity in Germany.

The Mosel, Saar and Ruwer valleysThe region which was known untilAugust 2007 as “Mosel-Saar-Ruwer”extends between the Hunsrück andEifel mountains, along the Moselfrom Perl to Koblenz; on the Saarfrom Serrig to its mouth at the Moselnear Konz; and on the Ruwer fromRiveris until it flows into the Moselnear Trier-Ruwer. Of the 9000 ha(22,239 acres) of cultivated vine-yards, around 720 ha (1779 acres) arelocated along the Saar and around190 on the Ruwer. The entire grow-ing region is subdivided into six dis-tricts: “Moseltor” in the Saarland;“Obermosel” between Palzem andIgel; “Saar” from Serrig to Konz;“Ruwertal” from Waldrach to Trier-Ruwer; “Bernkastel” between Trierand Briedel; and “Burg Cochem”from Zell to Koblenz.

É The steep vineyard slopes overlook-

ing Bremm (Ñ p. 74) offer a splendid

view of the Mosel river loop.

69


MOSEL

Roman wine press north of the Alps.The 4th century structure, which is44 m (144 ft) long and 20 m (66 ft)wide, is located at the foot of the fa-mous steep site “Piesporter Gold -tröpf chen.” In addition to cellarrooms, it includes a double presscomplex with two mash basins, twoquarter-circular pressing basins andtwo must basins. Above the pressingbasin, a spindle wine press with a sus-pended weight has been reconstruct-ed, making the equipment fully func-tional even today. In one of the cellarrooms to the west of the pressing sta-tion, archeologists also uncovered afunarium – a smoking chamber inwhich wine could be prematurelyaged. Due to the unusually large sizeof the complex, it is estimated that upto 130 workers once labored here,producing around 60,000 liters ofwine. The vineyards associated with

70

only option, and why the area isknown as the Terrassenmosel. Forvintners, this means hard work,some times under very difficult con-ditions. Anyone who travels along oneof the hiking trails or climbing pathson these steep slopes will get an idea ofthe dangers involved in working in thevineyards here. Nevertheless, thesedramatic inclines provide a marvelousview of the impressive cultural land-scape that the Mosel has created alongits twisting and turning path.

The Roman wine presses ofPiesport Ñ Fold-out map, C 15

The ancient press houses which havebeen preserved in this region provideproof that the Romans once trod up-on Mosel grapes with their feet. In theprocess of vineyard consolidation onthe Mosel loop near Piesport in 1985-86, workers uncovered the largest

15

The Neumagen Wine Ship (shown here: a true-to-scale copy), was created around

220 CE for the gravesite of a Roman wine merchant.


Piesport – Vereinigte Hospitien, Trier

the press house would have coveredabout 60 ha (148 acres). It is possiblethat the Piesport press was a govern-ment facility which produced winefor the prefecture in Trier, or even forthe imperial court. Piesport’s large Roman press facilityis put into operation every year dur-ing the Roman Wine Press Festivalwhich takes place here at the begin-ning of October. For this occasion,workers – all dressed in traditionalcostumes – tread on the grapes in thelarge mash basin and use the spindlepress to process them further. Whenthe massive beam press, hung with a50 kg (110 lb) stone, sinks into themash-filled pressing basket, the grapejuice flows out into collecting tanksand can be filled into amphorae.

An abundance of artifactsIn 1992, a second Roman press wasdiscovered in Piesport. It dates fromthe 2nd century, and at 6 x 15 m (20 x40 ft), it is significantly smaller andhas only four basins. In Erden,Brauneberg and Maring-Noviand,ancient pressing facilities have alsobeen preserved for posterity. The Er-den press was constructed in the 3rdcentury and rebuilt several times upuntil the 7th century. Today, its sevenrooms are used to host wine tastings,courses in Roman cooking and otherevents. The Roman press structures foundalong the Mosel testify to a long tra-dition of grape processing. It isthought that even the Celts alreadycultivated grapes in the sheltered val-ley areas between the Hunsrück andthe Eifel. The Romans certainly pro-duced wine here on a large scale.This makes the Mosel region the old-est wine-growing area in Germany.

Tourist Information • Heinrich-Schmitt-Pl. 1, Piesport • Tel. 06507-2027 • www.piesport.de

Wine Estate of the Ver -einigten Hospitien, Trier

Ñ Fold-out map, B 15

Germany’s oldest wine cellar is locat-ed underneath the St. Irminen Re-tirement and Nursing Home in thepark of the Vereinigten Hospitien(united hospices and geriatric carecenters) in Trier. On the site where amagnificent Baroque buildingstands today, Emperor Constantineordered the building of two giganticwarehouses – or horrea – in 330 CE.These were used to store the winewhich was delivered from the Ro-man wine estates along the Mosel.Each of the hall-like buildings was70 m (230 ft) long and 20 m (66 ft)wide. Their 8 meter-high walls, con-structed of limestone ashlars inter-spersed with bricks, have been pre-served; they are interspersed withmonumental arcatures with small,narrow windows.

Wine tasting in Germany’soldest wine cellarThe cultural debris of the centurieshas sunk what was once the groundfloor of the horreum down to cellarlevel. The original Roman brick flooris still visible in the entrance area.Today, guests can take part in winetastings held in the oldest section ofthe wine cellar. The Roman Hall onthe level above was once also part ofthe Roman warehouses. With theirrestored Roman exposed masonry,the beautiful rooms provide a stylishsetting for concerts, events andtraining sessions at the VereinigtenHospitien.

16

71


MOSEL

The Vereinigten Hospitien Founda-tion was formed in 1804 under a de-cree from Napoleon, who orderedthe establishment of a hospital with100 beds for wounded soldiers and 50beds for needy patients from the cityof Trier. To this end, those hospitalswhich had previously been run by re-ligious orders were merged togetherand housed in the former Benedic-tine abbey of St. Irminen. The abbeyhad been built in the Middle Ages,over the ruins of the Roman ware-houses. The facilities which wereunited at St. Irminen included the St.Jacob’s Hospital, the St. ElisabethHospital of St. Maximin’s Abbey, theSt. Nicholas Hospital of St. Matthias’sAbbey, the St. Nicholas Hospital atthe monastery of St. Simeon, two or-phanages, a prison workhouse andtwo lepers’ houses or infirmaries.

Organic farmingThe Vereinigten Hospitien’s assetsstem from the pensions, rights, com-modities and property of the differ-ent care facilities. This includes thewine estate of the Vereinigten Hospi-tien, with its vineyards on the Moseland the Saar. Ninety percent of the25 ha (62 acres) of vineyard lands aredevoted to Riesling; the remaining10 % are planted with Grauburgun-der, Weissburgunder and Spätbur-gunder. The vineyards are cultivatedin keeping with organic farmingguidelines. These include naturalgreen cover between the vine rows,which is fertilized only with strawand manure when necessary. In thefall, the grapes are harvested by handand sorted according to ripeness.However, all of this labor-intensive,selective processing is rewarded inthe form of highest quality wines.

Weingut der Vereinigten Hospitien •

Krahnenufer 19, Trier • Tel. 0651-94512 10 • www.weingut.vereinigtehospitien.de

Vineyard sundials on theMosel Ñ Fold-out map, C 15

Time does not stand still on the steepsouthern slopes of the Mosel. Thesundials (Sonnenuhren) that can befound here in the midst of the vine-yards make sure of that. In Wehlen,to the north of the Mosel river loopfrom Bernkastel-Kues, an entire vil-lage is devoted to sundials. It allstarted with one sundial in the vine-yards: In 1842, Jodocus Prüm, theson of a wealthy wine-growing fami-ly from Wehlen, had an enormoussundial built on the steep “Lammert-erlay” vineyard slope. In the middleof a slate cliff, the large black numer-als on a whitewashed wall were in-tended to keep the vintners workingon the slopes informed of the time,from 8 am to 6 pm in the evening.

Famous through timeThe Wehlen sundial was soon sowell-known that the name of theLammerterlay site was changed toWehlener Sonnenuhr (Wehlen Sun-dial). Today, sundials can be foundscattered throughout the entirewine-growing community – over 50in all. These include horizontal sun-dials on wine presses and casks, ver-tical sundials on building façadesand equatorial sundials, whosespherically domed structure ismounted on a plinth.In the neighboring village of Zeltin-gen, slightly downstream, anothersundial projects from the steepsouthwestern slope high above thebanks of the Mosel. Its Arabic nu-

17

72


Vereinigte Hospitien, Trier – Traben-Trarbach

merals on a white background letpeople read the time from 7 am to6 pm when the sun shines brightly. Itis thought to be the largest sundial inany German vineyard, and serves asa proud landmark of the Mosel wine-growing community of Zeltingen.Just a few kilometers upstream, yetanother sundial can be found amidthe vineyards across from Braune -berg – this time with Roman numer-als on a white background. It is locat-ed on a southern slope and gives thevineyard site its name: Juffer Son-nenuhr. In August 1998, a tempera-ture of 41.2 °C (106.2 °F) was meas-ured on this blue-gray Devonianslate slope with its exceptional mi-croclimate – one of the highest day-time temperatures ever recorded inGermany. One unusual feature of theBrauneberg sundial is the fact that itcan be adjusted from daylight tostandard time.

Hundreds of sundialsThe sundial in the vineyards of Pom-mern an der Mosel is one of the old-est examples. Nearly 400 years ago,the abbot of the Himmerod Cister-cian Abbey in the Eifel Mountainsordered the construction of a sundi-al in the monastery-owned vine-yards near Pommern. It has stood onthe steep slope, high above the banksof the Mosel, since 1620. The rectan-gular face, topped with a flat, curvingRenaissance gable, tells the time in Roman numerals from 8 am to5 pm – provided, that is, that the sunis shining. Still more sundials can befound in Neumagen and Maring: Intotal, there are several hundred inthe Mosel region. The vineyard sundials not only tellthe time; they also mark the prime

locations where the sunbathed vinesproduce top-quality wines. Thus, thelocation names – “Wehlener Son-nenuhr,” “Brauneberger Juffer Son-nenuhr,” or “Zeltinger Sonnenuhr” –can also be relied on to identify first-class Rieslings of national and inter-national standing.Touristik Wehlen, Wein und Wiesene. V. • Uferallee 15, Bernkastel-Wehlen • Tel. 06531-91 58 50 •

www.wehlen.de

Traben-TrarbachÑ Fold-out map, C 15

Trarbach lies on the right bank of theMosel, in the foothills of the Huns -rück Mountains. On the oppositeshore, Traben stretches over thepeninsula of the Mosel loop. In 1904,the two communities merged toform the twin town of Traben-Trar-

18

73

The sundial on the Mosel river loop near

Ürzig is visible from far away.


MOSEL

bach, connected by the river bridge,which was built at the end of the 19thcentury by the Berlin architectBruno Möhring. This iron structurewas the first roadway over the Moselbetween Bernkastel and Koblenz;however, it was destroyed in 1945, inthe final days of World War II. Today,the gateway on the Trarbach side isall that remains of the old bridge.Flanked by two towers, the gatestands as a landmark of Traben-Trar-bach. Its neo-Gothic stylistic ele-ments make it an interesting exam-ple of architectural Historicism. Around 1900, this small double townon the Mosel was one of the largestreloading points in the Europeanwine trade, second only to Bordeaux.From here, wine was exportedthroughout the world. The flourish-ing wine trade – especially the greatdemand for Riesling wines – led tothe founding of numerous business-es around this time. In the secondhalf of the 19th century, Traben-Trarbach was home to over 100 firmsthat earned their money in the winetrade. In order to create sufficientstorage space, cellars were built un-derneath large areas of the town cen-ter. On a tour through the over 100m-long (328 ft) tunnels and some-times multistoried vaults, visitorsmay easily encounter a cellar directlyon the banks of the Mosel; one mightemerge from the undergroundlabyrinth into the garden of a vint-ner’s estate.The luxurious mansions, winerybuildings and hotels that were builton both sides of the Mosel aroundthe turn of the 20th century bear wit-ness to the prosperity of the vintnersand wine merchants. On a strollthrough Traben-Trarbach, visitors

encounter magnificent examples ofupper middle class residential life atevery turn. In 1904, the wine mer-chant and winery owner AdolphHuesgen commissioned the buildingof an elegant Art Nouveau mansionnear the Traben railway station,based on plans by the Berlin archi-tect Bruno Möhring. At the westernend of Traben’s riverbank prome-nade stands another upper-class res-idence designed by Möhring: VillaBreucker, which was built in 1905 forthe wine merchant Gustav Breucker.

In the shape of a Sekt bottle One of the town’s most famous build-ings is the Hotel Bellevue in Traben.This structure, built by BrunoMöhring in 1903, is remarkable forits turret, built in the shape of a Sekt(sparkling wine) bottle. Under its for-mer name, “Hotel Clauss-Feist,” thehouse was once the scene of sumptu-ous Belle Époque celebrations. Alarge portion of its Art Nouveau dé-cor has been preserved; on the build-ing’s façade, markers commemoratethe years of catastrophic floods. Tourist-Info • Traben-Trarbach, AmBahnhof 5 • Tel. 0 65 41/8 39 80 •

www.traben-trarbach.de

The Bremmer CalmontÑ Fold-out map, C 14

Located on the Lower Mosel is one ofthe steepest (if not the steepest) sin-gle vineyard sites of Europe: the Cal-mont, between Bremm and Ediger-Eller. The steep slope, whichmeasures up to 370 m (1214 ft) highwith gradients of around 65°, pro-vides ideal conditions for the Ries-ling grapes that grow here. The sun’srays strike almost perpendicularly tothe soil, which consists of weathered

19

74


Traben-Trarbach – The Bremmer Calmont

slate, quartzite and greywacke. Itstores the heat for long periods andnourishes the vine roots with miner-als. This unique terroir makes theBremmer Calmont one of the primesites on the Terrassenmosel. For vintners, cultivating these vine-yards means extremely hard labor.Despite the installation of a mono-rack railway in the 1990s – which hasbrought a small degree of technolog-ical advancement to these ruggedprecipices – harvest workers musttransport the majority of the grapesdown the steep cliff to the harvestwagon on foot. In recent years, inparticular, the portion of productivevineyards has steadily declined. Outof a total of 22 ha (54 acres), onlyabout 14 are now being cultivated. The name “Calmont” probably de-rives from the Roman term calidusmons, meaning “warm mountain.” Itslong tradition of viticulture is evendocumented in writing: “All around

you can see the heights clothed inverdant vines, […] the grapevine...indensely planted rows in the slate soil.[…] Where leafy vineyards soar tothe bare mountaintops, and a lush,

75

Hikers who make the climb to the ruins of the Grevenburg will be rewarded with a

glorious view of Traben-Trarbach (Ñ p. 73) and the Mosel river loop.

TRIER

Numerous ancient buildings shapethe face of Trier, once the residen-tial city of the Roman Emperor Con-stantine the Great. They includethe Imperial Baths, the Basilica ofConstantine, the Porta Nigra andthe Amphi theater. In 1986, UN-ESCO added these structures, aswell as the Cathedral and the Lieb -frauen kirche (Church of Our Lady),to its list of World Heritage Sites.Tourist Information • An der PortaNigra, Trier • Tel. 0651-97 80 80 •

www.trier.de

MERIAN-Tip bg !6!


MOSEL

shady green covers the dry boulders:Here the vintner gathers the crop ofcolored grapes; he hangs on the cliff,plucking the fruit…” This is howVenantius Fortunatus, the last poet ofLate Antiquity, described the Cal-mont vineyards in 558, as he traveledalong the Mosel. Since 2002, a Klettersteig (climbingpath) leads between Bremm andEller, over cliffs and stony, slateslopes and through vineyards. Sure-footed visitors who are not afraid ofheights will be rewarded with a

breathtaking view of the Mosel riverloop and across from it, the ruins ofStuben Abbey on the Mosel peninsu-la near Bremm.Tourist-Info • Bremm an der Mosel, Moselstr. 27 • Tel. 0 26 75/3 70 •

www.bremm-mosel.de, www.bremmer-calmont.de

Nearby DestinationsSIGHTS

Eltz CastleLike a castle out of a storybook, BurgEltz stands in a picturesque location

76

Looking like something out of a fairy tale, Eltz Castle (Ñ p. 76), one of the most roman-

tic and best-preserved castles in Germany, stands on a rock.


The Bremmer Calmont – Nearby destinations

in the valley of the Elzbach River, awestern tributary of the Mosel. Un-der the ownership of the Eltz familyfor 800 years, today it is open to visi-tors. A tour lets guests vividly imag-ine how the knights and ladies oncelived here.Gräflich Eltz’sche Kastellanei, BurgEltz • Münstermaifeld • Tel. 02672-95 05 00 • www.burg-eltz.de • April-Oct, open daily 9:30 am-5:30 pm •

Entrance fee € 8

Bicycle toursAlong the Mosel, Saar and Ruwer,you can find the right terrain forevery bicyclist. The riverside paths,which follow along the riverbankswith virtually no inclines, are idealfor families and seniors. More athlet-ic bikers can choose one of thetrekking or mountain bike trails inthe steep vineyard sites or throughthe forests. The Mosel Bicycle Trailleads from Metz, in the Lorraine re-gion, to the Deutsches Eck inKoblenz. The Saar Bicycle Trail begins at theFrench border near Saargemünd andcontinues downriver to Konz. TheRuwer-Hochwald Bicycle Trail runsfrom Hermeskeil to the Ruwer’smouth at Trier.– Mosellandtouristik • Kordelweg 1,Bernkastel-Kues • Tel. 06531-973 30• www.mosellandtouristik.de– Tourismus Zentrale Saarland •

Franz-Josef-Röder-Str. 17, Saar -brücken • Tel. 0681-92 72 00 •

www.tourismus.saarland.de– ADFC Allgemeiner Deutscher Fahr-rad-Club • Grünenstr. 120, Bremen •Tel. 0421-34 62 90 • www.adfc.de

MUSEUMS

The Rhineland State Museum,the Mosel Wine Museum and theGerman Museum of PreciousStonesAmong the most important regionalmuseums are the Rhineland StateMuseum in Trier, which houses theoriginal Neumagen Wine Ship, theMosel Wine Museum in Bernkastel-Kues, and the German Museum ofPrecious Stones in Idar-Oberstein.– Rheinisches Landesmuseum • Wei-marer Allee 1, Trier • Tel. 0651-977 40• www.landesmuseum-trier.de •

Open Tues-Sun 10 am-5 pm •

Entrance fee € 6 – Moselweinmuseum • Cusanusstr.2,Bernkastel-Kues • Tel. 06531-4141 •www.moselweinmuseum.de– Deutsches Edelsteinmuseum •

Hauptstr. 118, Idar-Oberstein • Tel.06781-90 09 80 • www.edelsteinmuseum.de • Entrance fee € 5


Steep Vineyard Hiking Trail, WinningenThe Winninger Steillagenwanderweg(Steep Vineyard Slope Hiking Trail)lets visitors explore the Terrassen-mosel’s spectacular landscape. Theeasily accessible path leads throughthe vineyard sites of Domgarten,Brückstück and Röttgen. In May, theSteep Vineyard Wine Festival is heldhere.Touristik Winningen e. V. • Winningen,August-Horch-Str. 3 • Tel. 0 26 06/18 58 • www.winningen.de

FOOD AND DRINK

Becker’sEven gourmets rave about the award-winning culinary creations of ChefWolfgang Becker of Becker’s Restau-

77


MOSEL: Nearby destinations

rant in Trier. The wine list includesnoble drops from his own estate aswell as wines from the top vintners ofthe Mosel, Saar and Ruwer.Becker’s Hotel Restaurant Weingut •Olewiger Str. 181, Trier • Tel. 0651-93 80 80 • www.beckers-trier.de •€€€€

Wein & TafelhausDirectly on the banks of the Mosel inTrittenheim, star chef AlexanderOos welcomes guests to his gourmetrestaurant, Wein & Tafelhaus. Alongwith the cuisine you can enjoy top-quality wines from the region andfrom the terrace.Wein & Tafelhaus • Moselpromenade4, Trittenheim • Tel. 06507-70 28-03 •www.wein-tafelhaus.de • €€€€

CulinariumChef de cuisine at Culinarium in Nit-tel is Walter Curman, husband of theformer German Wine Queen, Cari-na Dostert-Curman. His specialtiesinclude down-to-earth regionaldishes and also more unusual ones –such as rack of suckling pig withsweet and sour lentils, inspired by aRoman recipe. Excellent accompani-ments are Elbling, Rivaner or Pinotwines from the shell-limestone soilsof the upper Mosel.Culinarium • Weinstr. 5, Nittel • Tel.06584-914 50 • www.weingutdostert.de • €€


Mosel Music FestivalFrom Pentecost (late May-earlyJune) until early October, the MoselMusic Festival brings jazz, opera andclassical concerts to historic loca-tions in the wine-growing region.Pentecost (2012: May 26-28) to earlyOctober • Mosel Musikfestival Veran-staltungsgesellschaft • Am Kurpark,Bernkastel-Kues • Tel. 06531-50 0095 • www.moselmusikfestival.de

Middle Mosel Wine FestivalBernkastel-Kues is the setting for thelargest wine festival in the Moselgrowing region. In early September,visitors from all over the world pourinto this picturesque, timber-framedtown to take part in the celebrations,which include a vintners’ parade anda large fireworks display. Vintnersfrom the Middle Mosel proffer theirwares at the many wine stands.1st weekend in September • TouristInformation •Gestade 6, Bernkastel-Kues • Tel. 06531-50 01 90 •www.bernkastel.de

Roman Wine Press Festival, PiesportOnce a year, the Roman wine pressfacility comes back to life. Partici-pants demonstrate how the ancientRomans processed grapes here – aswell as how they celebrated. October • Tourist Information • Hein-rich-Schmitt-Pl. 1, Piesport • Tel.06507-2027 • www.piesport.de

SERVICEINFORMATION

Mosel-Wein e. V. • Gartenfeldstr. 12a,Trier • Tel. 0551-71 02 80 •www.weinland-mosel.de

78

T

DID YOU KNOW…

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The Nahe The wine-growing region of Nahe boasts

Germany’s largest yet most spacially-compact soil bio -

diversity. Here the wine growers cultivate their vineyards,

from the gentle banks of the Nahe and their tributaries to

the steepest locations around Niedernhausen.


Disibodenberg Monastery ruins

to red varieties – particularly Dorn-felder and Portugieser.The Nahe and its side valleys are char-acterized by a remarkably mild cli-mate with abundant sunshine and lit-tle rain. On the Upper Nahe, cool airfrom the Soonwald, Hunsrück andNorthern Pfalz ranges ensures thatthe grapes ripen later; this is particu-larly beneficial to the aroma and acidstructure of Riesling grapes. The steepcliffs of the Middle Nahe store thesun’s heat, producing soil tempera-tures of 60 °C (140 °F) and above inthe summer. This provides a welcomeenvironment for numerous heat-lov-ing plant species which are otherwisefound only in the Mediterranean re-gion or on the steppes of Eastern Eu-rope and Asia. Spätburgunder andother red wine varieties grow espe-cially well on the Lower Nahe.

A tasting barNo other German wine-growing re-gion contains so much geological di-versity in such a small area. The soilshere range from volcanic stones suchas rhyolite, melaphyre and porphyry;to weathered soils of sandstone,loam and loess; to quartzite, clay andslate. Two hundred fifty millionyears ago, the intersection of theSaar-Nahe hill country, the RhenishSlate Mountains and the MainzBasin was the site of intense volcanicactivity. Today, the diverse terroirsare reflected in the multifaceted Na-he wines, lending the region thename “tasting bar.”

Disibodenberg Monasteryruins Ñ Fold-out map, D 15/16

In the summer of 2005, BaronessLuise von Racknitz-Adams made adiscovery, which drew the attention

20

From Martinstein near Kirn towhere the Nahe empties into theRhine near Bingen, vineyards linethe path of the river and its tributar-ies – Ellerbach, Guldenbach, Gräfen-bach, the Glan and the Alsenz. To thenorthwest of Bad Kreuznach, vine-yard extend up to the foot of theHunsrück Mountains. The growingregion is divided into three sections.The wide valley landscape of the Up-per Nahe stretches from Martinsteinto Schlossböckelheim. Imposingcliffs flank the shores of the MiddleNahe, which cuts deep into the vol-canic rock between Schlossböckel-heim and Bad Kreuznach. The Low-er Nahe, which extends from BadKreuznach to the river’s mouth, alsoincludes bizarre rock formationssuch as those in the Trollbach Valley,which often jut out unexpectedlyamidst the vineyards.

A wide variety The wine-growing region includesthe Nahe Valley district, the six col-lective sites of Pfarrgarten,Schlosskapelle, Rosengarten, Kro-nenberg, Burgweg and Paradies-garten, as well as 310 individual sites.Over a total of 4000 ha (9884 acres),grapevines flourish on gentle rollinghills and terraces; about one quarterof the vineyards are found on steepslopes. White wine varieties make up75 % of the grapes grown here. Ofthese, Riesling predominates, fol-lowed by Rivaner, Silvaner, Weiss-burgunder (Pinot Blanc) and Grau -bur gunder (Pinot Gris). The other25 % of the cultivated area is devoted

É The Nahe and its tributary side

valleys are characterized by a mild

climate with plenty of sun and little rain.

81


NAHE

of vintners and wine connoisseurs:in a difficult-to-reach spot on a ter-raced vineyard on her wine estate onthe Middle Nahe – the Disiboden-berger Hof in Odernheim am Glan –she uncovered five old, gnarledgrapevines. She had learned some-thing about grape varieties duringher studies at the renowned oenolog-ical school in Geisenheim in theRheingau; nevertheless, she was un-familiar with this vine with bristlyleaves.

The mysterious grapevineVon Racknitz-Adams first turned tovarious experts for advice, but noone could help. Three years later, shemet the biologist and grapevine spe-cialist Andreas Jung of Lustadt in thesouthern Pfalz. Jung observes thepopulations of old grape varieties allover Germany for the FederalAgency for Agriculture and Nutri-

tion (BLE). In the course of his work,he had already encountered severalvarieties which had previously beenconsidered extinct – among them,Süssschwarz, Fütterer and Adel-fränkisch. He had rediscovered 90historic grapevine species in theRhine land-Palatinate alone, includ-ing a Weisse Vogeltraube in Mandel,near Bad Kreuznach. After making extensive ampelo-graphic comparisons, Jung came tothe conclusion that the grapes fromthe Von Racknitz estate in Disibo-denberg are the Orleans varietal.Typical characteristics of this strainare their noticeably rough, bristlyupper leaf surfaces and large, thick-skinned berries. Among others,these grapes are also known underthe names White or Yellow Orleans,Harthengst or Hartheinisch. This historically significant grapevariety ripens only under extremely

82

At Disibodenberg (Ñ p. 81), once home to Hildegard von Bingen, gnarled grapevines

were discovered in the summer of 2005 which are between 500 and 900 years old.


Disibodenberg Monastery ruins

warm conditions. During the Me-dieval Warm Period, from the 10thto the 12th centuries, it was wide-spread, producing fiery, spicy whitewines which were highly valued –not least for their stability and longshelf life. However, during the LittleIce Age of the 16th century, Orleansgrapes disappeared almost entirely.They are now found only in very fewareas with extremely mild local cli-mates – for example, in the areaaround Heidelberg, on the GermanWine Route near Deidesheim, or inBreisgau. The five vines from theDisibodenberger Hof date from theperiod between 1108 and 1559,when the Benedictine Disiboden-berg Abbey maintained extensivevineyards. They are therefore be-tween 500 and 900 years old, makingthem the oldest grapevines everfound on German soil.

The abbey and its healerAmong those who lived and workedat Disibodenberg Abbey was Hilde-gard von Bingen, the great mystic ofthe Middle Ages. In 1112, she en-tered the newly founded women’shermitage at the DisibodenbergMonastery, located at the Glan Riv-er’s mouth into the Nahe. In 1136,she became abbess of the hermitage;she recorded her visions in Latin be-ginning in 1141. In addition, Hilde-gard produced many of her writingson ethics, the world, human beings,illnesses and medicinal herbs at Dis-ibodenberg. More than 30 recipesusing wine as a basis are testimony tothe enormous healing power that sheattributed to the juice of the grape:“Wine from the grape, when it ispure, makes the blood of the drinkergood and healthy.” Around 1150,

83

Hildegard left Disibodenberg in theidyllic Middle Nahe valley andmoved, together with her Benedic-tine nuns, to the Rupertsberg Con-vent at the mouth of the Nahe, nearBingen. Approximately 100 years lat-er, Cistercian monks moved into theDisibodenberg Abbey and remainedthere until its secularization in themid-16th century. The last monksleft Disibodenberg in 1559. Theabbey complex fell into ruins, andpieces of the buildings were used tobuild homes in the neighboring vil-lages of Odernheim and Staudern-heim. Even the piers of the Staudern-heim Bridge were rebuilt usingstones from the abbey.

Orleans cultivationSince 1753, the abbey ruins and thesurrounding lands, including thevineyards, have been owned by thevon Racknitz family. In 2003, Luisevon Racknitz-Adams and her hus-band, Matthias Adams took overmanagement of the winery on the

The altar at the Rochuskapelle depicts

Hildegard’s entry into the convent.


NAHE

former estate of the DisibodenbergAbbey from her parents. Now she isattempting to propagate the old Or-leans grapevines below the old abbeywalls and develop a small model siteplanted with Orleans, a variety withpronounced acidity. She hopes tosucceed – particularly if, in thecourse of climate change, these lati-tudes become too warm for cultivat-ing Riesling.The picturesque abbey ruins areopen to visitors. A meditation patharound the site leads walkersthrough twelve stations which invitethem to pause and reflect on psalmsand passages from the writings of St.Hildegard.– Wine estate: Luise von Racknitz-Adams & Matthias Adams • Disibo-denberger Hof, Odernheim am Glan •Tel. 06755-285 • www.von-racknitz.com

– Abbey ruins: Scivias Stiftung • Dis-ibodenberger Hof, Odernheim amGlan • Tel. 06755-969 91 88 •www.disibodenberg.de • Museumopen Tues-Fri 9 am-6 pm, Sat & Sun11 am-5 pm • Entrance fee € 3 • Ab-bey ruins are accessible at all times.

The SchlossböckelheimerKupfergrube

Ñ Fold-out map, D/E 15

Precious metal was once mined fromthis soil; now noble Riesling growshere on the Middle Nahe, where theHunsrück and the Pfalz hill countrymeet. In the early 20th century, theborder between the kingdoms ofPrussia and Bavaria ran along the Na-he. In 1901, the state-owned wine es-tate – the Weinbaudomäne Nieder-hausen-Schlossböckelheim – wasfounded on the Prussian side. Sincecopper ore had previously been

21

84

At the Bad Sobernheim Open-Air Museum (Ñ p. 85), the press house from Bruttig

stands next to whitewashed timber-frame houses from Enkirch and Zell-Merl.


Disibodenberg Monastery ruins – Bad Sobernheim

mined at this location, the site came tobe known as the Kupfergrube (coppermine). The southern slope at the footof a rock face has a microclimate thatseems to have been custom made forcultivating wine. The slate content inthe mineral-rich, almost loam-free,weathered volcanic soil produceswines with exceptional aromas.Before the first grapevines could beplanted on this steep, rugged site,rocks had to be blasted and hundredsof thousands of cubic meters of soilhad to be moved by hand. Once theold rubble had been leveled and ter-raced, the first Riesling vines wereplanted in 1903. The first outstandingvintage was produced eight years lat-er; and the legendary 1921 vintageyielded a Riesling Trockenbeeren -auslese (produced from individuallyselected, dried-up berries) with an in-credible must weight of 308° Oechsle. After the Second World War, the do-main came into the possession of thestate of the Rhineland-Palatinate.Work at the state’s model wine estatefocused on quality control and inno-vation. In addition to testing fertiliz-ers and pesticides, researchers con-ducted the first experiments withcold fermentation here in Nieder-hausen. The highly-prized Rieslingclone DN 500, which is still famoustoday for its high must weight andabundant yields, was also bred here.

In harmony with natureSince 2010, the State Domain hasbeen under private ownership. Un-der the name “Gut Hermannsberg,”owners Dr. Christine Dinse and JensReidel cultivate around 30 ha (74acres) of vineyards in the communi-ties of Schlossböckelheim, Nieder-hausen, Traisen and Altenbamberg.

Working under extreme conditionson the steep slopes – some with gra-dients of over 50% – they have madeit their goal to produce wines in har-mony with nature. The vineyards areplanted almost exclusively with Ries-ling grapes, which are aged intoprime quality Riesling wines in thecellars of the historical buildings. Gut Hermannsberg • Niederhausen ander Nahe • Tel. 06758-925 00 •www.gut-hermannsberg.de • Winetastings available by appointment

Bad Sobernheim Open-AirMuseum


The Rhineland-Palatinate Open-AirMuseum in the Nachtigallental nearBad Sobernheim shows visitors howvintners and farmers lived over thelast 500 years. About 40 historicbuildings from the Mosel-Eifel, Pfalz-Rheinhessen, Mittelrhein-Wester -wald and Hunsrück-Nahe regionswere dismantled at their original lo-cations and authentically rebuilt onthe museum grounds. Thanks to thecareful attention to detail, guests herecan form an excellent picture of howpeople lived in days gone by.A 2 km-long (1.2 miles) circular pathleads past reconstructed farm fields,meadows, pastures, kitchen gardensand herb gardens, modeled after his-toric examples. On the museum’s 35-ha grounds (86.5 acres), you can goon a journey back in time, visitingfarm houses, wine estates and presshouses, a mill and a village black-smith shop, a hairdresser’s, small gro-cery store, butcher’s shop and bakery,cobbler’s and printer’s shops; a bowl-ing alley and a dance hall, a school-house, a chapel and a city hall. Evenmonuments and wayside crosses are

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NAHE

included here. Free range chickens,geese and ducks, pasture pigs, goatsand sheep make the picture complete.The oldest building, a timber-framehouse from Merl an der Mosel, datesback to 1328. A stately building withrichly decorated cross-timbering –originally from Enkirch an der Mosel– now houses the “House of Rhine -land-Palatinate Wine Culture,” whichfeatures exhibits devoted to viticul-ture. The daily life of vintners comesalive not only through the residential

and farming buildings, but alsothrough the museum’s own vineyard,which includes an historic vintner’shut. In the vineyard the museumdemonstrates methods of trainingthat are typical in the region – fromsingle-stake to wire trellis training aswell as bush vines and single or multi-ple bows. The Rheingrafenberg WineGrowers’ Cooperative from nearbyMeddersheim cultivates Riesling,Müller-Thurgau, Elbling, Silvaner,Rülander, Gewürztraminer and Por-tugieser grapes here. Rheinland-Pfälzisches Freilichtmu-seum Bad Sobernheim an der Nahe •Nachtigallental, Bad Sobernheim •Tel. 06751-3840 • www.freilichtmuseum-rlp.de • April-Oct, open Tu-es-Sun 9 am-6 pm • Entrance fee €4,50 (During the winter months, youmay visit the site free of charge; however, the buildings are closed.)


Bad KreuznachThe unique landmark of this spatown is its late medieval bridge hous-es. They were built more than 500years ago atop the columns of the oldNahe bridge. The intersection of theEllerbach and the Nahe was once thesite of the Tanners’ Quarter, whichwas also called “Little Venice” because of its small, picturesquehouses.Tourist Information • Kurhausstr. 22-24,Bad Kreuznach • Tel. 0671-836 00 50 •www.bad-kreuznach-tourist.de

RotenfelsBetween Ebernburg and Norheim, aspectacular rock cliff towers abovethe northern banks of the Nahe: theRotenfels. At 1200 m (3937 ft) long

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VINOTHERAPY

Wellness on the Nahe seems to ex-ist only in superlatives. Bad So -bern heim is home to Germany’sonly Felke healing spa facility. BadKreuznach is thought to be the old-est radon saltwater spa in theworld and is home to the largestopen-air inhalation facility in Eu-rope, extending for 1.4 km (0.8miles) through the Salinental toBad Münster am Stein. Wellnessoases on the Nahe also offer vino -therapy, a process in which warmspring water combined with grapeextracts are used to smooth theskin and prevent premature aging.

MERIAN-Tip bg !7!


Bad Sobernheim – Nearby destinations

Johann Lafers Stromburg • Schloss-berg 1, Stromberg • Tel. 06724-931 00• www.stromburg.com • €€€€


Wine FestivalsWine celebrations can be found onthe calendar throughout the year inthe Nahe region. In June, the Weinfestim Grünen (Wine Festival in theCountryside) in Guldental focuseson wine, jazz and classic cars; theVine Blossom Festival in Monzin-gen’s historic town center takes placeat the same time. In July, a hot air bal-loon festival is held on the Nahemeadows in Norheim: Its highlight isthe night glow. In August, there’s“open house” at wine estates in BadMünster am Stein-Ebenburg; BadKreuznach hosts a huge folk festivaland Sommerloch’s wine festival beck-ons at the end of the month. In Sep-tember, Bingen’s Wine Growers’ Fes-tival features a vintners’ parade at themouth of the Nahe, and the WineHiking Trail Festival is held betweenBad Sobernheim and Martinstein.Weinland Nahe e. V. • Burgenlandstr.7, Bad Kreuznach • Tel. 0671-83 4050 • www.weinland-nahe.de

SERVICEINFORMATION

Weinland Nahe e. V. • Burgenlandstr.7, Bad Kreuznach • Tel. 0671-83 4050 • www.weinland-nahe.de

87

DID YOU KNOW…

… that in the Nahe region, a 0.2-liter glass of wine is called a“Remischen?” The name refersboth to the small, stemless glassand to its contents.

and 200 m (656 ft) high, it is said tobe the largest cliff face north of theAlps. Birds’ nesting places and rareplants are hidden in the crevices ofthe reddish rhyolite stone.

MUSEUM

Bangert Manor, Bad KreuznachIn a beautiful park at the foot of theKauzenburg lies Bangert Manor, hometo the Museums of the City of BadKreuznach. Of particular interest isthe Roman Hall, with its outstanding-ly preserved floor mosaics: the 58 sq m(190 sq ft) Gladiators’ Mosaic and the68 sq m (223 sq ft) Oceanus Mosaic.Museen im Rittergut Bangert, RomanHall • Hüffelsheimerstr. 11, BadKreuznach •Tel. 0671-298 58 20 •www.stadt-bad-kreuznach.de •March-Jan, open Tues-Sun 10 am-5pm • Entrance fee € 3,50

WALKING AND HIKING TRAIL

Beginning in Bingen, the Rhine-Na-he Hiking Trail leads upriver alongthe Nahe for almost 100 km (62miles) to Kirn. Along the way, it pass-es through meadows and vineyards,forests and castles, high cliffs anddeep valleys. An especially beautifullandscape can be found on the 17-km(10.5-miles) stretch between BadMünster am Stein-Ebernburg andSchlossböckelheim. Cyclists can ex-plore the Nahe region on a well-marked bike trail.

FOOD AND DRINK

Johann Lafer’s StromburgThis medieval castle is the home oftelevision chef Johann Lafer. In hisgourmet restaurant, Val d’Or, mealsare accompanied by the finest Nahewines. Cooking classes are also avail-able for amateur chefs.


Pfalz On the western edge of the Rhine Valley, the gra-

pevines are nestled on the slopes of the Palatinate Forest.

Not only do almonds and figs flourish in this mild climate,

but also Mediterranean grape varieties such as Merlot.


Pfalz

graphite, porphyry and outcroppingsof shale; however, clay, sand, loamand marl predominate in the north-ern district. Here, the mineral-rich,red sandstone soils produce livelywines; the heat-retaining volcanicsoils give rise to fiery Rieslings, theloose sandstone soils, light and ele-gant wines, while limestone soils pro-duce full-bodied, aromatic wines. Incontrast, Weissburgunder (PinotBlanc), Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir)and Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris)grow especially well on the deep, nu-trient-rich loam and loess soils in thesouthern district.

Along the Wine Route Quite a number of grape varieties canbe cultivated in the various soil typesof the region: 45 white and 22 red va-rieties have been approved for grow-ing here. Riesling dominates the fieldwith over 5000 ha (12,355 acres); insecond place is Dornfelder. This ratioalso reflects the balance of white andred grape species: About 40 % of thePfalz’s vineyards are planted with redvarieties. In addition to Dornfelder,Portugieser, Spätburgunder and Re-gent are the most common. Thesenumbers make the Pfalz Germany’slargest red wine growing region.Among white wines, Müller-Thur-gau is one of the most popularly-con-sumed wines, followed by Kerner,Grauburgunder, Silvaner and Weiss-burgunder. Regional specialties in-clude Gewürztraminer, Scheurebeand Morio-Muskat – but also Caber-net Sauvignon, Merlot, Tempranillo,St. Laurent and Syrah. Since Pfalzvintners are very flexible about re-sponding to trends and market ten-dencies, the ratio of different winevarieties that are grown here varies.

The Pfalz wine region borders onRheinhessen to the north and ex-tends to the south as far as Alsace. Itsvineyards carpet the gently rollinghills between the Upper Rhine plainand the Haardt – the steeply slopingeastern edge of the Palatinate Forest.For about 85 km (53 miles), the Ger-man Wine Route travels through thecountry’s second-largest wine-grow-ing region, which contains ca. 23,500ha (58,070 acres) of vineyards. Thiswine tourism route was officiallyopened in October 1935 and is con-sidered the oldest wine route in theworld. It begins at the French borderwith the Deutsches Weintor (GermanWine Gate) in Schweigen and ends atthe Haus der Deutschen Weinstrasse(gatelike building that houses arestaurant) in Bockenheim, nearWorms. On its path through the An-terior Pfalz, it passes through most ofthe 144 wine-growing communities.

Riesling and DornfelderHard frosts are rare here; at the sametime, the sun shines abundantly. Theslopes of the Palatinate Forest keepcold air and excessive precipitationfrom reaching the vineyards of thePfalz hill country. In this mild, almostMediterranean climate, almonds,figs, lemons, olives and sweet chest-nuts grow alongside the grapevines.The two wine-growing districts – the“Mittelhaardt-Deutsche Weinstrasse”in the north and the “Südliche Wein-strasse” in the south are approximate-ly equal in size; however, their soilcompositions are quite different.Both regions have shell-limestone,

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É Neustadt an der Weinstrasse is one

of Germany’s largest wine-growing com-

munities.


PFALZ

found in the press come from wildgrapes, as well as from early forms ofRiesling, Traminer and Pinot. It is es-timated that around 200,000 liters ofwine were produced in the pressingfacility each year – the yield of 30 to 40 ha (74 to 99 acres) of vineyards.

Ancient toolsAdditional artifacts – includinggrape knives and hoes – are indica-tive of the work that was done on theestate to which the wine press be-longed. It was apparently an enor-mous site, whose oldest structuresdate back to around 20-30 AD. Upuntil the 4th century, it was rebuiltand expanded several times. Themultistory mansion was accompa-nied by numerous outbuildings, in-cluding stables and a bath complexwith a steam bath. The entire com-plex was destroyed during an attackby Germanic tribes in the mid-4th

90

Nevertheless, the undisputed leaderis and remains Riesling, which ac-counts for over 20 % of the region’scultivated vineyards.

The Roman wine estate inUngstein Ñ Fold-out map, , E 16

Viticulture on the sunny slopes of thePfalz hill country began as far back asRoman times. Clear evidence of this isa Roman wine press facility, whichwas discovered in the Weilberg vine-yard site near the community of Ung-stein, close to Bad Dürkheim. Almost2000 years ago, the fruits of the grapeharvest were delivered here andpoured into the two outer basins.Workers then trod on the grapes withtheir feet until the must flowed into athird, lower-placed collecting basinfrom which it could then be ladled in-to barrels. Researchers have even beenable to determine which grape vari-eties the Romans planted: The seeds

23

At the foot of the Palatinate Forest, the remains of a Roman wine estate, including

a pressing facility, have been preserved in the vineyards of Ungstein (Ñ p. 90).


The Roman wine estate in Ungstein – Rhodt unter Rietburg

century. As early as 1894, two Romanstone sarcophagi were discovered tothe west of the archeological site. Thegrave goods included a wine bottleand a wine glass. These discoveriesfrom the 4th century are further indi-cation of the high value which theRomans attached to wine.Over the centuries, the Villa Rusticadisappeared under masses of soil.Nevertheless, its existence was pre-served in the name of the field: In1309, the site was called “zu wile” – aderivation of “villa”; the name laterevolved into “Weilberg,” the namethat the vineyard still bears today. Inthe past 30 years, the Weilberg winepress facility has been restored andnow, after 2000 years, it is once againfully functional. During the WineFestival at the Roman Press, it comesto life again each year at the end ofJune. For the rest of the year, theopen-air museum – with its concretebasins and information boards con-taining text and illustrations – pro-vides visitors with excellent insightinto the viticulture tradition of Ro-man times.

Stations of the hiking trailThe Weilberg Roman wine estate ispart of a circular hiking path whichconnects ancient historic sites in theimmediate region. Further stations in-clude the Roman burgus (remains of afortress watchtower) in Ungstein, theVilla Rustica in Wachenheim, theKriemhildenstuhl Roman quarry andthe Haus Catoir Museum of LocalHistory in Bad Dürkheim. The latteralso contains artifacts of Roman wineculture from Weilberg.Tourist-Information • Kurbrunnenstr.14, Bad Dürkheim • Tel. 06322-9 5662 50 • www.bad-duerkheim.de

Rhodt unter RietburgÑ Fold-out map, E 17

Rhodt is one of the loveliest wine-growing villages in the Pfalz. It lies di-rectly below the Rietburg castle andbelonged to many different sover-eigns in the course of its eventful his-tory. Rhodt acquired the epithet“unter Rietburg” during the reign ofthe Württemberg rulers, who alreadypossessed three other villages withthe same name. Wine – primarilyTraminer – was already being culti-vated in Rhodt at that time.However, the area’s vintners did notbegin to prosper until 1603, when thevillage came under the ownership ofthe Margraves of Baden. The successof the wine trade is still evident todayin the proud wine estates with theirimposing arched gateways. Thewealthier vintners had the borders oftheir gates decorated with Renais-sance ornamentation, scrollwork andinterlacing. Many of the entrance-ways display the year in which theywere built and the initials of thebuilder. In the well-preserved towncenter, nearly 80 % of the buildingsare registered historic sites.Also dating most likely from the 17thcentury is the vineyard Rosengartenon the eastern edge of the village.Here, on a space of about 1 ha (2-3acres), stand 400 gnarled old grape -vines – mostly Traminer, but alsosome Silvaner grapes. They havebeen producing up to 500 liters ofwine annually for the last 400 years.The juice of these grapes from thehistorically important site is ferment-ed at the Arthur Oberhofer winery inEdes heim, producing a Gewürz-traminer wine whose rose aromadoes justice to the name RhodterRosengarten (Rhodt rose garden).

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PFALZ

The beautiful TheresienstrasseRhodt was under French rule from1798 until 1816; it was subsequentlyallocated to the Kingdom of Bavaria.One of the most beautiful stretches inthe village, the Theresienstrasse,hearkens back to this period. It wasnamed in honor of the BavarianQueen Therese, for whom Munich’sTheresienwiese is also named. In the1840s, Therese’s husband, King Lud-wig I of Bavaria built his summer res-idence – the Villa Ludwigshöhe – onthe eastern edge of the Palatinate For-

est between Edenkoben and Rhodt.However, by the time the neoclassicalpalace was completed, Ludwig wasno longer king; he had abdicated dueto his affair with the dancer LolaMontez. During her stays in Rhodt,while her husband attended Catholicmass in Edenkoben, Therese drove tothe Evangelical Lutheran church ofSt. George in the village. Today, visi-tors can still view her armchair in thechurch’s royal loge.From Rhodt, the picturesque There-sienstrasse, whose upper section is

92

The Pfalz’s mild climate is home to warmth-loving sweet chestnut trees, like those

that lend their shade to the Theresienstrasse in Rhodt (Ñ p. 91).


Rhodt unter Rietburg – Deidesheim

divided by chestnut trees, leads into alovely hiking trail which takes you toVilla Ludwigshöhe. There, visitorscan not only hear historical informa-tion; you also have the opportunityto visit the Slevogt Gallery.– Fremdenverkehrsverein, DurlacherHof • Weinstr. 44, Rhodt unter Riet-burg • Tel. 0 63 23/98 00 79 •www.rhodt.de– Weingut Arthur Oberhofer • Am Lin-senberg 1, Edesheim 1 • Tel. 0 63 23/9 44 90 • www.rhodt-suew.de

Deidesheim: big politics ina small wine village

Ñ Fold-out map, E 17

The first quality wine to be producedin the Pfalz came from this smalltown on the eastern edge of theHaardt. This is thanks, first of all, tothe area’s ideal landscape and climac-tic conditions, with little precipita-tion and many hours of sunshine. Inaddition to grapevines, almonds, bit-ter oranges, sweet chestnuts and figsalso flourish here. Secondly, certainpersons have lived and worked in thiswine-growing community – wherethe tradition of wine cultivationreaches back approximately 2000years – whose pioneering achieve-ments made a significant contribu-tion to the viticulture industry, notonly in the Pfalz but throughout Ger-many. For example, in 1802, the Dei-desheim-based vintner Andreas Jor-dan was the first wine grower in thePfalz to name his wines according togrape variety and vineyard site, thusestablishing the production of “quali-ty wines” in the region.

The “Deidesheimer Circle”The mid-19th century saw the estab-lishment of the “Deidesheimer Cir-

25

cle,” a loose organization of influentialcitizens and wine estate owners,whose members were also politicallyactive. Three of them – Ludwig An-dreas Jordan, Franz Armand Buhland Andreas Deinhard – even ad-vanced as far as the Reichstag (Imper-ial Diet). Buhl participated in Bismar-ck’s social legislation as well as in winelegislation; in 1873, he campaignedagainst the importation of foreigngrapevines – an important step in thefight against phylloxera. All threepoliticians were descended from thewine-growing dynasty that includedthe Jordan, Buhl and Bassermannfamilies. Three wine estates which are still im-portant to this day can be traced backto this dynasty: Geheimer Rat Dr. vonBassermann-Jordan, Reichsrat vonBuhl and Weingut Dr. Deinhard(since 2009, renamed Weingut vonWinning). Today, there are still al-most 90 full-time wine estates locatedin Deidesheim.

Prized by GoetheThe reputation of Deidesheim’swines has a long tradition. In 1820,Johann Wolfgang von Goethe or-dered wine of the highly-praised1811 vintage from Weingut Jordan.Riesling from the Reichsrat von Buhlestate was served at the dedication ofthe Suez Canal in 1869. In the late1880s, when Chancellor Otto vonBismarck visited Franz ArmandBuhl – who was Vice President of theReichstag at that time – in Dei-desheim, he not only enjoyed Dei-desheim Riesling, but also praisedthe wine from the neighboring vine-yard “Forster Ungeheuer” with thesewords: “This Ungeheuer (lit. “mon-ster”) tastes monstrously good.”

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PFALZ

Another innovation introduced byDeidesheim vintners was the selec-tion of grapes during the harvest it-self. In the mid-19th century, winegrowers began sorting the grapes intoseparate harvest tubs directly in thevineyards. In addition, they consoli-dated vineyards so as to cultivate thegrapes more efficiently. In 1909, Dei-desheim mayor and vintner Dr. Lud-

wig Bassermann-Jordan took part informulating the first German winelaw, and in 1910, he was a foundingmember of the Verband DeutscherNaturweinversteigerer (estates that

sold their unchaptalized wines atauction), the forerunner of the VDP– Verband Deutscher Prädikatswein -güter (Association of German Quali-ty and Prädikat Wine Estates). Visitors who come to Deidesheim totaste the wines will discover manythings to see when they walkthrough the village’s quaint streetsand alleyways. In the town center,the historic Town Hall, with its out-door staircase, is an impressive sight.Every year on the Tuesday after Pen-tecost, a spectacle takes place herewhich is famous even beyond the re-gion: the billy goat auction. In a tra-dition that dates back around 500years, a delegation of citizens fromthe neighboring village of Lambrechtmarches in formal processionthrough the Palatinate Forest andpresents the citizens of Deidesheimwith a male goat as a payment forgrazing rights. Since the 1930s, themost recently married couple from

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The Kanne is the oldest tavern in the Pfalz. Landlords and innkeepers have been

documented here uninterrupted from 1374 until the present day.

DID YOU KNOW…

… that Pfalz residents drink winefrom a “Dubbeglas?” The name isderived from the Tupfen (“dots” –called “Dubbe” in the Pfalz dia-lect) which decorate this half-litertumbler.


Deidesheim – The Wine Museum in Speyer

Lambrecht has led the festivelyadorned animal to be auctioned off.Deidesheim once had similar agree-ments with other neighboring villages, including Neustadt an derWeinstrasse, Haardt and Gim-meldingen. These towns, however,were able to settle their debts with aone-time payment in 1755.

A tavern with traditionAcross from the Town Hall, theGasthaus zur Kanne invites visitors. Itwas built in the 12th century as an innof the Eusserthal Cistercian Abbeynear Annweiler am Trifels. The cur-rent structure was rebuilt in 1689 afterit was partially destroyed in the Palati-nate War of Succession. Just a fewsteps away is the Deidesheimer Spital(care center), whose late Gothicchapel dates back to 1494. The otherbuildings in the complex were redeco-rated in the Baroque style in the 18thcentury under the Prince-Bishops ofSpeyer, Damian Hugo Philipp vonSchönborn and Franz Christoph vonHutten.The Museum of Viticulture, locatedin the historic Town Hall, is dedicat-ed to the cultural history of wine andthe tradition of viticulture in Dei-desheim. It is partially financed bythe “celebrities’ vineyard” in the“Deidesheimer Paradiesgarten” site.In 1983, Richard von Weizsäcker,who later became Germany’s FederalPresident, was the first VIP to lease avine here. Other prominent lease-holders include Helmut Kohl,Mikhail Gorbachev, MargaretThatcher, John Major and BernhardVogel.– Museum für Weinkultur • AmMarktpl., Deidesheim • March-Dec,open Wed-Sun 3-6 pm • Free admissi-

on • For further information contactTourist Information • Bahnhofstr. 5 •Tel. 06326-967 70 • www.deides-heim.de– Wine estates: Geheimer Rat Dr. vonBassmann-Jordan • Kirchgasse 10 •Tel. 06326-60 06 • www.bassermann-jordan.de; Reichsrat von Buhl •Weinstr. 16 • Tel. 06326-965 00 •www.reichsrat-von-buhl.de; Weingutvon Winning (formerly, Dr. Deinhard) •Weinstr. 10 • Tel. 06326-221 •www.dr-deinhard.de– Gasthaus zur Kanne • Weinstr. 31 •Tel. 06326-966 00 • www.gasthaus-zurkanne.de

The Wine Museum in SpeyerÑ Fold-out map, F17

For many years, the old Roman cityof Speyer was an important tradingcenter for Pfalz wines. There wereeven vineyards located inside the citylimits. Proof that even the Romanscultivated wine grapes here can befound in the form of a valuable arti-fact which is displayed in the Muse-um of Palatinate History, diagonallyopposite the cathedral: a wine bottlein which Roman wine is still pre-served. The oldest preserved liquidwine in the world was bottled around300 CE and laid in a tomb for the de-ceased person’s journey into thehereafter. The grave was discoveredin 1867, in a vineyard near Speyer.Excavation revealed two Romanstone sarcophagi dating from around325. They contained numerous bur-ial offerings, including wine bottles,but only one of these still containedwine.

Wine under lock and keyThe cylindrical, yellowish glass bot-tle, whose neck is decorated with two

26

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PFALZ

dolphin-shaped handles, is now ondisplay in the Wine Museum, a sec-tion of the Museum of PalatinateHistory. The bottle contains a clearliquid residue, topped by a solid resinmixture which fills the vessel abouttwo-thirds full. Chemical testing hasshown that the liquid portion is, infact, wine; the resinous section wasonce olive oil. In order to create anairtight seal, the ancient Romanspoured oil into the wine bottle – acommon conservation technique atthat time, and one which actuallylasted for 1700 years.With its widely varied exhibits, Spey-er’s Wine Museum provides insightinto the approximately 2000-year-old cultural history of wine growing.At the time of its opening in 1910, itwas the first special exhibition of thiskind worldwide which was open tothe public. Among the many fasci-nating items on display are a gigantic

beam press dating from 1727, im-posing 5000-liter wine casks, andhistoric wine bottles from the RoyalBavarian Court Wine Cellar. The lat-ter originated in Würzburg and con-tain Franconian wine that is up to460 years old: Leistenwein from1540, Steinwein from 1631, Leisten-wein from 1728, and Steinbergerfrom 1822. The shapes of the bottlesindicate that the three oldest wineswere not bottled until around 1800.

Wine culture in paintingA “neck violin” from Hasslochdemonstrates the way that thieveswere punished when they were caughtstealing grapes: The yoke was hungaround the delinquent’s neck beforehe was chased through the village.The Pfalz wine-growing culture ofpast centuries comes alive in paint-ings. An image dating from around1750 shows what business was like at

96

The ornately painted heraldic hall of the Speyer Wine Museum (Ñ p. 95) contains a

bottle of Roman wine which was filled over 1700 years ago.


The Wine Museum in Speyer – Nearby destinations

the Speyer harbor at that time: In theshadow of the cathedral, we see thestockyard on the Rhine with its ware-house and treadwheel crane. Fromhere, Pfälzer wine was shipped to theLower Rhine, the Netherlands, Scan-dinavia and Great Britain. A Dutchflat-bottom boat laden with winecasks is just leaving the pier and mak-ing its way downstream on the Rhine.Historisches Museum der Pfalz • Dom-platz, Speyer • Tel. 06232-62 02 22 •www.museum.speyer.de • Open Tues-Sun 10 am-6 pm • Entrance fee € 8


The Herrenhof in MussbachThe oldest wine estate in the Pfalzoriginated as a manor farm of the Jo-hanniter (Knights of St. John ofJerusalem) dating from around1300. The “Staatsweingut mit Johan-nitergut” complex includes a lateBaroque manor house, a medievaltithe barn and a Renaissance-stylestorks’ tower. Located inside the cir-cular wall is the estate’s own vineyardsite, Johannitergarten.Staatsweingut mit Johannitergut •Breitenweg 71, Neustadt-Mussbach •Tel. 06321-6710 • www.dlr.rlp.de

Limburg Abbey ruinsThe imposing red sandstone walls ofthe former Benedictine abbey ofLimburg jut out from the green ofthe Palatinate Forest near BadDürkheim.–Limburg Abbey ruins • April-Oct, opendaily 9 am-8 pm; Nov-Mar, daily 9 am-5pm • Free admission– For further information see Tourist In-formation • Kurbrunnenstr. 14, BadDürkheim • Tel. 06322-93 51 40 •www.bad-duerkheim.com

SpeyerThe Imperial Cathedral, which dom-inates the cityscape of Speyer, is thelargest sacred Romanesque structurein the world. Emperor Conrad II, amember of the Salian dynasty, laidthe cornerstone here 1000 years ago.Today, Conrad is buried in the cryptbeneath the eastern choir along withother members of the aristocracy.The western façade of the cathedralmarks the beginning of the Maximil-ianstrasse, a pleasant promenadelined with cafés and shops, whichleads to the Altpörtel (Old Gate). Visitors can climb up this massivetower gate; they are rewarded with awonderful view of the city.Tourist Information • Maximilianstr.13, Speyer • Tel. 06232-14 23 92 •www.speyer.de

St. MartinFrom the wall in front of the parish

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SLEVOGT’S COUNTRY IDYLL

In the early 20th century, thepainter Max Slevogt transformedthe old Neukastel estate nearLeins weiler into his summer resi-dence. The library and music roomcontain monumental ceiling andwall paintings by this importantGerman impressionist. From therestaurant’s large terrace, guestshave a breathtaking view acrossthe Rhine Valley and the Haardt.Tel. 06345-3685 • www.slevogt-hof-neukastel.de • March-Nov,open Fri-Wed; guided tours only,11:15 am, 1:30 pm; Sat, Sun toursalso at 4 pm • Entrance fee € 5

MERIAN Tip bg !8!


PFALZ

church, a statue of St. Martin watch-es over the wine-growing village thatbears his name. The majority of St.Martin’s medieval town center is aregistered historic site.Tourist Information • Kellereistr. 1,Maikammer-St. Martin • Tel. 06323-5300 • www.maikammer.de, www.sankt-martin-pfalz.de

A wine estate with a viewEncircled by almond trees, theMüller-Catoir Wine Estate lies aboveNeustadt on the Wine Route, in thevillage of Haardt. Under family own-ership since 1744, today it is run bythe ninth generation. The 20 ha (49 acres) of vineyards are plantedprimarily with Riesling, but alsocontain Weissburgunder, Graubur-gunder, Spätburgunder as well asrare varieties like Scheurebe andMuska teller.Weingut Müller-Catoir • Mandelring25, Neustadt-Haardt • Tel. 06321-2815 • www.mueller-catoir.de

MUSEUM

Wilhelm Hack MuseumCatalan artist Joan Miró designedthe colorful ceramic façade of thismuseum in Ludwigshafen. Inside, itcontains a collection of modern art,from the beginnings of the abstractmovement to the present day. Along-side masterpieces by Robert Delau-nay, Wassily Kandinsky, FrantišekKupka and August Macke, there arealso works by the Russian avant-gardists and the De-Stijl group.Wilhelm Hack Museum • Berliner Str.23, Ludwigshafen • Tel. 0621-504 3045 • www.wilhelmhack.museum •Open Tues, Wed & Fri 11 am-6 pm,Thurs 11 am-8 pm, Sat & Sun 10 am-6pm • Entrance fee € 7, Saturdays free

WALKING AND HIKINGWhether you prefer hiking, walkingor bicycling, the Pfalz is a paradisefor active people of all ages. In theRhine plain, you can take a leisurelybike tour along the Salian BicycleTrail; the “Pälzer Keschdeweg”(chestnut path) connects the hillyvineyard countryside with thePalatinate Forest. The Palatinate For-est contains well-marked walkingand mountain biking trails with var-ious levels of difficulty.Pfalz-Touristik • Martin-Luther-Str. 69,Neustadt • Tel. 06321-391 60 •www.pfalz-touristik.de

FOOD AND DRINK

FreundstückThe gourmet magazine “Der Fein-schmecker” named the restaurant atthe Ketschauer Hof in Deidesheim asone of the ten most beautiful restau-rants in Germany. The menu in-cludes top quality wines fromrenowned Pfalz wine estates.Ketschauer Hof • Ketschauerhofstr. 1,Deidesheim • Tel. 06326-700 00 •www.ketschauer-hof.com • €€€€

Hotel Restaurant KroneGourmets make pilgrimages from farand wide to the tiny village of Hayna(pop. 800), just to enjoy the culinarydelights prepared by chef Karl-EmilKuntz. His restaurant is one of theleading addresses in the Pfalz.Hotel Restaurant Krone • Hauptstr.62-64, Herxheim-Hayna • Tel. 07276-5080 • www.hotelkrone.de • €€€€


Deidesheim Wine FairIn 2009, Deidesheim was honored asthe first “Città Slow” in the Rhine -

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Nearby destinations

land-Palatinate due to its tourism in-dustry concept, which values qualityover quantity. Soon afterward, it wasalso recognized for holding one ofthe region’s best wine festivals. Mid-late August

Dürkheim Sausage MarketEvery year, the world’s largest winefestival attracts immense numbers ofpeople to the tranquil spa town ofBad Dürkheim. The festival was heldfor the first time in 1417. The center-piece of the celebration is the“Schubkärchler” – small tents inwhich regional wines and Sekt(sparkling wine) are served. 2nd and3rd weekends in September

Palatia ClassicThe Pfalz’s international classical mu-sic festival is devoted to selectedworks of the Baroque, Viennese Clas-sical and Romantic periods. Also on

the program are sacred music andChopin- and Schumann-themed pi-ano concerts.A complete list of events can be foundat www.pfalz.de/de/weinfeste-und-events, www.palatiaclassic.de orthrough Pfalzwein e.V. (Ñ see below).

Palatia JazzThe wine and culinary-themed Pfalzjazz festival attracts internationalartists to the region, who thrill thepublic with concerts in the region’smost beautiful castles, palaces andparks. The accompanying culinaryprogram features regional restaura-teurs and vintners.www.palatiajazz.de

SERVICEINFORMATION

Pfalzwein e. V. • Martin-Luther-Str. 69,Neustadt, • Tel. 06321-91 23 28 •

www.pfalz.de

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The Müller-Catoir Wine Estate in Haardt (Ñ p. 98) looks back on almost 270 years of

viticulture tradition. The building complex is a registered historic site.


Rheingau The vineyards of the Rheingau extend

from Wicker on the Lower Main to Lorchhausen in the

Rhenish Slate Mountains. Here, on the sunny side of the

Rhine, is the home of the Spätlese – the late harvest.


Rheingau

hausen; to sandy loam and loess inthe lower sections of the middle andeastern Rheingau; to Taunusquartzite in the higher altitudes.

Rheingauer Riesling withmineral notesIn terms of wine geography, the re-gion contains only one district: Jo-hannisberg. The approximately 3100ha (7660 acres) of vineyards are de-voted primarily to Riesling. Its de-manding, late-ripening grapes flour-ish very well in the Rheingau, anddevelop characteristic mineral notes.The second most important productfor Rheingau vintners is Spätburgun-der (Pinot Noir). Like Riesling, it isone of the “classic” wine varieties, andwas traditionally grown mainly inAssmannshausen. Today, Spätbur-gunder can be found throughout theRheingau region. A curious incidentthat took place in 1775 also made theRheingau responsible for the discov-ery of the Spätlese (late harvest). Fromits birthplace at Schloss Johannisberg,its fame spread throughout the world(Ñ p. 104, Schloss Johannisberg andthe discovery of Spätlese).Visitors who want to get to know thiswine-growing region from its bestside are encouraged to follow theRheingau Riesling Route. It leadsfrom Flörsheim-Wicker, throughHochheim, Mainz-Kostheim, Wies-baden – including Schierstein andFrauenstein – through Walluf, Mar-tinsthal, Rauenthal, Kiedrich, Eltville,Erbach, Eberbach Abbey, Hatten-heim, Hallgarten, Oestrich, Mittel-heim, Winkel, Johannisberg, Geisen-heim, Rüdesheim, Assmannshausenand Lorch, all the way to Lorchhausenon the border between the states ofHesse and the Rhineland-Palatinate.

Over 1000 years ago, grapevineswere already being cultivated on astretch of land just a few kilometerswide, between the sheltering ridge ofthe Taunus Mountains and the heat-retaining Rhine. Emperor Charle-magne himself is said to have giventhe order to plant a vineyard nearSchloss Johannisberg. Whether ornot this legend is true, the fact re-mains that this unusual geographicallocation has produced top qualitywines of worldwide renown. Rieslingfrom the Rheingau was a particularlypopular drink in the English court,where “The Hock” – a nickname forwine from Hochheim – became asynonym for German wine.

Sunny southern slopes in the Rheingau hillsThe landscape of the Rheingau ismultifaceted. Along the Rhine, wefind picturesque wine-growing vil-lages and gently sloping vineyards.Above these is the beginning of thethickly wooded southern slopes ofthe Rheingau Hill Country, the west-ern foothills of the Taunus Moun-tains. Finally, between Rüdesheimand Lorch, we can already sense thepresence of the romantic Mittelrheinriver region. Since the Rhine flows through thisgrowing region from east to west,most of the vineyards face toward thesouth. The heat- and moisture-re-taining soils, combined with themild climate, provide ideal condi-tions for vine cultivation. Soil typesrange from slate in the areas aroundRüdesheim, Lorch and Assmanns -

É Some of Germany’s best vineyard

sites can be found on the Rüdesheimer

Berg, near Ehrenfels Castle.

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RHEINGAU

Kloster EberbachÑ Fold-out map, E 15

The walls of the former CistercianAbbey of Eberbach, located nearEltville in the Rheingau, reflect theatmosphere of medieval monasticlife so effectively that they are fre-quently used as a location for histor-ical films. In the mid-1980s, theabbey provided the setting for thefilm “The Name of the Rose”: In therole of the Franciscan friar Williamof Baskerville, Sean Connery woundhis way through the dimly lit pas-sageways, attempting to explain a se-ries of murders. Director Jean-Jacques Annaud had visited around300 monasteries before choosingEberbach Abbey as the ideal settingfor his film of the bestselling novel. A decisive factor in his choice wasthe extraordinarily well-preservedstructure of the complex. Thus, thedormitorium – the monks’ sleepingquarters – became the scriptorium,through which they could access themysterious library. The filmed dis-pute between the emperors’ envoysand the representatives of the Popetook place in the Eberbach chapterhouse; in the basilica, choral musicwas heard again after a pause of near-ly 200 years. Almost 30 years later,the basilica and chapter house wereused once again, as the film set forMargarethe von Trotta’s “Vision –From the Life of Hildegard von Bin-gen,” with Barbara Sukowa in the ti-tle role.

By permission of the archbishopThe abbey complex itself was found-ed in the early 12th century. Follow-ing stays by Augustinian canons andBenedictine monks, twelve Cistercian

27 monks moved into the abbey in 1136,along with their abbot, Ruthard.Adalbert I of Saarbrücken, the Arch-bishop of Mainz, had given them per-mission to establish a branch of theirhome monastery of Cîteaux, in Bur-gundy, here in the Rheingau. According to legend, Bernhard ofClairvaux, one of the leading abbots ofthe Cistercian order, paid a visit to theidyllic valley at the intersection of theKisselbach and the Rhine one yearpreviously, together with the Arch-bishop of Mainz. At that time, theyobserved a wild boar (Eber) jumpingover the brook (Bach). Whether this isactually the inspiration for the name“Eberbach Abbey” is not known. Nev-ertheless, Bernhard of Clairvaux, adescendent of Burgundian aristocra-cy, was one of the most influentialpreachers of his time and contributedsignificantly to the spread of his orderthroughout Europe.

Many stylistic influences The Burgundian Cistercian monksmoved into the existing buildings ofEberbach Abbey and began con-structing a new basilica. It was for-mally dedicated by Archbishop Con-rad of Mainz in 1186. Also present atthe ceremony was the Bishop ofMünster, Hermann II of Katzen -elnbogen, who, with his relatives,made the abbey their familymonastery. Beginning in the early14th century, Eberbach Abbey alsoserved as the burial vault for theCounts of Katzenelnbogen; theircrypt is located under the southerntransept of the basilica. The Cistercian abbey near Eltvilledeveloped rapidly; the originaltwelve monks soon became 100. Atthe highpoint of the monastery’s ex-

102


Kloster Eberbach

istence, it housed an additional 200lay brothers as well. Over time,therefore, it evolved into a complexmonastery structure containing ele-ments of the Romanesque, Gothicand Baroque styles. Cistercian archi-tecture is typified by the consciousrenouncement of any elaborate dec-oration on or inside its buildings:This included the straight closingwall of the choir as opposed to a se-mi-circular apse, and a modest ridgeturret rather than an imposing tower. Life inside the abbey was simple andstrict, emphasizing communal choralprayer and personal meditation. Inaddition, the monks devoted much oftheir time to work in the fields andmeadows. The abbey maintained or-chards, herb and vegetable gardens,fields and vineyards. The first monkshad brought Burgundian grape vineswith them from their home country;these flourished beautifully in the

mild climate of the Rheingau, andsoon became the most important fac-tor in the monastery’s economic wel-fare. The wines which were producedfrom the imported grapes becamethe first major export product ofRheingau viticulture – thanks notleast to the waiver of customs feeswhich the monks enjoyed. Somewhatlater came the addition of Rieslinggrapes, which dominate the growingregion today.

The modern world moves inIn 1803, the abbey was dissolved, andthe last monks left the monastery. In1998, the site was turned over to afoundation dedicated to the preserva-tion of this architectural and culturalmonument through appropriate andcareful usage. In the summer of 2008,one of the most modern wine produc-tion facilities in Europe – the Stein-bergkeller – was dedicated not far

103

Over 800 years ago, Burgundian Cistercian monks brought Burgundian grapes vines

to the Rheingau.


RHEINGAU

from the abbey complex. Despite allthe upheavals, viticulture has en-dured. Today, the Hessische Staatswe-ingüter Kloster Eberbach manage sixstate wine domains in the Rheingauand the Hessische Bergstrasse. With atotal of 200 ha (494 acres) of vine-yards, they are one of Germany’slargest viticultural operations. High-est-quality Spätburgunder is stillgrown on 32 ha (79 acres) of the StateWine Domains’ Rheingau vineyards.During a Burgunderprobe (Spätbur-gunder tasting), a thematic tourthrough Eberbach Abbey, visitors notonly learn about the history of themonastery and its viticultural tradi-tion, they also have the chance tosample excellent Spätburgunderwines. Following a walk through theabbey complex, visitors are treated tothree noble, characteristic vintages inthe historic Kabinett Cellar: a Spät-burgunder Blanc de Noir, a Spätbur-gunder and a Frühburgunder (PinotNoir Précoce). – Stiftung Kloster Eberbach • Eltvilleam Rhein •Tel. 06723-917 81 15 •www.kloster-eberbach.de • April-Oct,open daily 10 am-6 pm; Nov-March,11 am-5 pm • Entrance fee € 5,50 – Hessische Staatsweingüter GmbH,Kloster Eberbach • Eltville am Rhein •

Tel. 06723-604 60 • www.kloster-eberbach.de • Open daily 10 am-6 pm•Burgunderprobe: 90 min. • Tour andtasting € 15

Schloss Johannisberg andthe discovery of Spätlese


Schloss Johannisberg stands in themidst of a vineyard which bears thesame name, on a quartzite hill infront of the Taunus ridge. The namehearkens back to a Benedictine

28

monastery which was founded herein the early 12th century and dedicat-ed to St. John the Baptist. In 1716, fol-lowing an eventful history, the sitecame under the ownership of Prince-Abbot Konstantin von Buttlar of Ful-da, who had a Schloss (palace) builtthere as his summer residence with amagnificent view of the Rhine Valley.The abbey chapel was renovated inthe Baroque style.The discovery of Spätlese wine tookplace during the era of the Fuldarulers. Fulda became a diocese in1752. Without the official permis-sion of the prince-bishops, vintnerswere not allowed to begin with thegrape harvest. In the autumn of1775, the monks at Johannisbergwaited impatiently for the bishop’spermission, since the grapes were al-ready ripe. Unfortunately, the bish-op’s messenger, who delivered theauthorization, arrived approximate-ly two weeks late. The grapes on thevines had already begun to shrivel,and some were even partially rotted.In desperation, the estate’s adminis-trator allowed the grapes to bepressed nevertheless – and the cellarmaster soon made an amazing dis-covery. The seemingly spoiled cropproduced a wine of the very highestquality. Ever since then, the Johan-nisberg grape harvest is postponedfor as long as possible. Starting atSchloss Johannisberg, Spätlese (lateharvest) wine made from berries af-fected with noble rot has since madea triumphant journey around theworld.

Fürst von MetternichFollowing the realignment of Europeat the Congress of Vienna, Schloss Jo-hannisberg and its wine domain

104


Kloster Eberbach – Schloss Johannisberg

came under the ownership of theAustrian foreign minister ClemensFürst (Prince) von Metternich in1816. The statesman from Koblenzwas awarded the estate with the stip-ulation that one-tenth of the wineproduced there would be delivered tothe Austrian imperial household. Tothis day, ten percent of the wine is stillgranted to the Habsburg-Lothringenfamily. Metternich’s descendentslived at Schloss Johannisberg until2006. Today, visitors can take a guid-ed tour that includes a wine tasting inthe estate’s historical cellar..

Riesling with an elegant noteFor about 300 years, Riesling hasdominated production at Johannis-berg, and surrounded the castle withits vines. The vineyard lies preciselyon the 50th parallel, whose course isidentified by a stele in the midst of thegrapevines. The geological compo-

nents of the Taunus quartzite, with itslayers of loess and loam, give the do-main’s wines their elegant mineralnotes, whose rich finesse interplayswith the wines’ pronounced acidity.The Johannisberg Rieslings combinefine, elegant nuances with aromasranging from herbal, to citrus, tosweet yellow fruits. In the vinothequeat Johannisberg Castle, two wineries– Domäne Schloss Johannisberg andWeingut G.H. von Mumm – invitevisitors to sample their wares. The former abbey church, whichserves as a house of worship for theJohannisberg community, was de-stroyed during the Second WorldWar and rebuilt in the austere Ro-manesque style of the 12th century.Added to the three-aisled basilicawere a crossing tower, a baptismalchapel on the northern side aisle, andapses on the transept façades. Of thechurch’s original furnishings, only a

105

A quirk of fate led to the discovery of Spätlese in the vineyards of Schloss Johannis-

berg in the autumn of 1775.


RHEINGAU

lectern and a few sculptures havebeen preserved. Today, the basilica –like the Fürst von Metternich Hall inthe castle – also serves as an attrac-tive architectural setting for concertsat the Rheingau Music Festival. Fürst von Metternich Winneburg’scheDomäne Schloss Johannisberg GbR •

Schloss Johannisberg • Geisenheim-Johannisberg • Tel. 06722-700 90 •www.schloss-johannisberg.de • OpenMon-Fri 10 am-1 pm and 2-6 pm;

March, April & Okt, open Sat & Sun 11am-6 pm; May-Sept, Sat & Sun 11 am-7 pm; Nov-Feb, Sat & Sun 11 am-5 pm

Oestrich-WinkelÑ Fold-out map, E 15

An historic wine-loading crane servesas the landmark of the Rheingauwine-growing community of Oest -rich – which, together with Winkel,

29

Mittelheim and Hallgarten, forms thelargest wine-growing town in Hesse.Over 1000 ha (2471 acres) of cultivat-ed vineyards surround these four his-toric viticulture communities locatedbetween Rüdesheim and Eltville. TheOestrich Wine-loading Crane, whichdefines the landscape of the village, issymbol of the importance of the winetrade in this area which is visible fromfar and wide. In the entire Rheingauregion, only four cities had the privi-lege of operating loading cranes. The crane was constructed in themid-18th century on a quay wall onthe bank of the Rhine. It was consid-ered to be safer and easier to maintainthan the more commonly-used float-ing cranes, which were constantly ex-posed to the swells of the river. Thecube-shaped crane structure standson a sandstone base whose founda-tion is over 1.5 m (4.9 ft) deep. It wasbuilt using timber-frame construc-tion and covered over with boards.The 9-m-long (30 ft) boom extendsout of the building’s slate-coveredroof. During guided tours, visitorsnot only learn interesting facts abouttreadwheel crane technology; theyare also told how many laborers hadto put their shoulders to the wheel inorder to lift the loads of up to 2.5 met-ric tons (2.8 tons). The OestrichCrane was in operation from 1745until 1926; it was used primarily forloading wine barrels and logs.

A 2000-year-old grape knifeIn the neighboring village of Winkel,a Roman grape knife was uncoveredduring the course of excavations.From this, we know that viticulturewas already practiced here around2000 years ago. The village’s name,“Winkel,” may be a derivation of the

106

It took hard work to set the treadwheels

of the Oestrich Crane in motion.


Schloss Johannisberg – Nearby destinations

Latin term vini cella (wine cellar).The village was first mentioned inwriting in 850, in connection withRabanus Maurus. The influentialCarolingian scholar, who served asArchbishop of Mainz beginning in847, is said to have died in Winkel in856; he was buried at St. Alban’sMonastery near Mainz. One of the oldest stone houses onGerman soil can also be found inWinkel: the Graues Haus (GreyHouse) in the Graugasse, not far fromthe Rhine. This enchanting, ivy-cov-ered sandstone structure was the an-cestral home of the Rheingau’s aristo-cratic Greiffenclau family. They latermoved to Schloss Vollrads, which liesto the north of Winkel, surroundedby vineyards. Other interesting sitesinclude the Brentano House inWinkel, where Goethe once stayed asa guest, as well as the Romanesque St.Aegidius Basilica in Mittelheim. Withits foundation dating back to the 10thcentury, it is considered to be the old-

est church in the Rheingau.Hallgarten, a village encircled byvineyards, lies on the heights at thefoot of the Taunus Mountains. Fromhere, you can reach the Rheinhöhen-weg Trail on the right side of theRhine, which extends from Wies-baden to Bonn-Beuel. Those whomake the climb up the HallgarterZange, a 580 m-(1900 ft)-high off-

shoot of the Taunus, will be rewardedwith one of the most beautiful viewsacross the Rheingau.Tourist Information • An der Basilika11a, Oestrich-Winkel • Tel. 06723-194 33 • www.oestrich-winkel.de


Flörsheim-WickerWicker, a district of Flörsheim amMain, is also known as the eastern“Gateway to the Rheingau.” Viticul-ture has been documented here forwell over 1000 years. During a strollalong the Wicker Wine Trail, visitorscan learn interesting facts about thewine-growing industry and the wayin which it influenced the historicand cultural development of Wickerand Flörsheim. Magistrat der Stadt Flörsheim amMain • Bahnhofstr. 12, Flörsheim amMain • Tel. 06145-95 51 10 •

www.floersheim.de

WiesbadenWith its mineral and thermalsprings, Hesse’s state capital is one ofthe oldest spa communities in Eu-rope. Some of the springs are open tothe public – such as the Kochbrun-nen, with its thermal water tempera-ture of 66 °C (151 °F). The thermalbaths and swimming pools offer awonderful opportunity for relax-ation. A 4-ha (10-acres) vineyard ofthe Hesse State Wineries can befound on the 245 m-high (804 ft)Neroberg. The hill is also home to asmall round temple which offers amarvelous view of the city below. Tourist Information • Marktpl. 1, Wiesbaden • Tel. 0611-172 99 30 •www.wiesbaden.de

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DID YOU KNOW ...

… that Riesling from the Rheingauwas once considered excellentmedicine in Britain? A popularexpression was “Good Hock keepsoff the doc” – in reference to thewine from Hochheim.


RHEINGAU

MUSEUMS

Rheingau Wine MuseumBrömserburg castle, RüdesheimIn this romantic timber-framedtown, with its world-famous Dros sel -gasse, the Rheingau Wine Museuminvites visitors to travel through timeacross 2000 years of wine-growinghistory. Near the banks of the Rhine, the im-posing walls of the medieval Bröm-serburg castle are home to around2000 wine-related artifacts, datingfrom Antiquity to the present.Among the museum’s greatest treas-ures are priceless drinking glassesfrom numerous European stylisticeras, including exquisite wine glassesdating from Roman times. From thecastle keep, guests can enjoy a gor-geous view of Rüdes heim, the Rhineand the surrounding vineyards.Rheinstr. 2, Rüdesheim am Rhein •Tel. 06722-23 48 • www.rheingauer-weinmuseum.de • Mid-March-Oct,open daily 10 am-6 pm • Entrance fee € 5


The Rheingau Riesling Route ex-plores the wine-growing region onthe right side of the Rhine. In itscourse, it passes by countless inter-esting historical sights. In the wine-growing villages and towns along theroute, seasonal wine bars, wineriesand taverns offer lovely stops for re-freshment. The route – identified bysigns featuring a Rheingau Römerwine glass – includes only slight in-clines and is suitable for children andseniors. Gesellschaft für Rheingauer Wein -kultur mbH • Kloster Eberbach/Pfor-tenhaus, Eltville • Tel. 06723-917 57 •www.rheingauer-weinbauverband.de

FOOD AND DRINK

Hotel Krone AssmannshausenPoets, philosophers, politicians –and even Empress Elisabeth of Aus-tria – have been guests at this hotel.This tradition-rich house, locateddirectly on the Rhine, strives to con-tinually offer its guests new creationsfrom local ingredients in its award-winning Rhineland cuisine. Thedishes are accompanied by an excel-lent assortment of noble wines.Rheinuferstr. 10, Rüdesheim-Ass-mannshausen am Rhein • Tel. 06722-4030 • www.hotel-krone.com • €€€€

Schloss Reinhartshausen KempinskiToday, Reinhartshausen Castle, builtin 1801 and home to Princess Mari-anne of Prussia from 1855 to 1883, isone of the Rheingau’s leading ad-dresses for sophisticated guests. Itsthree restaurants offer a widely var-ied menu – from regional-homestyle cooking, to upscale-elegant, toexclusive gourmet cuisine.Hauptstr. 41, Eltville-Erbach • Tel.06123-6760 • www.schloss-hotel.de• €€€€

Weinstube Im MesswingertThis wine tavern is part of theKessler wine estate, which has beenlocated in Martinsthal since 1739.The winery’s own Riesling and Spät-burgunder wines are accompaniedby regional specialties such as “Käse-Dunges” (marinated soft cheese withdried tomatoes and herbs), Rieslingcrème or vintners’ bratwurst withapplesauce and fried potatoes.Weingut Klaus-Peter Kessler •Heimat str. 18, Martinsthal im Rhein-gau • Tel. 06123-712 35 • www.weingut-kessler.ak-netzwerk.de • €

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Eltville Sekt and BiedermeierFestivalEach year, surrounded by 1000blooming roses, the Eltville wine and

Nearby destinations

Sekt (sparkling wine) estates presentthe treasures of their cellars on thebanks of the Rhine. 1st weekend in July •Tourist Informati-on and Cultural Center •RheingauerStr. 28, Eltville am Rhein• Tel. 06123-712 35 • www.eltville.de

Rüdesheim Wine FestivalOn the third weekend in August,vintners’ wine stands crowd aroundthe linden tree on the marketplace inRüdesheim’s Old Town. Here, youcan sample young Rieslings, silkySpätburgunders and other delicaciesfrom the local kitchens and cellars.3rd weekend in August • RüdesheimTourist Center • Geisenheimer Str. 22,Rüdesheim am Rhein • Tel. 06722-90 61 50 • www.ruedesheimer-weinfest.de

Rheingau Musik FestivalWith over 140 concerts held at morethan 40 different locations, this is oneof Germany’s largest music festivals.World-class soloists and orchestrasperform in the region’s most beautifulvenues – including Kloster EberbachAbbey, Schloss Johannisberg, SchlossReinhartshausen, St. Hildegard’s Ab -bey in Eibingen, Biebrich Castle andSchloss Vollrads. In addition, the fes-tival program includes jazz, cabaretand literary wine tastings.Schedule of events: Rheingau MusikFestival Konzertgesellschaft mbH •Rheinallee 1, Oestrich-Winkel •www.rheingau-musik-festival.de

SERVICEINFORMATION

Gesellschaft für Rheingauer Weinkul-tur mbH • Kloster Eberbach/Pforten-haus, Eltville • Tel. 06723-917 57 •

www.rheingauer-weinbauverband.de

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ELTVILLE AM RHEIN

In the oldest city in the Rheingau,the beautiful riverside promenadeinvites visitors to take a leisurelystroll; the winding lanes with theirpicturesque timber-frame housesencourage you to explore. ThePrince-Elector’s Castle dominatesthe cityscape. A memorial site isdedicated to Johannes Gutenberg,who was appointed a Hofedel-mann (gentleman of the court)here by the Archbishop of Mainz in1465. Tourist Information and CulturalCenter • Rheingauer Str. 28, Eltvil-le am Rhein • Tel. 06123-909 80 •

www.eltville.de

MERIAN-Tip bg !9!


Rheinhessen In the “Land of 1000 Hills”

west of the Rhine, grapevines grow as far as the eye can

see. Here, in Germany’s largest wine-growing region,

vintners produce modern wines of the highest quality.


Liebfrauenstift-Kirchenstück

ularly Dornfelder, and the growingarea devoted to red grape varietiesdoubled in the course of a decade. To-day, Dornfelder, Spätburgunder(Pinot Noir) and Portugieser occupyaround one-third of the region’s vine-yard area. For a long time, growers inRheinhessen were more concernedwith quantity than with quality; how-ever, a new generation of young, high-ly qualified vintners has breathed newlife into the industry. Today, many ofthe wine estates rank among the topinternational producers.

Warm weather and little rainAlmost every village in Rheinhessenis associated with viticulture. As ear-ly as 2000 years ago, the Romansplanted grapevines for their troopsin Mogontiacum – modern-dayMainz. However, the fertile land washighly sought-after and was thecause of frequent disputes, betweenthe Romans and the Germanic tribesand between the Germans and theFrench. It was only in 1816 that theregion was consolidated under thename Rheinhessen. Still, one thingnever changed: Throughout the cen-turies, viticulture and the wine tradewere the main source of income forthe area’s population. Today, Rhein-hessen is a modern, active region en-compassing industry, trade, tourismand other service sectors.Nevertheless, viticulture remainsimportant here. Among all of Ger-many’s wine-growing regions, Rhein -hessen is still the largest exporter.Since 2008, Mainz and Rheinhessenhave been members of the “GreatWine Capitals Network” – an inter-national affiliation of exclusive wine-growing cities.

Within the curve of the Rhine be-tween Mainz, Worms and Bingen liesa gentle hilly landscape wheregrapevines flourish especially well:the Rheinhessen growing region. De-spite its name, the region is not part ofthe state of Hesse: it lies in the easternsection of the Rhineland-Palatinate,its border formed by the Rhine River.With 26,500 ha (65,500 acres) of vine-yards, Rheinhessen is Germany’slargest wine-growing region. Thesheltering mountain ranges of theHunsrück, Taunus, Odenwald andNorth Palatinate Hill Country makeRheinhessen one of the warmest aswell as one of the driest areas in Ger-many. The soils in the three wine-growing districts of Bingen, Niersteinand Wonnegau range from loess anddrifting sand to slate, volcanic rock,quartzite, porphyry and clay toRotliegend. The latter refers to rockformations with a characteristic redcolor that date from the Permian Peri-od (approximately 299 to 251 millionyears ago). Rotliegend is found prima-rily near Nierstein and in the westernpart of Rheinhessen. Thanks to theseprimeval sediments, the grapevinesare well nourished; however, theymust put out deep roots in order toabsorb sufficient water.

Traditional grape: SilvanerRheinhessen is famous for Riesling aswell as the traditional variety, Silvan-er. Cultivation of Weissburgunder(Pinot Blanc) and Grauburgunder(Pinot Gris) is also on the increase.The turn of the millennium saw aboom in red wine production, partic-

É Vine rows give structure to Rhein-

hessen’s hill country and shape the look

of the landscape: here, near Zornheim.

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RHEINHESSEN

brand, vintners from throughout thearea produced wines under the nameof Liebfraumilch. Up until the slumpin exports after World War I, Lieb -fraumilch was exported more thanany other wine in Germany. TheBritish, in particular, were very fondof the mild beverage. This remainedthe case up until the 1990s, when evenin Great Britain demand for this inex-pensive, sweet white wine declined.

An individual nameIn order to stand out from his imita-tors, in 1908, Valckenberg gave hiswine the name Liebfrauenstift-Kirchenstück. Since 1997, the area di-rectly surrounding the Liebfrauen -kirche has been under the ownershipof four vintners, who cultivate Ries-ling grapes on 17 ha (42 acres) with-in the site and produce top-qualitywines. Today, Liebfrauenstift-Kir -chen stück has once again become awine for true connoisseurs and canbe found on the wine lists of first-class restaurants. Of course, you canalso sample the wine on-site – for ex-ample, during a visit to the Lieb frau -en kirche, which still ranks amongGermany’s most important pilgrim-age churches.– Katholische Pfarrkirche Liebfrauen •Liebfrauenring 21, Worms •Tel. 06241-442 67 •www.liebfrauen-worms.de– Weinhaus P. J. Valckenberg •Wecker lingpl. 1, Worms • Tel. 06241-911 10 • www.valckenberg.de– For further information, see:www.worms.de

The Niersteiner GlöckÑ Fold-out map, E/F 15

Between Mainz and Worms lies Ger-many’s oldest vineyard site: the Nier-

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The Liebfrauenstift-Kirchenstück in Worms

Ñ Fold-out map, E/F 16

In the late Middle Ages, pilgrims ontheir way to Santiago de Compostelawho reached the Liebfrauenstift(Monastery of Our Lady) were re-warded with shelter, comfort, inter-cession, and sustenance in the form ofnoble wine. The monks cultivatedgrapes on about 9 ha (22 acres) ofvineyards around the Gothic Lieb -frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady),whose construction began after themonastery was founded in 1298. Ac-cording to legend, the wine seemed tothe pilgrims like “die Milch unsererlieben Frau” (“the milk of Our Lady”).Thus, the wine was christened and its

reputation soon spread far beyondWorms. At first, the growing area forthis famous Riesling was very small:Only wine grown around the church(“within the shadow of the tower”)could be called Liebfraumilch.Demand increased, and this famouswine was soon imported to othercountries. In 1808, Peter Joseph Val-ckenberg acquired the vineyards; to-day, his descendants still manage theoldest family-run export winery inGermany. Within just a few decades,Liebfraumilch exports increasedmany times over. Along with growth,however, came a decline in quality.Since the name was not a protected

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DID YOU KNOW…

… that Rheinhessen’s secret natio-nal dish is known as “WWW?” Theabbreviation stands for “Weck,Worscht un Woi” (bread roll, sau-sage and wine): every visitorshould try it!


Liebfrauenstift-Kirchenstück – The flavor of the red soil

The flavor of the red soilIt’s the soil of the Red Slope thatmakes Glöck so valuable. TheRotliegend formed approximately280 million years ago, when the cli-mate in the area around Niersteinwas still subtropical, dry and hot.The red color of the sand and claystones, which gives the Red Slope itsname, is due to iron compounds.Viticulture on Rotliegend is a world-wide anomaly. Thanks to the soil, thewine grapes that flourish on the RedSlope are delicately fruity and rich inminerals; the vines draw the mineralelements from the red earth and passthem on to the grapes. Their growthis fostered by optimum sun exposureand the proximity to the Rhine. Lastbut not least, the monks’ substantialknowledge of viticulture certainlyplayed an important role. The wall,which they built long ago to protecttheir vineyards, also shelters the

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steiner Glöck. Riesling and Gewürz-traminer are cultivated here on just2.1 ha (5.2 acres) of the famous RedSlope, a steep site located above theleft bank of the Rhine. A thick, natu-ral stone wall surrounds the Glöck,whose vineyards encircle the Churchof St. Kilian. The Glöck itself hasbeen named a “Rheinhessen greatgrowth” site by the Association ofGerman Quality and Prädikats WineEstates (VDP). The first written mention of theNiersteiner Glöck dates from 742.Karlmann, a Frankish steward – andan uncle of Charlemagne – present-ed the Bishopric of Würzburg withthe lands surrounding the church; itwould later be dedicated to St. Kilian.In the centuries that followed, one-tenth of the wine produced from thevineyard was delivered to the Bishopof Würzburg.

The Liebfrauenstift in Worms is the only monumental Gothic sacred structure that

remains on the Rhine between Strasbourg and Cologne.


RHEINHESSEN

vines from cold winds and enhancesthe Glöck’s unique flair to this day.Staatliche Weinbaudomäne Oppen-heim • Wormser Str. 162, Oppenheim •Tel. 06133-93 03 05 • www.domaene-oppenheim.de • Open Mon–Thurs 9 am–noon and 1–4 pm; Fri until 6 pm

Kupferberg Visitors’ Centerin Mainz


On a hill near Mainz, the Romans es-tablished a camp – or castrum – fortwo of their legions. Over the cen-turies, the Latin word evolved intothe name “Kästrich”, which nowidentifies a section of the upper cityof Mainz. Here, one can find wine,Sekt (sparkling wine) and beer cel-lars that are among the deepest in theworld. Two thousand year-old arti-facts, which were uncovered duringwork on the Kupferberg Cellars, bearwitness to the area’s Roman past andthe Romans’ affinity for wine.

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In 1850, Christian Adalbert Kupfer-berg – then 26 years old – foundedhis “Sparkling Wine Manufactory”in Mainz. For his fermentation cel-lars, he used previously existing cel-lar facilities, which dated from theMiddle Ages. Just two years later, hetrademarked the name “KupferbergGold”. This Sekt became the flagshipproduct of his sparkling wine cellars;today, it ranks among the oldestbrand names in Germany. The man-ufactory’s Bismarck Room, whichtoday is used for weddings and otherspecial events, was named in honorof a visit to the cellar by Otto Fürstvon Bismarck, who later becameChancellor of the Empire.In 1872, Christian Kupferberg con-verted his company into a partner-ship limited by shares. By 1888, themedieval cellar space had become toosmall for the expanding firm. There-fore, the founder’s sons commis-sioned the building of a facility that

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A natural stone wall surrounds the Niersteiner Glöck, whose vineyards encircle the

Church of St. Kilian (Ñ p. 113).


Kupferberg Visitors’ Center in Mainz

remains unique to this day: sixty ad-ditional cellars were constructed sev-en stories deep. The cellars house or-nately decorated wooden caskscontaining wine, which will later beconverted into Sekt. In addition to thebarrels, visitors can see long rows ofSekt bottles, which are aging deep be-low the ground. During World WarII, the cellar vaults were put to a verydifferent use: In 1945, near the end ofthe war, thousands of people soughtshelter here from bomb attacks.From early on, the company em-ployed unusual advertising strate-gies. In 1912, Kupferberg had the firstmoving, illuminated signs in Ger-many installed on the façade of ahouse on Berlin’s Friedrichstrasse:On a space covering 60 sq m (646 sqft), 2600 flickering light bulbs depict-ed the neck of a Sekt bottle, fromwhich delicately sparkling liquidflowed into a glass. Today, many ofthe company’s historic publicity cam-paigns – including posters, postcardsand early commercial films – aredocumented at the Kupferberg Visi-tors’ Center in Mainz.

Sekt at the World’s FairCompany founder Christian Adal-bert Kupferberg had already begunmarketing his Sekt internationally,and in 1862, he presented it at the In-ternational Exhibition in London.His sons, Franz and Florian Kupfer-berg, continued the tradition andtook part in the International Exhi-bition in Paris in 1900. The Trauben-saal (Hall of Grapes), where Ger-many’s top quality wines andsparkling wines were presented in-side the German pavilion during theWorld’s Fair, can also be seen today atthe Kupferberg Visitors’ Center in

Mainz. The hall, designed by Berlinarchitect Bruno Möhring in floralArt Nouveau and richly decoratedwith grape leaves, berries and vines,was reconstructed here after theWorld’s Fair. By the mid-1960s, therewas no longer sufficient space at thecompany’s headquarters in Mainz,and the winery constructed new fa-cilities in Mainz-Hechtsheim. At thetraditional Kupferberg site inMainz’s Kästrich district, the Visi-tors’ Center invites guests to explorethe historic cellar facilities. At theKupferberg Museum, you can find awealth of information about Sektproduction, as well as the world’slargest collection of sparkling wineand champagne glasses – from crys-tal goblets and flutes dating from theRenaissance to highly original andultra-modern designer pieces.

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TRULLO – TRULLI

In the vineyards of Flonheim in theAlzey-Worms district, you can seea type of structure, which is other-wise rare north of the Alps: a Trullo(plural: Trulli). These small, roundvintners’ huts (called “Wingerts -haisjer” in the Rheinhessen di-alect), which taper to a point ordome shape at the top, were prob-ably modeled after those found inApulia. It is easy to walk from themarketplace to the Flonheim trul-lo. Another route leads to the trul-lo in the neighboring village ofUffhofen. The community of Flon-heim also offers tours of the Trulli.Rathaus (City Hall), Flonheim • Tel.06734-325 • www.flonheim.de

MERIAN Tip b 10!


RHEINHESSEN

Kupferberg-Museum • Kupferbergter-rasse 17–19, Mainz • Tel. 06131-9230 • www.kupferbergterrasse.com• Guided tours from € 6; call for re-servations; boutique open Sat 10am–4 pm and following tours


BingenAt the intersection of the Rhein-hessen, Nahe, Rheingau and Mittel-rhein wine-growing regions lies thecity of Bingen, a community, which

likes to identify itself as the secretcapital of German viticulture. Overseventy vintners and numerous citi-zens are dedicated to promotingBingen wine. Bingen is home to a(almost official) wine senate, whosehonorary senators include Germancelebrities such as Anne Will andHeino. Wine tasting is available inone of the many wine taverns, atwine-tasting events, festivals, or inthe Binger Vinothek, a tasting centerwhich is operated by several wineestates.

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The Traubensaal from the Paris World’s Fair in 1900 (Ñ p. 115) is preserved today at

the Kupferberg Visitors’ Center in Mainz.


Nearby destinations

– Tourist Information • Rheinkai 21,Bingen • Tel. 06721-18 42 00 •www.bingen.de– Vinothek • Hindenburganlage, Bin-gen • Tel. 06721-309 89 92 •www.vinothek-bingen.de

KuhkapellenRheinhessen is home to about 300Kuhkapellen (dubbed “cow chapels”by the locals). These are former sta-bles which were built, not as tradi-tional wooden structures, but mod-eled on monastic refectories withsolid masonry and groin vaults. Thisapproach was used in the 19th centu-ry to reduce the risk of fires on farms.Nowadays, as dairy farming is be-coming less and less common, theseattractive stables are being used aswine-tasting bars, restaurants, retailspaces or for classical music concerts.– Interessengemeinschaft Rheinhesi-sche Weingewölbe • Christine Moe-bus • Tel. 06703-665 • www.rhein-hessische-weingewoelbe.info– Rheinhessen Touristik • Wilhelm-Leuschner-Str. 44, Ingelheim amRhein • Tel. 06132-441 70 •www.rheinhessen.info

Worms: City of the NibelungenWorms, one of the most importantsettings in the Song of the Nibelungs,is still linked to the medieval epic po-em today through festivals and a mu-seum. Visitors need plenty of time tosee all of the interesting sights inWorms. The city contains the oldestJewish cemetery in Europe, the for-mer Jewish quarter with its syna-gogue and Rashi House, as well as theJewish Museum. A visit to Wormsshould also include a trip to the Ro-manesque Cathedral, which was builtin 1130.

Tourist Information • Neumarkt 14,Worms • Tel. 06241-250 45 •www.worms.de

Oppenheim’s UnderworldThe town of Oppenheim houses aunique underground city: centuries-old cellars and connecting tunnelsrun underneath it. The cellar systemwas probably established in the 13thcentury. To date, however, only asmall section has been excavated andresearched, since a completely newtown was built above the labyrinthfollowing Oppenheim’s destructionin 1689. Visitors can explore the mys-terious underworld on special tours.Tourist Information • Merianstr. 4, Oppenheim • Tel. 06133-49 09 14 •www.stadt-oppenheim.de • Guidedtours Sat 12 noon and 1:30 pm, Sunand holidays 11:30 am, 1:30, 2:30 &3:45 pm • Entrance fee € 6

MUSEUMS

Gutenberg Museum, MainzVisitors to Mainz must visit thebirthplace of the art of book printing.The museum, located across fromthe cathedral, contains a permanentexhibit devoted to printing tech-niques, book art, the history of scriptand type, paper and other subjects,as well as an educational printingworkshop and a museum café.Gutenberg Museum • Liebfrauenpl. 5,Mainz • Tel. 06131-12 26 40 •www.gutenberg-museum.de • OpenTues–Sat 9 am–5 pm, Sun 11 am–3pm • Entrance fee € 5

Museum at the Imperial Palace,IngelheimThe construction of Charlemagne’sKaiserpfalz (Imperial Palace) in the8th century brought an important

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RHEINHESSEN: Nearby Destinations

status to the town of Ingelheim. To-day, only certain sections of thepalace are available for viewing;however, the museum contains arti-facts, as well as a model of the origi-nal structures. – Museum bei der Kaiserpfalz • Fran-çois-Lachenal-Pl. 5, Ingelheim • Tel.06132-71 47 01 • www.museum-in-gelheim.de • April-Oct, open Tues–Sun 10 am–5 pm; Nov–March, Tues–Sun 10 am–4 pm; closed Dec 23–Jan 5 • Free admission– For further information see:www.kaiserpfalz-ingelheim.de

WALKING AND HIKING

The town of Alzey combines hikingwith a wine festival: each year at thebeginning of September, the Win -gerts häuschen-Wanderung leads par -ticipants past 20 vintners’ huts –some of them historic sites. .Altstadtverein Alzey • Alzey, Ernst-Ludwig-Str. 45 • Tel. 06731-99 28 18• www.altstadtverein-alzey.de

FOOD AND DRINK

Restaurant BuchholzStar chef Frank Buchholz offers re-gional cuisine with a Mediterraneanflair. He uses only the best ingredi-ents, growing as many ingredients aspossible in the garden behind hisrestaurant in Mainz-Gonsenheim. Klosterstr. 27, Mainz • 06131-971 2890 • www.frank-buchholz.de • €€€€

Jordan’s UntermühleIn the unusual atmosphere of a for-mer mill on the Selz River, the Jordanfamily serves home-style meals withpizzazz. In addition, they offer an am-ple selection of regional wines, whichvisitors can also sample and purchasein the restaurant’s own vinotheque.

Ausserhalb 1, Köngernheim • Tel. 06737-710 00 • www.jordans-untermuehle.de • €€


Women’s Wine Night, Flörsheim-DalsheimThe medieval residence tower onPlenzer Street turns into a women-only zone when the female vintnerspresent their wines at the Frauen-Wein-Nacht (Women’s Wine Night):Men are not allowed in. Female winegrowers have been holding this spe-cial event every two years, usually inFebruary or March, since 2006. February/March (2013) • Frauen-Wein-Nacht • Wohnturm am Plenzer,Florsheim-Dalsheim • Tel. 06243-7512 • www.frauen-wein-nacht.de • En-trance fee € 32, contact Petra Bähr

The Mainz Wine SalonIn the vaulted Brückenkopf Cellar atthe Theodor Heuss Bridge, youngvintners invite guests to sample theirbest wines in a casual atmosphere.Each event has a special theme; smallmeals and music are also on hand.The profits from these after-workparties (held from spring–December)are donated to social welfare projects.Spring–December, 1st Tuesday ofeach month • Landjugend Rheinhes-sen-Pfalz • Weberstr. 9, Mainz •www.mainzer-weinsalon.de

SERVICEINFORMATION

– Rheinhessenwein • Otto-Lilienthal-Str. 4, Alzey • Tel. 06731-951 07 40 •www.rheinhessenwein.de– Rheinhessen-Touristik GmbH •

Wilhelm-Leuschner-Straße 44, Ingelheim • Tel. 06132-441 70 •www.rheinhessen.info

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150 worldwide and licensable MERIAN live!

destinations

Contact:TRAVEL HOUSE MEDIA, Verónica Reisenegger eMail: [email protected]


Saale-Unstrut Vine-clad terraces, dry stone

walls, grassland orchards and flood plains are typical of

the traditional cultural landscape in Germany’s northern-

most growing region for quality and Prädikat wines.


The Rotkäppchen Sparkling Wine Cellars

Steep vineyard slopes, picturesquevintners’ huts, imposing castles, oldtimber-frame villages and history-steeped towns shape the region onthe Saale and Unstrut Rivers, wherevines have been grown for more than1000 years. Slightly more than 700 ha(1800 acres) of vineyards in thisnorthernmost quality wine-growingregion extend across three Germanfederal states: Saxony-Anhalt ac-counts for 84%, in the area aroundFreyburg and Naumburg; about 11%of the region’s vines are located inThuringia, near Bad Kösen; and lessthan 1% can be found in Branden-burg, in Werder an der Havel, not farfrom Berlin. Located at latitude52°23’ N, the “Werderaner Wachtel-berg” is currently the northernmostsingle vineyard site in Europe ap-proved for the production of qualitywines from a specified region (QbA).Other vineyards exist further north –for example in Mecklenburg,Schleswig-Holstein, or even in Scan-dinavia – but these sites do not (yet)qualify for quality wine psr status.

White varieties predominateThe Saale-Unstrut wine-growing re-gion is divided into the districts of“Schloss Neuenburg”, “Thüringen”and “Mansfelder Seen”; in addition,there are four collective sites not asso-ciated with districts, as well as 38 sin-gle sites. The region’s well over fortygrape varieties are primarily vinifieddry. Among white varieties, Müller-Thurgau is the most common, fol-lowed by Weissburgunder (PinotBlanc), Silvaner, Riesling, Kerner and

É Ninety vintners’ huts are scattered

across the Schweigenberg near Freyburg.

121

Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris), as wellas Traminer, Bacchus and Gutedel(Chasselas or Fendant). Red grape va-rieties account for one-fourth of theregion’s vineyard space area; these in-clude Dornfelder, Portugieser, Spät-burgunder (Pinot Noir), BlauerZweigelt (Rotburger) and Regent.“Exotic” varietals such as Ortega, El-bling, Johanniter, Saphira, André,Acolon, Domina and Pinotin can alsobe found here. Small quantities of raresweet wines like Eiswein and Beeren -auslese are also produced.In the flood plains, with their craggywater gaps, the soils consist of weath-ered shell-limestone soils, loess andloam, copper slate and new red sand-stone. These elements lend the winesan elegant, fruity bouquet with min-eral nuances. In terms of climate, theregion, which lies in the rain shadowof the Harz Mountains and theThuringian Forest, is one the lowest-precipitation areas in Germany. Thevineyards face mostly towards thesouth and are located in the shelteredriver valleys, where heat islands withan especially mild microclimate areformed. The cold winters and latespring frosts result in a natural reduc-tion in yield, to about 60 hectolitersper hectare (2400 liters per acre)..Historic timber-frame architectureIn 1828, after a stay at DornburgCastle on the Saale, Johann Wolf-gang von Goethe wrote: “The view ismagnificent and joyful; flowersbloom in the well-kept gardens, thevines are heavy with grapes, and be-neath my window I can see a flour-ishing vineyard.”


SAALE-UNSTRUT

The Rotkäppchen Sparkling Wine Cellars

Ñ Fold-out map, M 11

Once upon a time there were twobrothers, Moritz and Julius Kloss. To-

gether with their friend Carl Foerster,they founded a wine business in Frey-burg on the Unstrut River on Septem-ber 26, 1856, and gave it the name“Kloss & Foerster”. So begins thefairytale success story of the Rotkäp-pchen Sekt (sparkling wine) Cellars.At the beginning, however, there wasno mention of either Sekt or Rotkäp-pchen (“Little Red Riding Hood”).Nevertheless, the idea of establishingfacilities “for the production ofsparkling wines” in addition to thewine business came quickly enough.The first 6000 “bouteilles” were filledin a courtyard annex, and the Sekt

33 corks popped on June 17, 1858, in cel-ebration of co-founder Julius Kloss’smarriage to Emma Gabler. The company was soon so successfulthat the volume of wine produced byFreyburg’s vintners was no longersufficient. In 1867, the firm pur-chased must and wine from Würt-temberg and Baden for the first time.Later, buyers from Kloss & Foersteralso traveled to the Rhineland, andalong the Mosel and the Main to pur-chase grapes, must and wine whichwould be processed into Sekt in Frey-burg an der Unstrut. In 1870, thecompany celebrated a record produc-tion of 120,000 bottles of sparklingwine. Their labels bore melodiousFrench names such as “CrémantRosé”, “Sillery Grand Mousseux”,“Lemartin Frères” and “Monopol”.When Germany’s trademark protec-tion law took effect in May 1894, adispute arose with the French cham-pagne company, Walbaum-Heid-sieck. This traditional Champagnehouse based in Reims had been pro-ducing champagne under the brandname “Monopol” since 1846 andowned previous rights to the name.Kloss & Foerster lost the suit and de-cided to name their Sekt after the redcapsule that enclosed the bottle’scork. On July 15, 1895, the name“Rotkäppchen” became a registeredtrademark.

A brand’s hallmark: the redcapsule This brand name remained constantthroughout the company’s eventfulfurther history. It survived two worldwars and in 1948, lent its name to theVolkseigener Betrieb (VEB) Rotkäp-pchen Sektkellerei (People-OwnedEnterprise Rotkäppchen Sekt Cel-

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The Rotkäppchen Sekt Cellars (Ñ p. 121)

house Germany’s largest cuvée barrel.


The Rotkäppchen Sparkling Wine Cellars – A gigantic cuvée barrel

lars) Freyburg/Unstrut. Technologi-cal progress and the establishment ofa research and development centermade Rotkäppchen a model compa-ny for the GDR. In the 1970s, thefirm produced such daring creationsas “Mocca-Perle” – a caffeinatedsparkling wine, which is still on themarket today – and “Sekt-Pils”, a co-production between Rotkäppchenand the VEB Brewery in Dessau pro-duced at the Dessau Beverage Kom-binat (industrial conglomerate).After Germany’s reunification, theRotkäppchen Sektkellerei was con-verted into a limited company(GmbH), and soon ranked amongGermany’s largest Sekt producersonce again. In 2002, the eastern Ger-man company attracted wide atten-tion when it took over the famoussparkling wine brands “Mumm”,“Jules Mumm” and “MM Extra”from Canada’s Seagram beveragecompany – along with its Hessianproduction plants in Eltville amRhein and Hochheim am Main.Since then, the company from Frey-burg an der Unstrut has bought upmore firms with memorable brandnames, including the Privatsekt -kellerei Geldermann, as well as EckesEdelkirsch, Chantré and Mariacron.Today, the company operates underthe name “Rotkäppchen-MummSektkellereien GmbH”.On a tour through the cellars, visi-tors not only learn how the tinglingbubbles get into the Sekt bottles –they also have a chance to sample theproducts. A tour of the impressiveindustrial monument is also highlyrecommended. The historic, Wil-helminian-style building welcomesvisitors in a spacious atrium: itsroof – interspersed with long panels

of glass – is a masterpiece of engi-neering. The room, which measuresover 1000 sq m (10,760 sq ft), can beused as a festive setting for events forup to 750 people.

A gigantic cuvée barrelAt the heart of the cellar facility liethe five levels of cellars themselves.They were first put into operation in1887. Here, in a space measuring13,000 sq m (140,000 sq ft), wineswere stored in oak barrels until theywere blended into cuvées, filled intobottles and riddled by hand. Thepride of the cellars is Germany’slargest cuvée barrel, which is deco-rated with elaborate carvings. It wasbuilt in the company’s own cooper-age, using the wood of twenty-fiveoak trees, and completed in 1896.With its gigantic volume of 120,000liters, its height fills an entire threestories in the so-called Domkeller(cathedral cellar).Rotkäppchen-Mumm SektkellereienGmbH • Sektkellereistr. 5,

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Residual yeast, or lees, settles in the

necks of the Sekt bottles (Ñp. 121).


SAALE-UNSTRUT

Freyburg/Unstrut, • Tel. 034464-340• www.rotkaeppchen.de • Sekt toursdaily, 11 am & 2 pm; Sat & Sun also12:30 and 3:30 pm; tour lasts 45 min •Entrance fee € 5

Vintners’ hutsÑ Fold-out map, M 11

The many vintners’ huts on the vine-yards and steep terraces of the broadriver banks are typical features of theSaale-Unstrut region. There areprobably several hundred of them inall; the oldest is nearly 500 years old.Many of them are simply small, func-tional huts in which the vintnersonce stored their equipment, atetheir workday meals and took shelterfrom the wind and weather on colddays. However, some of them alsoserved as charming weekend cot-tages – and some even as luxuriousvillas, where parties were held andwine was plentiful. In the 19th centu-ry, a few of the vintners’ huts were

34

expanded into restaurants. In thearea between Zscheiplitz, Saaleck,Goseck and Unstrutmündung alone,Saxony-Anhalt’s register of monu-ments lists eleven historic vineyards,some of which contain several vint-ners’ huts, as well as around thirty in-dividual huts, of which some havecorresponding vineyard sites. Al-most no other German wine regionis home to so many vintners’ huts ascan be found on the sloping banks ofthe Saale and Unstrut. Only Rhein-hessen, with its Wingertshäuschenbetween Mainz, Alzey and Worms,has a comparable number. One rea-son may be that vineyard consolida-tion has never taken place here; thiswould have merged the small vine-yard plots into larger sites and in theprocess, destroyed the old vinestocks, along with the huts and cot-tages. Saxon rulers had promoted viticul-ture ever since the 16th century, and

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A restored 18th-century pavilion with original rococo furnishings is set among the

vine-clad terraces of the Herzoglicher Weinberg in Freyburg.


burg an der Unstrut. The polygon-shaped timber-framed pavilion inthe Herzoglicher Weinberg (DucalVineyard) in Freyburg still containsits original 18th-century rococo fur-nishings. With its three-sided, angledfaçade, it still offers visitors a breath-taking panoramic view across theUnstrut valley. Last but not least, the“Little Tuscan Castle” on Freyburg’sSchweigenberg also provides proofthat the wealthy and propertied citi-zens of the region often used theirvineyards as country retreats. Here,they enjoyed holding lively partiesand making public displays of theirwealth and status. The Weinbauver-band (Wine Growers’ Association) ofSaale-Unstrut can provide detailedinformation about the exact loca-tions and visiting hours of the huts,cottages and villas in the region’svineyards.Weinbauverband Saale-Unstrut •

Querfurter Str. 10, Freyburg •

Tel. 034464-261 10 • www.natuerlich-saale-unstrut.de

The “Stone Picture Book”near Naumburg

Ñ Fold-out map, M 11

At the confluence of the Unstrut andSaale Rivers, just outside of Naum-burg, the Markgrafenberg hill risesup near Grossjena. With its terracedvineyards, dry stone walls, vintners’huts and fruit orchards, this hill is afavorite destination in the Burgen-landkreis. Here, in 1705, the Naum-burg jeweler Johann Christian Stein-auer, purveyor to the court of DukeChristian of Saxe-Weissenfels, pur-chased a vineyard and had a statelyvilla built above it. In 1722, he com-missioned a sculptor to carve a mon-umental cycle of reliefs into the cliffs

35

Vintners’ huts – The “Stone Picture Book”

over the years, they continuallystrove for greater efficiency. First andforemost, this meant terracing thevineyard slopes “in the Württembergstyle”. To this day, terraced vineyardsshape the landscape on the Saale andUnstrut Rivers, just as they do on theElbe near Dresden, Radebeul andMeissen.An especially large number of vint-ners’ huts have been preserved onthe Schweigenberg, near Freyburgan der Unstrut. As many as ninety ofthese little houses can be found in anarea of 20 ha (49 acres) in this impos-ing, terraced vineyard – all of themmost likely built in the 18th century.Today, around forty vintners stillcultivate the small vineyard plots onup to ten terraced levels. If we add upthe total lengths of dry stone wallsand steps used to make theSchweigenberg agriculturally acces-sible, the result is about 10 km (6.2miles) of stonework and several hun-dred feet of steps and stairways.

Extraordinary buildingsThe oldest architectural monumenton the Saale and Unstrut Rivers is asmall tower dating back to 1555: theso-called Steinkauz (little owl), locat-ed in the Steinmeister vineyard sitenear the Rossbach district of Naum-burg. One of the most unusual vine-yard “huts” is one which could be bet-ter classified as a villa: in 1722,Johann Christian Steinauer, courtjeweler to Duke Christian of Saxe-Weissenfels, had a prestigious resi-dence built above his vineyard, “ImBlütengrund” near Grossjena. An-other object of pure prestige was theostentatious “hut” built in the Schlif -ter weinberg by the founders of theRotkäppchen Sekt Cellars in Frey-

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SAALE-UNSTRUT

at the foot of the vineyard, which hethen dedicated to the duke in honorof the tenth anniversary of his reign. The name of the sculptor is un-known today; however, his work hasbecome famous well beyond Naum-burg as the Steinernes Bilderbuch(Stone Picture Book). Over a space

of just under 200 m (650 ft), twelvelife-size reliefs emerge from the col-ored sandstone. They depict scenesfrom the Old and New Testaments orare dedicated to the hunt, depictingthe sovereign and identifying thebenefactor by name.On the third panel, we see a pictureof Christian of Saxe-Weissenfelsmounted proudly on horseback. Thefifth panel depicts the biblical wed-ding at Cana: the carvings show thewedding guests shortly before Jesustransforms water into wine. In front

of the long banquet table are six largepitchers, into which a servant ispouring water. Johann ChristianSteinauer is immortalized on theseventh panel: According to the in-scription, he donated the relief cyclein Naumburg on March 17, 1722.The dedication reads, “Glory to Godin the highest, peace on earth andgood will to mankind.” The eighthpanel shows Jesus, treading ongrapes with his bare feet in a winevat, while men and women vintnersin contemporary dress bring in moregrapes in wooden tubs. The next pic-ture depicts Noah, as the first winegrower: He holds a grapevine in onehand and a vintner’s knife in the oth-er. The tenth relief is dedicated to la-bor in the vineyards: Here, vintnerswith hooks over their shoulderscome down from the terraced vine-yard to collect their wages from thesteward; the owner of the vineyardcan be seen sitting in a chair on theleft side of the picture.

Im BlütengrundThe Stone Picture Book is located onprivate property and is not directlyaccessible to the public; however,you can get a good view from theBlütengrund section of Grossjena. Following the road a little further,you reach the memorial site dedicat-ed to the sculptor, painter and graph-ic artist Max Klinger, who has beencalled the “German Rodin”. He, too,had a cottage here in the vineyards –his “Etching Studio in the Blüten-grund”. The walk is rewarding notleast of all because of the wonderful,wide-ranging view of the Saale andthe Unstrut. Tourist Information • Markt 12, Naum-burg • Tel. 03445-27 31 24 • www.

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The reliefs in Grossjena, near Naum-

burg, depict Jesus as a vintner.


The “Stone Picture Book” – Nearby destinations

naumburg.de • Open Mon-Fri 9 am–6 pm


NaumburgThis cathedral city lies in the centerof the wine region, where the Unstrutempties into the Saale. A first stop fortourists should be a visit to the beau-tiful Uta and the other patron statuesin the Naumburg Cathedral. Afterthat, it is hard to decide where to stopfirst in the Old Town: Visitors to theHohe Lilie (Tall Lily) City Museum,with its beautiful Renaissance façadelearn that its oldest section is a Ro-manesque domus lapidae (“stonehouse”). The Nietzsche House is ded-icated to the life and work of thephilosopher and poet Friedrich Niet-zsche, who lived in Naumburg as aboy. Finally, from the Wenzelsturm(tower of St. Wenzel’s Church), visi-tors have an excellent view of thenearly 1000-year-old city and itswell-preserved medieval city walls.Tourist Information • Markt 12, Naum-burg • Tel. 03445-27 31 24 • www.naumburg.de • Open Mon-Fri 9 am–6 pm

Schloss NeuenburgHigh above Freyburg, the wine-growing town at the center of theSaale-Unstrut region, stands themonumental Neuenburg Castlecomplex. Once the largest castle ofthe landgraves of Thüringen, a sec-tion of the complex now houses theSaxony-Anhalt Wine Museum. Themuseum informs visitors aboutwine-growing culture in central Ger-many and also traces the role playedby the juice of the grape throughouthistory, from Antiquity to the pres-

ent day, and its multiple uses in thekitchen, the church, and even inmedicine.

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THE GOSECK CIRCLE

This sun observatory near Goseck,just a few miles to the northwestof Naumburg, is several thousandyears older than Stonehenge. Thiscircular structure of ditches wasconstructed around 4800 BC, andserved as a ritual site during theNeolithic period. With its 75 m(246 ft) in diameter and 2 m (6.5ft) high wooden palisades, it is theoldest sun observatory in Europe.The gates of the now-reconstruct-ed circular palisade were directlyaligned with the sun: On the day ofthe winter solstice, the sun roseinside the eastern gate and set inthe western gate.InfoPoint at Goseck Castle •

Burgstr. 53, Goseck • Tel. 03443-20 05 61 • www.sonnenobservatorium-goseck.de

MERIAN-Tip b 11!


SAALE-UNSTRUT

Stiftung Dome und Schlösser in Sach-sen-Anhalt • Museum Schloss Neuen-burg • Schloss 1, Freyburg • Tel.034464-355 30 • www.schloss-neu-enburg.de • April–Oct, open daily 10am–6 pm; Nov–March, open Tues-Sun 10 am–5 pm • Entrance fee € 4

Wine tastingOver forty private wine estates, theWine Growers’ Association and thestate-owned Landesweingut KlosterPforta, as well as sparkling wine cel-lars steeped in tradition – all locatedalong the Saale-Unstrut Wine Routebetween Memleben and Bad Sulza,on the wine routes on the White El-ster and on the Mansfeld Lakes – in-vite visitors to sample their winesand sparkling wines. Weinbauverband Saale-Unstrut •

Querfurter Str. 10, Freyburg • Tel. 034464-261 10 • www.natuerlich-saale-unstrut.de

The Werder WachtelbergEurope’s northernmost vineyard ap-proved for production of QbA winelies in Werder an der Havel, 8 km (5 miles) to the west of Potsdam andabout 40 km (25 miles) from Berlin.The “Wachtelberg” single vineyardsite recalls the importance that viti-culture once held for many townsand villages in the March (or Mar-graviate) of Brandenburg. Weinbau Dr. Lindicke • Am PlessowerEck 2, Werder an der Havel • Tel.03327-74 14 10 • www.wachtelberg.de • Vineyard tours and wine tastings Mon–Fri by appointment

MUSEUM

The Nebra ArkIn 1999, treasure hunters on an ille-gal excavation unearthed a priceless

object on the Mittelberg near Nebra:the Nebra Sky Disk. Today, it is ondisplay in the State Museum of Pre-history in Halle. At the discoverysite, the Arche Nebra (Nebra Ark)visitors’ center educates guests aboutthe significance of the approximately3600-year-old bronze disk, whichdepicts a full moon, crescent moonsand stars.Arche Nebra • An der Steinklöbe 16,Nebra-Kleinwangen • Tel. 034461-255 20 • www.himmelsscheibe-erle-ben.de • April–Oct, open daily 10am–6 pm; Nov–March, open Tues–Fri10 am–4 pm, Sat & Sun 10 am–5 pm• Entrance fee € 7.50


An interesting and varied bicycletour through the beautiful landscapeleads from Naumburg, along the Un-strut to Freyburg; you can then fol-low the well-marked Unstrut BikeRoute to Burgscheidungen. The 57-km (35-mile) route takes about sixhours to travel. There are plenty ofopportunities to stop and rest alongthe way.Tourist Information • Burgstr. 5, Mer-seburg • Tel. 03461-21 41 70 • www.merseburg.de • Open Mon–Fri 9 am–6 pm, Sat 9 am–1 pm

FOOD AND DRINK

Hotel UnstruttalCentrally located on the marketplacein the wine-growing town of Frey-burg, the Hotel Unstruttal welcomesvisitors with seasonally changingculinary delights and selected winesfrom the Saale-Unstrut region.Marktstr. 11, Freyburg • Tel. 034464-70 70 • www.unstruttal.info • Opendaily 11 am–10 pm • €€€

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Nearby destinations

Parkhotel Güldene BergeThe Parkhotel in Weissenfels ishoused in a stylish villa that was builtaround 1900. The restaurant, with itswinter garden, offers the finest-qual-ity international and regional cui-sine.Langendorfer Str. 94, Weissenfels •Tel. 03443-392 00 • www.gueldene-berge.de • Open daily 7 am–midnight• €€€


Wine festivalsCountless wine festivals take place inthe Saale-Unstrut region throughoutthe year – from the Naumburg WineFestival in the last week in Februaryto the Federweisser Festivals in Oc-tober. Other highlights include theVine Blossom Festivals in Grossjenaand Zappendorf, the “wine and in-dulgence festival” in Memleben, theVintners’ Festival on the Werder

Wachtelberg, the Summer Wine Fes-tival in Steigra, the Wine Festivals inLaucha, Dorndorf, Jessen, Reins-dorf, Bad Sulza, Erfurt, Burgwerben,Nebra, Naumburg, Karsdorf, Halle,Jena and Leipzig; the Saale “winemile,” the wine festival on thegrounds of the LandesweingutKloster Pforta in Bad Kösen, theWine and Castle Festival at BalgstädtCastle, and the Vintners’ Festival inHöhnstedt. The regional wine queenof Saale-Unstrut is crowned at theVintners’ Festival in Freyburg on thesecond weekend in September. For an overview of all wine festivals,see: www.saale-unstrut-info.de

SERVICEAUSKUNFT

Weinbauverband Saale-Unstrut •

Querfurter Str. 10, Freyburg • Tel.034464-261 10 • www.natuerlich-saale-unstrut.de

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The Nebra Sky Disk depicts a full moon, crescent moons and stars. This sensational

find, dating from the Bronze Age, was buried around 1600 BC.


Sachsen Terraced cultivation and dry stone walls

with steep stairs shape the look of the vineyard slopes

on the Elbe. Sachsen vintners produce an astonishing

diversity of grape varieties on these small parcels of land.


Schloss Wackerbarth

During the growing season there isplenty of rain and sunshine – in oth-er words, conditions are ideal. Theridges of the Ore Mountains, SaxonSwitzerland and the Lusatian High-lands provide shelter for the wine-growing region; with an averagetemperature of 8.9 °C (48 °F), it is 1 to2 °C (2 to 4 °F) warmer than theneighboring regions.

Goldriesling With a wide variety of geological for-mations, the soils of the Elbe Valleyare very diverse. Granite, sandstone,spongolite, loess and river sands givethe wines different characters fromone vineyard to the next.Bishop Bruno of Meissen probablybrought viticulture to the Sachsen re-gion in the late 11th century. Winecultivation was first documentedabout 850 years ago. The area plantedwith vines reached its greatest extentin the 15th and 16th centuries, cover-ing about 4000 ha (9880 acres). Ter-raced cultivation was introduced inthe early 17th century under the Sax-on Prince-Electors Christian II andJohann Georg I; since then, it hasshaped the landscape of the wine-growing region on the Elbe and in itstributary valleys.

Schloss Wackerbarth:riddled, but not shaken

Ñ Fold-out map, P 11

Wackerbarth Castle, in the Nieder-lössnitz district of Radebeul, is sur-rounded by vineyards. On the rightbank of the Elbe, outside the gates ofDresden, Imperial Count ChristophAugust von Wackerbarth, Field Mar-shall General under the SaxonPrince-Elector August the Strong,had this baroque complex built as a

36

The Elbe River winds its waythrough the terraced vineyards like ablue ribbon. Running alongside theriver is the Sachsen Wine Route, ex-tending for about 60 km (37 miles),from Pirna, through Dresden, Rade-beul, Coswig and Meissen to theidyllic Elbe wine villages aroundDiesbar-Seusslitz. The town ofSchlieben in southern Brandenburg,and Jessen in eastern Saxony-Anhalt,also belong to the wine-growing re-gion of Sachsen.The growing region is divided intotwo districts: “Meissen” encompassesthe Elbe Valley, including the collec-tive sites of “Spaargebirge” near Meis-sen and Proschwitz; “Schlosswein-berg” near Seusslitz and Weinböhla;“Elbhänge” near Pillnitz, Merbitz andPesterwitz; as well as “Lössnitz” nearRadebeul. The “Elstertal” districtdoes not include any collective sites.Covering approximately 470 ha(1160 acres), Sachsen is one of Ger-many’s smallest wine-growing re-gions; only 0.2% of all German winesoriginate from here. Nevertheless,the region produces a wide range ofwines: currently, over forty differentgrape varieties are grown here, some80% of them white. Müller-Thurgau,Riesling, Weissburgunder (PinotBlanc) and Grauburgunder (PinotGris) are the dominant varieties;Traminer is also well represented.The winter-hardy Goldriesling is ararity in Germany. This region is marked by the influ-ence of the continental climate, withits warm summers and cold winters.Here, grapes flourish in mild day-time temperatures and cool nights.

É The Spitzhaus in Radebeul sits above

the Elbe Valley vineyards.

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SACHSEN

retirement residence in around 1730;he named it Wackerbarths Ruh(Wackerbarth’s Rest). He engagedthe most important Saxon masterbuilders of the period as his archi-tects: Christoph Knöffel, the primaryexponent of the Saxon rococo move-ment, and Matthäus Daniel Pöppel-mann, master builder of the ZwingerPalace in Dresden. Knöffel designedthe castle, while Pöppelmann was re-sponsible for the pavilion above theterraced vineyards – the “Belvedere”.

An historic monumentOver the years, Wackerbarth Castlewas auctioned off for the benefit ofwidows and orphans, used as aschool for boys and as a military hos-pital, among other things. In 1952,under the GDR government, thecomplex was converted into a state-run agricultural facility; the Volk-

seigenes Gut (or VEG: People-Owned Property) was renamed asthe VEG Weinbau Radebeul (VEGRadebeul Wine Estate). The castlewas renovated with each change offunction. Today, the castle is a listedhistorical monument. The originalbuilding structure has been restoredor carefully reconstructed. Today, the castle presents itself as a“discovery wine estate”. Elegant, as-sertive wines ripen on its terroir –which consists of weathered, heat-retaining syenite, granite and graniteporphyry soils, interspersed withloess and loam. Since the grapesripen slowly, the mineral elementsare retained well, lending the winestheir unique minerally character.The varieties grown here includeRiesling, Weissburgunder andTraminer, as well as Goldriesling,Kerner, Bacchus, Müller-Thurgau,Scheurebe, Grauburgunder, Dorn-felder, Frühburgunder (Pinot NoirPrécoce) and Spätburgunder (PinotNoir).

Traditional productionAt Wackerbarth Castle, Sekt is pro-duced using the traditional methodof bottle fermentation (méthodechampenoise). As in traditionalchampagne production, the secondfermentation takes place inside thebottle. The Sekt is then aged on itslees for several months – or up to sev-eral years – in a cool, dark cellar. Thebottles are then placed on pupitres, orriddling racks, where they are care-fully turned each day, gradually mov-ing them from a horizontal to an up-side-down position. This causes thelees to settle completely in the neck ofthe bottle. The bottlenecks are subse-quently plunged into a refrigerated

132

The Belvedere overlooks the vineyards

above Schloss Wackerbarth (Ñ p. 131).


Schloss Wackerbarth – Hoflössnitz

brine, causing the yeast to freeze. Theplug of ice containing the lees thenpops out when the bottle is opened.After adjusting for the loss of pres-sure, the bottle can be resealed. Thistime-consuming process representsthe most expensive method ofsparkling wine production. Visitors can view the baroque palacecomplex with its historic park andmodern themed gardens on a tour ofthe castle and gardens; during thetour, you can taste two types of wineand one Sekt. The wine tour takesguests into the wine cellar, where youcan learn about fermentation andbarrique storage, as well as samplethree different wines. The mastertaster also invites visitors on a walk-ing tour through the WackerbarthCastle vineyards. From the vantagepoint of the steep slopes, you canhear interesting facts about 850 yearsof viticultural history in Sachsen andlearn how wines and sparkling winesare produced in Germany’s north-easternmost wine-growing region.The two-and-a-half-hour tour issupplemented by samples of four dif-ferent wines.Other events at the castle includechamber music concerts, a vintners’brunch, and much more.

Sächsisches Staatsweingut GmbHSchloss Wackerbarth • Wackerbarth -str. 1, Radebeul • Sekt tours daily at 5pm, Sat & Sun also 1 pm & 3 pm • En-trance fee € 10 • Castle and gardentour Sun 4 pm • € 15 • Wine tours daily at 2 pm, Sat & Sun also 12 noonand 4 pm • € 10 • Vineyard walkingtour € 25 • Times by appointment, also for all other events: Tel. 0351-895 50, or see www.schloss-wackerbarth.de

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Hoflössnitz and the Saxonclub Ñ Fold-out map, P 11

Hoflössnitz, near Radebeul, is the on-ly wine estate in the Sachsen regionthat operates according to certifiedorganic guidelines. Using primarilytraditional steep slope cultivation,the vintners work about 8.5 ha (21acres) of vineyard land. The estate,located at the center of the SachsenWine Route, encompasses the Rade-beul vineyard sites of “Goldener Wa-gen”, “Johannisberg” and “Steinrück-en” in the Meissen district. First andforemost, the estate cultivates classi-cal white grape varieties such as Ries-ling, Grauburgunder, Weissburgun-der and Traminer; however, there arealso a few new varietals such as Jo-hanniter or Solaris. Spätburgunderand Regent are among the red vari-eties to be increasingly cultivated;they are also vinified with white vari-eties to produce Rotling (light red)

37

The “Saxon club” bottle shape was

invented at Hoflössnitz in 1931.


SACHSEN

wines. This specialty from the Sach-sen region is also known by the nameSchieler, which is derived from theSaxon pronunciation of “Schüler”(“pupil”). According to legend, pupilsat the Fürstenschulen (prince elector’sschools) drank the inexpensiveSchieler as a table wine because theycould not afford more expensivewines.Viticulture has been practiced forover 600 years on the Lössnitz slopes,which are located 10 km (6.2 miles)to the north of Dresden. William theOne-Eyed, Margrave of Meissen,purchased the site where the estatenow stands in 1401. It remained un-der the ownership of the Wettinprinces – who ruled Saxony until1918 – for the next 500 years. Theyacquired additional vineyards in thearea, expanded the size of their hold-ings, and made Hoflössnitz the cen-ter of their viticultural activities.

Wine and hunting celebrationsThe central point of the estate was thepress house, whose oldest structuralelements date back to the 16th centu-ry. The building housed the winepress, as well as the seat of the vine-yard management. In 1650, PrinceElector Johann Georg I had a smallcastle built directly adjacent to thepress house, and his successors ex-panded it further. Here, the Saxoncourt celebrated its annual wine har-vest feast and other lively events. Au-gust the Strong often invited guests tohunting expeditions at Hoflössnitz aswell. Today, the Saxon Museum of Viticul-ture is housed in the ground floor ofthe little castle. The open-air sectionof the museum is dedicated to the oe-nologist Carl Pfeiffer, who rejuvenat-ed viticulture in the Elbe Valley fol-lowing the phylloxera disaster of the19th century. Beginning in 1913, he

134

The ballroom on the first floor of the country residence of Hoflössnitz (Ñ p. 133) was

painted in the 17th century under Prince Elector Johann Georg II of Saxony.


Hoflössnitz 135

committed himself to improving thequality of Lössnitz wine, not least bypreparing the soil with mineral fertil-izer before systematically replantingthe ravaged vineyard terraces. Pfeif-fer became the director of the Insti-tute for Viticultural Research and Ed-ucation, which was established atHoflössnitz in 1927. Under his aegis,a marketing strategy was developedwhich would make Elbe wines fa-mous far beyond the region. Itreached its apex in 1931 with the in-vention of the “Saxon club” – an ele-gant green glass wine bottle in theshape of a cudgel. Similar to theBocksbeutel, which is closely associat-ed with Franconian wine, the club-shaped bottle was intended to makewine from the Sachsen region easilyrecognizable. Unfortunately, the ideadid not catch on well, since the bot-tles broke easily during shipment dueto their minimal supporting surface.In the 1990s, a few Sachsen wineriesreturned to the idea of the character-istic Saxon club and used it for select-ed wines and special bottlings.

An estate for body and soulSince 1998, the Hoflössnitz Wine Es-tate Museum Foundation has takencharge of the former estate’s culturalactivities, while an operating compa-ny is responsible for wine cultivationaccording to strict ecological guide-lines. The former Kavalierhaus (gen-tlemen’s residence) at Hoflössnitznow houses a small wine shop, wherevisitors can sample the estate’s entireproduct range – from wine to organ-ic vinegar. The former vintner’shouse has been converted into arestaurant, where guests are treatedto traditional Saxon cuisine as well asMediterranean specialties. Of

THE CRADLE OF SAXONY

Meissen, once the residence ofSaxony’s ruling Witten dynasty, islocated on the banks of the Elbe.Among the most important build-ings in the Old Town is the Al-brechtsburg, the former PrinceElector’s castle, where Augustusthe Strong later established theworld-famous Meissen PorcelainManufactory. Next to the castle onthe Burgberg (castle hill), theGothic cathedral also towersabove the city with its statues ofthe patrons, Emperor Otto I and hiswife, Adelheid of Burgundy. Alsoworth a visit is the porcelain muse-um and visitors’ center, whosefaçade is decorated with 9-meter(30-ft) high porcelain panels. – Albrechtsburg: Dompl. 1, Meis-sen • Tel. 03521-470 70 • www.albrechtburg-meissen.de • Nov–Feb, open daily 10 am–5 pm;March–Oct, open daily 10 am–6pm • Entrance fee € 8, Guidedtour € 3 – Cathedral: Dompl. 7, Meissen •

Tel. 03521-45 24 90 • www.meiland.de/dom-zu-meissen •

Nov–March, open daily 10 am–4 pm; April–Oct, open daily 9am–6 pm • Entrance fee € 2,50 •

Guided tour € 1.50 – Staatliche Porzellan-Manu -faktur Meissen • Museum ofMEISSEN® Art • Talstr. 9, Meis-sen • Tel. 03521-46 82 33 • www.meissen.com/de/museum/oeffnungszeiten • May–Oct, opendaily 9 am–6 pm; Nov–April, 9am–5 pm • Entrance fee € 8.50

MERIAN-Tip b 12!


SACHSEN

course, the wine list also includes theestate’s own certified organicallygrown specialties. – Weingut & Weinstube Hoflössnitz •

Knohllweg 37, Radebeul • Tel. 0351–839 83 33 • www.hofloessnitz.de •

Restaurant: Tel. 0351–839 83 55 •www.hofloessnitz-shop.de/restaurant • Open Tues–Sat 11 am–10 pm, Sun 11 am–8 pm– Stiftung Weingutmuseum Hoflöß-nitz • Knohllweg 37, Radebeul • Tel.0351–839 83 41• www.weinmuseum.de • Nov–March, open Tues–Sun 12–3 pm; April–Oct, Tues–Sun 10 am–5pm; guided tour 2 pm • Entrance fee € 3 • Tours € 5

Nearby DestinationsSIGHTSSaxon steamboat toursNine historic paddle steamers, theoldest of which was built in 1879, areavailable for boat tours on the ElbeRiver. The world’s oldest and largestfleet of paddle steamboats travels be-tween Seusslitz, near Meissen, andBad Schandau in Saxon Switzerland. 14 ports of call • Schedule and priceinformation: Tel. 0351-86 60 90 orsee www.saechsische-dampfschiffahrt.de

WeinböhlaIn the Elbe Valley basin, betweenMeissen and Coswig, lies the healthresort Weinböhla, whose name alsocontains that of the grape beverage.In addition to visiting one of themany wine cellars, you can enjoyclimbing the Wartturm (watchtow-er), the König-Albert-Turm (King Al-bert Tower) or the Friedensturm(Tower of Peace) for a wonderfulview of the wine-growing village andthe surrounding area. The Sachsen

Wine Route, which leads throughthe “Weinböhlaer Gellertberg” vine-yard site, invites you to take a walkthrough the vineyard landscape be-tween the Friedewald nature pre-serve and the Moritzburg pond area.Tourist Information • Kirchpl. 2, Wein-böhla • Tel. 035243-560 00 •

www.weinboehla.de

Wine city DresdenThe Frauenkirche, Semperoper andZwinger Palace, the valuable art col-lections and the garden city of Heller-au have all made Dresden famousamong art lovers throughout theworld. However, the state capital ofSaxony also has a great deal to offerfor wine connoisseurs. The vineyardsaround Wachwitz and Loschwitz, theElbhangfest (folk festival in the vil-lages along the slopes of the Elbe), aswell as the countless restaurants andwine cellars all tempt visitors to sam-ple and savor the area’s wines. A visitto Pillnitz Castle is also highly rec-ommended. On the sunny slopes ofthe former prince electors’ summerresidence, grapes ripen to producedelicious Elbe Valley wine. Tourist Information at the Kultur -palast • Schlossstrasse, Dresden •Tel. 0351-50 16 01 60 • www.dres-den.de

FOOD AND DRINK

Vincenz RichterThis romantic restaurant is locatedin Meissen’s Old Town, in an historictimber-frame house built in 1523.The restaurant, which also has itsown wine estate, has been underfamily ownership since 1873. Spe-cialties of the house include “Vin-cenz’s Musical Wine Tasting” and the“Meissen Menu”.

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Hoflössnitz – Nearby destinations


Radebeul and Meissen Wine FestivalsThe two largest wine festivals in theregion both take place on the lastweekend in September. In Radebeul,the wine festival is combined withthe Saxon State Theaters’ travellingtheater festival. In Meissen, visitors are invited todrink wine and celebrate on the mar-ketplace and in the lanes of the ro-mantic Old Town. Last weekend in September • Wein-bauverband Sachsen • Fabrikstr. 16,Meissen • Tel. 03521-76 35 30 •www.weinbauverband-sachsen.de

SERVICEINFORMATION

Weinbauverband Sachsen •

Fabrikstr. 16, Meissen • Tel. 03521-76 35 30 • www.weinbauverband-sachsen.de

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Romantikrestaurant Vincenz Richter •

An der Frauenkirche 12, Meissen •

Tel. 03521-45 32 85 • www.vincenz-richter.de • €€

Seal of QualitySachsen is the only wine-growing re-gion in Germany to award specialrecognition to restaurants and tav-erns with a special wine-drinking atmosphere. Only those establishments that meetthe strict criteria are given the covet-ed Gütesiegel (seal of quality). Currently, there are twenty restaura-teurs who offer expert informationabout regional viticulture and sight-seeing along the Sachsen WineRoute. Tourismusverband Sächsisches Elb-land • Fabrikstr. 16, Meissen •

Tel. 03521-763 50 • www.elbland.de (heading “Elbland geniessen” Ñ “Gaumenschmaus”)

The most beautiful dairy in the world: Pfunds Molkerei at Bautzner Strasse 79 in

Dresden (Ñ p. 136), also serves select Sachsen wines.


Württemberg Red wine grapes in particular

flourish especially well on the steep slopes of the Neckar

River and its tributaries. The leader among them is

Trollinger, the “national drink” of the Württemberg region.


Württemberg

istic for the Württemberg region are,above all, the steep, rocky slopes in-terspersed with shell-limestone thatare found along the Neckar. By con-trast, keuper soils are very commonon the Upper Neckar.

Trollinger – the nationaldrinkEspecially typical for the Württem-berg region is steep slope viticulturealong the Neckar and its tributaries.Some of the sites are terraced; Here,the grapevines are tended by hand.Many vintners cultivate small plots ofland and deliver their crop to one ofthe region’s 55 wine growers’ cooper-atives. The landscape of their work –and probably a drop of the noblewine as well – even inspired the poetFriedrich Hölderlin in his time:“Blessed land! Not a hill of yoursgrows without a grapevine…”Apart from the Ahr, Württembeg isthe only German wine-growing re-gion in which red varieties predomi-nate. Almost three-quarters of allWürttemberg wines are made fromred grapes such as Trollinger, Lem-berger, Schwarzriesling (Pinot Meu-nier), Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) orDornfelder. The most importantwhite grape variety is Riesling, whichaccounts for 18 percent of the totalvineyard area. Varieties such as Kern-er, Dornfelder and Acolon were bredat the State Educational and ResearchInstitute for Viticulture and Pomolo-gy (LVWO) in Weinsberg. Viticulture in Württemberg was firstdocumented in 766; presumably, itsorigins date from Roman times.Grapes flourish in almost every sec-tion and on every soil in this region. Itis therefore no surprise that the peo-ple of Württemberg were industrious

The wine-growing region of Würt-temberg extends from the SwabianAlps in the south to the Tauber Valleynear Bad Mergentheim. With 11,500ha (28,400 acres) of vineyards, it isthe fourth-largest wine-growing re-gion in Germany. Far to the south, afew additional small growing areasnear Kressbronn and Lindau are alsoincluded in it. In terms of wine geog-raphy, the Württemberg and Bavariasections of Lake Constance are classi-fied as part of the Württemberg re-gion, which otherwise encompassesthe districts of Kocher-Jagst-Tauber,Remstal-Stuttgart, Oberer Neckarand Württembergisch Unterland.Well protected by the Black Forestand the Swabian Alps, Württembergis primarily home to red grape vari-eties. Vineyards can be found every-where that water flows – in otherwords, on the Neckar and its tributar-ies, the Rems, Enz, Tauber, Kocherand Jagst Rivers. In these areas, theclimate is generally neither too hotnor too cold; sufficient precipitationthroughout the year provides idealconditions for vine cultivation..Steep slopes on the NeckarExtremely diverse soils ensure thatWürttemberg wines are also widelyvaried in character. Molasse sedi-ments are typical for the soil in thearea around Lake Constance. In theRems Valley near Stuttgart, volcanicstone predominates. In many placesin Württemberg, the region’s vol-canic past is recognizable from theconical shape of the hills. Character-

É Grapevines encircle the Württemberg

hill, where the ancestral castle of the

Württemberg rulers once stood.

139


WÜRTTEMBERG

vintners early on. There were 45,000ha (111,000 acres) of vineyards herebefore the region was ravaged by theThirty Years’ War, between 1618 and1648. It took a very long time for theland, the people and viticulture to re-cover; yet, such a vast area devoted tovines was a thing of the past.The consequences of a law datingfrom 1552 are evident to this day: Atthat time, the Württemberg govern-ment established the practice of Real-erbteilung (partible inheritance).This meant that a family’s inheritancewas divided among all the children inequal portions. Thus, the parcels ofland owned by individual vintnersbecame smaller and smaller – caus-ing the cooperatives to become pro-gressively more powerful. It is thisstructure which characterizes Würt-temberg today: over 15,000 vintnersdeliver 85 percent of the grape har-vest to local cooperatives.

The Kessler Sekt Manufactory in Esslingen

Ñ Fold-out map, G 19

Germany’s oldest Sekt manufactoryhas its headquarters in the middle ofEsslingen, in the historic heart of thecity. In the vaulted cellars – up to 800years old – underneath the formerSpeyrer Pfleghof (a former tithehouse), bottles of noble Sekt are aged,some of which are still riddled anddisgorged by hand according to tra-ditional methods.

From France to the worldThe history of Germany’s first Sektcellars begins in France, at therenowned Veuve Clicquot Cham-pagne house in Reims. The youngWürttemberg native Georg Christianvon Kessler began working as anacountant at the firm in 1807, and hiscareer progressed rapidly. Originally,Barbe-Nicole Clicquot, the widow of

38

140

With its historic décor, Germany’s oldest Sektmanufactory is one of the interesting

attractions in Esslingen’s Old Town.


The Kessler Sekt Manufactory in Esslingen

the champagne tycoon, had prom-ised that he was to take over as headof the company in 1824. However,everything turned out differently. Ex-actly what happened at that time inReims, and why Georg Christian vonKessler – who had led the companyvery successfully – was preventedfrom assuming ownership, has neverbeen fully explained. The recordsfrom this period are under lock andkey at Veuve Clicquot to this day. Georg Christian von Kessler returnedto his homeland and founded his owncompany in Esslingen: G.C. Kessler &Compagnie, which was originallyhoused in the former press house ofthe Kaisheimer Pfleghof, belowEsslingen Castle. Using Frühburgun-der (Pinot Noir Précoce), he pro-duced his first 4000 bottles ofsparkling wine according to theméthode champenoise and named it“sparkling wine from Württemberg”.In 1827, an article in the “EconomicNews and Proceedings” read as fol-lows: “Last autumn in Esslingen, Mr.Kessler experimented with produc-ing sparkling wine from the must ofClevner and Elbling grapes accordingto the méthode champenoise. To theextent that we have been able to eval-uate them in the past half-year, bothwines – particularly the Clevner –produced highly satisfactory resultsin terms of flavor, color and efferves-cence.” Kessler’s sparkling wine wasan immediate success, both in hishome region of Württemberg as wellas overseas. In the first ten yearsalone, Kessler sold around half a mil-lion bottles of his Sekt.In 1832, Kessler purchased his firstvaulted cellar in the Speyrer Pfleghof;today, it serves as the company’s head-quarters and production site. The im-

posing timber-frame building wasbuilt in the early 13th century. Its cel-lars were used for storing tithe winefor approximately 600 years. Today,the Kessler company owns twelvevaulted cellars which are all connect-ed to one another. Inside, the Sektbot-tles are stored on riddling racks in theprotection of darkness and at a tem-perature of 12°C (53.6°F). In 1841, King Wilhelm I presentedthe successful entrepreneur – whoalso established a modern textile fac-tory – with the Knight’s Cross of theOrder of the Württemberg Crown,thus raising him to aristocratic sta-tus. Georg Christian von Kesslerdied in 1842. Prior to his death, hesold his portion of the company tothe other shareholders.

Awarded with silverIt was not until 1850 that Germany’soldest well-known Sekt brand ap-peared on the market: “Kessler Cabi-net” made its debut at the LeipzigTrade Fair. Seventeen years later, the

141

The cleaning and bottling line at the

Kessler Sekt Cellars (Ñ p. 140).


WÜRTTEMBERG

Kessler company was awarded thesilver medal at the International Ex-hibition in Paris. Georg Christianvon Kessler’s successors skillfully ex-panded the foreign business – whichits founder had so adeptly begun –even further, and made Kessler into afamous and successful internationalcompany. The sparkling dropletsfrom Württemberg were drunk bykings and princes. In Germany aswell, Kessler Sektwas served at manyprestigious occasions – for example,at state receptions under ChancellorKonrad Adenauer’s government.Nevertheless, in 2004, the traditionalcompany, which had been so success-ful for so long, was forced to declarebankruptcy due to a massive drop inrevenues. The reason for its poorsales was a changing marketplace anddeclining consumer consumption.Four months after the company de-clared insolvency, business adminis-

trator Christoph Baur took overmanagement. Today, Kessler is onceagain recognized both domesticallyand internationally for its high-qual-ity products.Those who wish to see for them-selves what makes traditional bottlefermentation so special can descendinto the deep vaulted cellars of theKessler Manufactory in Esslingenand view the production process.And of course, at the Kessler Karreewine bar, which opened in 2007, vis-itors have the opportunity to samplethe sparkling wine.Kessler Sekt • Kessler-Karree 18, Esslingen, • Tel. 0711-31 05 93 41 •www.kessler-sekt.de • Open Mon–Fri11 am–7 pm, Sat 10 am–4 pm

Hornberg CastleÑ Fold-out map, G 17

Burg Hornberg (Hornberg Castle) –also known as Götzenburg – rises up

39

142

The walls of Hornberg Castle (Ñ p. 142) rise up from the vineyards above the Neckar

near Gundelsheim.


The Kessler Sekt Manufactory in Esslingen – Hornberg Castle

bought the castle, which remains inhis family’s possession to this day.The current lord of the castle isBaron Dajo von Gemmingen-Horn-berg, a certified viticultural engineerand oenologist, who continues tomanage the traditional wine estate. The landscape around HornbergCastle is dominated by vineyards onsteep slopes which have been ter-raced and secured with natural stonewalls. Around 9 km (5.6 miles) ofwalls run through the 10 ha (25 acre)wine estate. They store the daytimesunshine and pass the heat on to thegrapevines at night. The Neckar Riv-er at the foot of the vineyard slopesalso contributes to the balanced mi-

croclimate. As in many other parts ofWürttemberg, the vineyards have tobe cultivated manually and thegrapes harvested by hand. Thegrapes are transported directly to thepress house of the 400-year-old cas-tle below Neckarzimmern for pro-cessing. In the approximately 40 me-ter (131 ft) long and 6 m (20 ft) highvaulted cellar, they are then vinifiedby the lord of the castle himself.Many different grape varieties flour-ish on the steep, terraced slopes ofHornberg Castle. They range fromWeissburgunder (Pinot Blanc),

143

majestically atop a steep rock spurabove the Neckar, near Neckarzim-mern. The castle itself is thought to bethe oldest and largest castle complexon the Neckar; it houses the oldestwine estate in Baden-Württemberg,and the second-oldest in the world.The first written mention of the cas-tle dates from 1184 – and viticultureis documented in the same place.The castle is certainly much olderthan this. Numerous artifacts foundin the surrounding area testify to thepresence of the Romans in the 4thcentury. It is likely that they were thefirst people to construct terracedvineyards here on the steep slopesusing natural stone walls; they arestill in use today.Many of the castle’s rulers cultivatedvines. Without a doubt, the most fa-mous of these was the knight Götzvon Berlichingen, upon whose event-ful biography Johann Wolfgang vonGoethe based his drama, Goetz vonBerlichingen. He purchased the castle– along with its fields, vineyards,meadows, forests, houses, farms, vil-lages and citizens – in 1517. Götz vonBerlichingen, who up until that timehad fought as an Imperial Knight incountless feuds, military campaignsand uprisings, was fulfilling a child-hood dream with the purchase of thecastle. For the next 45 years, he suc-cessfully devoted himself to viticul-ture – if not without interruptions.Götz spent a full eleven years inknightly detention or imprisonment.Götz von Berlichingen zu Hornberg,as he came to call himself, sold hiswines as far away as the Austrian Im-perial Court in Vienna.

Heat-retaining wallsIn 1612, Reinhard von Gemmingen

DID YOU KNOW ...

… that Schillerwein, a Württembergspecialty, has nothing to do withFriedrich Schiller? Schillerwein is aRotling, made from white and redgrapes grown in the same viney-ard. The name refers to the wine’sschillernd (shimmering) color –which may have been pleasing toFriedrich Schiller as well.


WÜRTTEMBERG

Riesling and Müller-Thurgau toTrollinger and Spätburgunder to an-cient varieties such as Muskatellerand Traminer. Hornberg Castle hasonly been classified as a Württem-berg wine estate since the 1980s.Strictly speaking, it is located in theBaden region; however, the site isnow listed as part of Württemberg.There are various options availableto tourists at the castle complex. Theupper historic castle is open all yearround; a tour lets visitors explore thehistoric vaulted cellar. In the Ro-manesque lower castle – the largestHohenstaufen residence north of theAlps and the home of the castle lord– tours and wine tastings are avail-able by appointment only.Neckarzimmern, Burg Hornberg •Tel. 06261-5001 • www.burg-hornberg.de • Open all year round •Entrance fee €3

Pfedelbach and thePrince’s Barrel

Ñ Fold-out map, H 17

Halfway between Heilbronn andSchwäbisch Hall, directly on the Ro-man limes, is the health resortPfedelbach. Numerous walking andhiking paths lead through lovelymeadows, green forests and past oldsites that recall the long history ofviticulture in the region. Eight winepresses once stood between Pfedel-bach and the neighboring town ofÖhringen. Today, pressing stones re-peatedly mark the historic sites, andinformation boards along the “WinePress Path” educational hiking trailexplain their history.

The Hohenlohe Wine CellarLocated directly on the Wine PressPath in Pfedelbach is the ViticultureMuseum, which contains the show-piece of the town: the Prince’s Barrel.

40

144

The Modern Literature Archive on Marbach’s Schillerhöhe opened in 2006. This

award-winning building combines classical forms with modern materials.


Hornberg Castle – Nearby Destinations

The third-largest wine cask in Ger-many is 4.5 m (15 ft) high by 4.5 m(15 ft) wide and has a capacity of64,664 liters. Prince Joseph of Ho-henlohe-Waltenburg-Pfedelbach or-dered its construction in 1752. Until1828, it was used to store tithe winefor the princes. Today, the ornatelydecorated barrel in the Lange Bau(long building), which dates from1604, is merely a display item. Never-theless, the Hohenlohe Wine Cellar,which was established in 1950 in thecellar containing the Prince’s Barrel,still gives its wines the name Fürsten-fass-Weine (Prince’s Barrel wines).The building is an interesting sight inits own right: a timber-frame struc-ture whose vaulted cellar is 70 m(230 ft) long and 12 m (39 ft) wide,with storage space for hundreds ofthousands of liters of wine. One of the last preserved aristocraticpresses is in the Heuholz district ofPfedelbach. It was built in 1740 andwas used as a communal press for theroyal households of Hohenlohe-Waldenburg and Hohenlohe-Öhrin-gen. It is remarkable for its self-sup-porting roof construction, whichcovers an area of 15 x 18 m (49 x 59 ft).The Fürstlich-Hohenlohische Herr -schaftskelterwas restored in 1990.– Weinbaumuseum • Baierbacher Str.12, Pfedelbach • May–Oct, open Sun& holidays 2–4 pm and by appoint-ment • Free admission– Information at the Bürgermeister-amt Pfedelbach (Mayor’s Office) • Tel.07941-60 81 11 • www.hohenlohe.de


“experimenta” in Heilbronn Württemberg’s third-largest wine-growing community has another

side which has been less well knownup until now: since the end of 2009,the “experimenta” learning and dis-covery center offers school children,in particular, the opportunity to dis-cover, play and experiment with thenatural sciences, technology, media,music and other subjects.Kranenstr. 14, Heilbronn • Tel. 07131-88 79 59 50 • www.experimenta-heil-bronn.de • Open Mon–Fri 9 am–6 pm,Sat & Sun 10 am–7 pm • Entrance fee€ 9

Kaiserpfalz, Bad WimpfenFormerly, an imperial palace, thisedifice in Bad Wimpfen is the state’smost important architectural monu-ment and the largest Hohenstaufencastle north of the Alps. Construc-tion of the complex began in the 12thcentury: Here, the HohenstaufenEmperor Frederick II subjugated hisson, King Henry VII. In addition tothe castle, there are many other in-teresting historical buildings in thearea – particularly the town’s well-preserved timber-frame buildings.Tourist Information • Carl-Ulrich-Str.1, Bad Wimpfen • Tel. 07963-972 00 •www.badwimpfen.de

Kloster MaulbronnThis former Cistercian Abbey, whichdates back to 1147, is considered tobe the most completely preservedmedieval monastery complex in Eu-rope. Every architectural periodfrom the Romanesque to the lateGothic is represented here. In theMiddle Ages, Maulbronn was an im-portant political, economic and soci-etal center. In 1993, UNESCO addedthe abbey to its list of World HeritageSites.Klosterhof 5, Maulbronn • Tel. 07043-

145


WÜRTTEMBERG

92 66 10 • www.kloster-maulbronn.de • March–Oct, open daily 9 am–5:30 pm • Entrance fee €6

Marbach, Schiller’s cityAnyone who visits Marbach cannotavoid crossing paths with its favoriteson: the city is home to the SchillerNational Museum, the German Lit-erature Archive and the Modern Lit-erature Museum. Also worth a visit isthe historic Old Town, the entirety ofwhich is protected as an historicmonument. Thematic and city toursprovide information in a compactformat. – Schiller-Nationalmuseum •Schillerhöhe 8–10, Marbach • Tel.07144-8480 • www.dla-marbach.de •Open Tues–Sun 10 am–6 pm •Entrance fee €9– For more information, see:www.schillerstadt-marbach.de

MUSEUM

Faust-MuseumGeorg Johann Faust is one of Würt-temberg’s most famous sons, and atthe same time, one of its most myste-rious. His home town of Knittlingenhas dedicated a museum to the al-chemist, astrologer, fortune tellerand physician in its old city hall. Kirchpl. 2, Knittlingen • Tel. 07043-950 69 22 • www.faustmuseum.de •Open Tues–Fri 9:30 am–12 noon and1:30–5 pm; Sat, Sun & holidays 10am–6 pm • Entrance fee €1.50 • Gui-ded tours €3


Kocher-Jagst-RadwegOne of Germany’s most popular bi-cycle trails leads along the banks ofthe Kocher and Jagst Rivers. For a re-markable 330 km (205 miles) withonly moderate inclines, you can ex-

146

At the Stuttgart Wine Village (ÑMERIAN Tip, p. 147), wines from Baden and Württem-

berg as well as Swabian specialties are served all around the marketplace.


Nearby Destinations

plore the northern section of theWürttemberg wine region, travelingthrough beautiful landscapes off themain roads. Arbeitsgemeinschaft Kocher-Jagst-Radweg • Münzstr. 1, SchwäbischHall • Tel. 0791-755 74 44 • www.ko-cher-jagst.de

Covered wagon ridesOf course, the best way to explore thearea around Lauffen is on your owntwo feet. But if you prefer somethingmore leisurely, you can ride in the“Katzenbeißer Carrus” covered wag-on. During the trip, which lasts forseveral hours with a view of Würt-temberg’s largest steep vineyardslope, you can learn about Lauffenand the Neckar and enjoy snacks andwine samples.Weingärtnerfamilie Buck • In den Her-renäckern 18, Lauffen am Neckar •Tel. 07133-5117 • www.katzenbeisser-carrus.de

FOOD AND DRINK

Restaurant RappenhofAlong with original Swabian special-ties, you can savor a Viertele (quarterliter) of Trollinger. The Rappenhofhas hearty meals as well as sophisti-cated gourmet dishes on its menu. Rappenhofweg 1, Weinsberg • Tel.07134-5190 • www.rappenhof.de • €€


Festival of 100 WinesOne hundred different wines on onelong counter: On the second week-end in September, the four Grosshep-pach wine estates from Weinstadt imRemstal transform the marketplaceinto a culinary promenade. Second weekend in September •Weinstadt-Grossheppach bei der

Häckermühle • Marktpl. 1, Weinstadt• Tel. 07151-6930 •www.weinstadt.de, www.weingut-im-hof.de

Fellbacher HerbstBaden-Württemberg’s largest wineand harvest festival is simultaneous-ly a long party strip with rides andfireworks. Second weekend in October •Fellbach, Oberdorf, between theSchwabenlandhalle, Entenbrünneleand City Hall • www.fellbach.de

SERVICEINFORMATION

– Werbegemeinschaft Württembergi-scher Weingärtnergenossenschaftene.G. • Raiffeisenstr. 6, Möglingen •Tel. 07141-24 460 • www.wwg.de– Weinbauverband Württemberg e.V. •Hirschbergstr. 2, Weinsberg • Tel.07134-8091 • www.wvwue.de

147

THE STUTTGART WINE VILLAGE

The Stuttgart Wine Village, one ofGermany’s largest wine festivals,offers visitors a wonderful oppor-tunity to taste their way throughover 500 delicious wines from theWürttemberg and Baden regions.The festival begins in the lastweek in August and continues forabout ten days. Guests can thensample Swabian specialties fromthe kitchens and cellars beneathsome 120 vine-clad trellises.Pro Stuttgart Verkehrsverein •

Lautenschlagerstr. 3, Stuttgart •Tel. 0711-29 50 10 • www.stutt-garter-weindorf.de

MERIAN Tip b 13!


For wine growers, the grape harvest is

one of the most crucial times of the year.

These are the weeks that determine

whether the year’s hard work in the

vineyard has paid off.


The world of wine: useful background information onGermany’s wine country and a glossary of the mostimportant wine terms.

Facts about Germany’s wine-growing regions


Learn more about Germany’s wine-growing

regions – information about the regions, the estates and

cooperatives, and the growers and their wines.

At a glance

RHEINHESSEN 26,400 haPFALZ 23,500 haBADEN 15,900 haWÜRTTEMBERG 11,500 haMOSEL 9000 haFRANKEN 6100 haNAHE 4200 haRHEINGAU 3100 haSAALE-UNSTRUT 690 haAHR 560 haSACHSEN 462 haMITTELRHEIN 461 haHESSISCHE BERGSTRASSE440 ha

Figures have been rounded.

Source: Federal Statistical Office (Destatis)

Germany’s wine-growing regionsnum ber among the most northerly inthe world. Some 102,000 ha (25,2047acres) devoted to viticulture are di-vided among 13 wine-growing re-gions for the production of qualityand Prädikat wines. Most are locatedin the southwest corner of the coun-try, along the Rhine and its tributar-ies; two regions lie in the east, alongthe Elbe, Saale, and Unstrut rivers.The entire vineyard area also com-prises 26 regions designated for theproduction of Landwein (compara-ble with French Vins de Pays).

Grape varietiesAn exceptional number of grape va-rieties thrive in Germany’s wine-

The wine regions at a glance (1 ha = 2.47 acres)


The wine regions at a glance– Quality categories

wine must be declared on the label. Tothe average consumer, the terminolo-gy can be bewildering. The ripenessof the grapes is one of the most im-portant factors in determining quali-ty. Immediately after picking, themust weight (sugar content) of thegrapes is measured and expressed indegrees Oechsle (°Oe). The higherthe must weight, the higher the po-tential quality of the finished wine.Every state in which grapes are growndefines minimum must weights foreach quality category, depending ongrape variety, climate, and soil condi-tions. Wines are officially examinedto ensure that the minimums havebeen met. Here’s an overview:

QUALITÄTSWEIN

The majority of German wines be-long to the category Qualitätsweinbestimmter Anbaugebiete, or QbA,(“quality wine from one of the 13growing regions”). As the name im-plies, the wines must be producedexclusively from grapes grown in oneof the wine regions. Prior to sale, allQbA wines undergo sensory and an-alytical examinations at official qual-ity control testing stations to ensurethat quality standards have been metand that the wines are typical of theirgrape variety or region. Wines thatpass the test receive an amtlichePrüfnummer (“quality control testnumber”), which, like the name ofthe region, must appear on the label.

PRÄDIKATSWEIN

Quality wines bearing a Prädikat(“special attribute”) are a Germanspecialty. In terms of ripeness, har-mony, and elegance, they are subjectto the highest standards during qual-ity control testing. The alcohol con-

growing regions thanks to their di-verse soils and microclimates. Some140 different grape varieties are offi-cially permitted – from A, as inAcolon, to Z, as in Zweigelt. Thereare areas that are decidedly whitewine regions, such as the Mosel, Saar,and Ruwer valleys, as well as regionswhere red varietals predominate,such as along the Ahr and in Würt-

temberg. In all, though, some 64% ofGermany’s vineyard area is plantedwith white grape varieties.

Ripeness – a quality factorThe quality category of a German

É Rivers act as ideal heat reservoirs

for vineyards.

151

TOP TEN WHITE WINE VARIETIES

Riesling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22,400 haMüller-Thurgau . . . . . . . . . . .13,700 haSilvaner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5200 haGrauburgunder . . . . . . . . . . . .4500 haWeissburgunder . . . . . . . . . . .3730 haKerner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3710 haBacchus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2000 haScheurebe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1700 haChardonnay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1200 haGutedel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1100 ha

TOP TEN RED WINE VARIETIES

Spätburgunder . . . . . . . . . . .11,800 haDornfelder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8100 haPortugieser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4400 haTrollinger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2500 haSchwarzriesling . . . . . . . . . . . .2400 haRegent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2200 haLemberger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1700 haSt. Laurent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .670 haAcolon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .480 haMerlot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .450 ha


AT A GLANCE

tent of these wines may not bestrengthened prior to fermentationby any method (concentration, en-richment/chaptalization). The sixPrädikats, which indicate the grapes’ripeness at harvest and, in some cas-es, method of harvesting, include:Kabinett: fine, light wines from ripegrapes. Depending on climatic zone,region, and grape variety, minimummust weights range from 67 to82°Oe, being higher in moresoutherly regions, such as Baden.Spätlese (late harvest): ripe andfuller-bodied wines from completelyripe grapes that are often picked laterduring the harvest. Minimum mustweights: 76 - 90°Oe.Auslese (selection): rich, noblewines from selected, very ripebunches. Unripe berries are discard-ed. Minimum must weights: 83 -100°Oe.Beerenauslese (berry selection): lus-ciously sweet wines full of ripe fruiti-ness from individually selected,overripe and/or botrytised berries.Minimum must weights: 110 -128°Oe. Wines of this Prädikat level(or higher) have extraordinary agingpotential.Trockenbeerenauslese (selection ofdried berries): lusciously sweet, ho-ney-like wines from individually se-lected, botrytised grapes, dried up al-most to raisins. Minimum mustweights: 150 - 154°Oe. Often, these wi-nes are made from grapes that were in-tended for Eiswein, but failed to freeze.Eiswein (ice wine): lusciously sweetwines from extremely concentratedgrapes picked at -7°C (19.4°F) or lo-wer, then transported and pressedwhile frozen. Minimum must weightsare at least as high as for Beerenausle-se. Aging potential can span decades.

152

ADDITIONAL QUALITY DESIGNATIONS

In recent years, additional qualitydesignations have evolved. Like thePrädikats, these new terms also ap-pear on wine labels. “Classic” signalsharmoniously dry wines of above-av-erage quality that are made fromgrape varieties regarded as “tradi-tional” in their region.In the Rheingau only, top-quality drywines can be labeled Erstes Gewächs(first growth). Low yields, grapesgrown in top sites (or parcels there-of), and selective harvesting by handensure the exceptionally high qualityof these wines. They cannot be soldprior to 1st September of the year af-ter the harvest. In all other growing regions, the ca. 200 members of the VDP (Asso-ciation of German Prädikat Wine-growers) market their dry wines of comparably high quality as Grosses Gewächs (great growth),identified by the initials “GG” onwine labels.

Designations of styleAccording to German wine law, thereare four legally defined designationsof style:Trocken (dry): bone dry wines have4 g/l residual sugar or less. Wineswith up to 9 g/l may be labeled astrocken, but the amount of residualsugar is correlated with the amountof total acidity in the wine (g/l acidi-ty + 2, up to a total of 9 g/l). The nat-ural sugar in the grape juice is com-pletely fermented into alcohol oronly a small amount remains. Halbtrocken (off-dry): off-dry wineshave up to 12 g/l residual sugar.Wines with up to 18 g/l may be la-beled as halbtrocken, provided the to-


Quality categories – Wine growers’ Coopera tives 153

tal acidity doesn’t exceed 10 g/l (g/lacidity + 10, up to a total of 18 g/l).Lieblich (mild): wines with moreresidual sugar than halbtrockenwines but not more than 45 g/l maybe labeled as lieblich.Süss (sweet): wines with more than45 g/l residual sugar may be labeledas süss. The yeast was unable to con-vert all or nearly all of the naturalsugar in the grape juice and fermen-tation simply stopped. By carefullymoni toring fermentation, growerscan determine the level of sweetnessin the finished wine.

In addition to these legally defineddesignations, the term feinherb (dry-ish) has increasingly cropped up onlabels in recent years. Although theresidual sugar level is not prescribed,it denotes a wine with a bit more orless residual sugar than the parame-ters set for halbtrocken.

DESIGNATIONS OF STYLE FOR SEKT(SPARKLING WINE)

Although some of the designationsof style for sparkling and still wineare identical (trocken, halbtrocken,mild), the amounts of residual sugarthe terms represent vary becausecarbon dioxide reduces the percep-tion of sweetness. Here are theranges prescribed by the wine lawand their respective designations:

naturherb (brut nature) 0–3 g/lextra herb (extra brut) 0–6 g/lherb (brut) 0–12 g/lextra trocken (extra dry) 12–17 g/ltrocken (dry) 17–32 g/lhalbtrocken(medium dry)32–50 g/lmild more than 50 g/l

The aroma wheelsWhen tasting wine, it’s not alwayseasy to express your impressions inwords. The aroma wheels for whiteand red wines can help. Experts havecompiled the components of smelland taste and divided them into sev-en broad categories. The descriptiveterms enable you to convey yourtasting impressions, and also height-en your perceptions and therefore,enhance the pleasure of tasting wine.Available from the German Wine In-stitute (www.germanwines.de).

Wine Culture SpecialistsThese are specially trained guideswho are thoroughly familiar with awine-growing region and its wines,geological and climatic features, his-tory, and cultural traditions. Theyoffer everything from wine andsparkling wine tastings to themedhikes to special tours with a focus onviticultural history, terroir, or culi-nary combinations (wine withcheese, chocolate, etc). The GermanWine Institute’s website provides anoverview (www.germanwines.de).

Wine growers’Coopera tives Winzergenossenschaften (wine grow-ers’ cooperatives) are an integral partof German viticulture. Their mem-bers cultivate about a third of Ger-many’s vineyard area. These aregrowers who have joined forces tocollectively make and market theirwines. In recent years, they’ve heavi-ly invested in quality managementmeasures that have paid off withwine enthusiasts and critics far be-yond the German borders.


WINE GLOSSARY154

wine produced in the traditionalchampagne method

Degustation/wine tasting – an as-sessment of a wine in which im-pressions of its aromas and flavorsare described according to speci-fied criteria

Dekantieren/decant – to carefullypour a wine into a decanter to ex-pose it to oxygen or separate itfrom sediment

Düngen/fertilize – to supply the soilwith minerals and organic matterto compensate for nutrient deple-tions during the growing season

DWI/Deutsches Weininstitut – theGerman Wine Institute, Mainz, isthe wine industry’s organizationresponsible for promoting thequality and marketing of Germanwines (www.germanwines.de)

Edelfäule/noble rot – a fungus at-tack by Botrytis cinerea; in fullyripened grapes and during warmautumn weather, it perforates aberry’s skin, enabling water toevaporate while concentrating thesugars and aroma compounds in the grape; in all, itleads to a considerable increase inquality

Erste Lagen/top sites – prime vine-yards with optimal geological andclimatic conditions that have beenclassified by the VDP

Erstes Gewächs/first growth – denotes top–quality, dry RheingauRiesling and Spätburgunder winesfrom classified sites, i.e. the re-gion’s finest vineyards or parcelsthereof

Erzeuger/producer – an individualgrower or cooperative of growersthat produces wine from grapes

Abfüller/bottler – a wine estate orcooperative that bottles and markets wine; the bottler is responsible for the wine’s quality, even if someone else produced it

Abgang/finish – aftertaste of a wineAgraffe – wire muzzle that keeps the

cork of a sparkling wine in placeAmpelografie/ampelography –

science of identifying and describ-ing grape varieties

Amtliche Prüfnummer/quality con-trol test number – number issuedto quality wines that have passedquality control testing

Anreichern/chaptalize – tostrengthen the alcohol content of awine by adding sugar to grapemust prior to fermentation

Ausbau/“development” – stages in awine’s development, such as vinifi-cation (transforming grapes intowine), or aging

Barrique – small oak cask (225 liters) for fermentationand/or aging

Blanc de noirs – white wine madefrom red grapes

Blindverkostung/blind tasting – atasting to objectively assess awine’s style and quality, withoutknowing its identity

Bukett/bouquet or nose – the scentor perfume of a developing or ma-turing wine

Chambrieren – to warm a red wineto room temperature

Classic – denotes harmoniously drywines of above–average qualitymade from a region’s traditionalgrape varieties

Degorgieren/disgorge – to removethe yeast sediment from sparkling

Wine glossary


Wine glossary 155

Gutsabfüllung/estate–bottled – a term used primarily by wine estates; comparable withErzeugerabfüllung; however, thecellar master must have completedoenological training

Hochgewächs – above-average,100% Riesling quality wines withstarting must weights higher thanprescribed by law; must achievehigher scores in quality controltest

Kellereiabfüllung/bottled by a commercial winery – the winery bottles finished winepurchased from a third partyand/or wine made from grapesgrown by someone other than thebottler

Lage/vineyard site – the Germanarea devoted to viticulture is di-vided into units, the boundaries ofwhich are determined by climaticand geological factors; a distinc-tion is made between an Einzel-lage, or individual vineyard site,and a Grosslage, or collective vine-yard site. There are ca. 2600 indi-vidual and ca. 168 collective vine-yard sites.

Landwein – denotes a wine with aprotected geographical indication(PGI); a simple, everyday winecomparable with French Vin dePays

Maische/mash – crushed grapes;they will be fermented after beingpressed

Oechsle – a scale of sugar measurement based on the density of grape juice; named after Christian Ferdinand Oechsle (1771–1852); the pharmacist, goldsmith, and physicist invented the hydrometer(Oechsle scale)

sourced from their own vineyards;if the wine is also bottled by theproducer, it can be labeledErzeugerabfüllung, or estate-bottled

Etikett/label – the wine law setsforth which data must (mandato-ry) or may (optional) appear on awine label; German quality andPrädikat wine labels must namethe region of origin, quality cate-gory, bottle content in liters, alco-hol content in percent by volume,name of producer/bottler, and A.P. number as well as country of origin and “contains sulfites”;optional declarations: vintage, village, vineyard, grape variety,style, and residual sugar content.

Extrakt/extract – sum of nonvolatilesolids of a wine, e.g., sugars, acids,minerals, etc.

Federweisser – unfiltered must con-taining CO2 and yeast that is stillin the process of fermenting; au-tumn specialty served with onionquiche or roasted chestnuts

Feinherb/dryish – denotes a winewith slightly more or less residualsugar than the parameters set forhalbtrocken

Flaschenreife/bottle aging – the laststage of development in wine pro-duction; after bottling, wine is of-ten aged several years, wherebythe aromas and flavors changeconsiderably

Gärung/fermentation – biochemi-cal process during which must istransformed into wine; durationranges from several days to severalmonths

Grosses Gewächs/great growth –VDP quality designation comparable with Erstes Gewächs(Ñ p. 152)


WINE GLOSSARY

Ökologischer Weinbau/organic viticulture – practiced by growers who followthe strict guidelines set forth inEU regulations for ecological agriculture; chemical and synthetic pesticides and fertilizersare taboo

Önologie/oenology – science ofwine

Prädikatswein – highest quality cat-egory for German wine (Ñ p. 152)

Qualitätsstufen/quality categories –legally defined classification ofwines with and wines without aprotected indication of origin; themore narrowly defined an appella-tion of origin, the more stringentthe qualifying criteria; the cate-gories in Germany: DeutscherWein (formerly, Tafelwein);Landwein; Qualitätswein; andPrädikatswein.

Reblaus/vine louse – specifically,phylloxera, the louse that was im-ported from North America in1860; it destroys vines by feedingon their roots and leaves

Rebsorte/grape variety – grapevinesbelong to the Vitaceae family,genus Vitis; the some 140 grapevarieties cultivated in Germanybelong to the species Vitis vinifera

Restzucker/residual sugar – unfer-mented sugar in wine

Rosé – pale red wine made from redgrapes; light color is due to little orno skin contact with the juice aftercrushing

Rotling – pale red wine made from a mixture of white and redgrapes or their mash prior to fermentation

Schorle/spritzer – refreshing bever-age made of wine and sparklingwater

156

Schwefeln/sulfurize – addition ofsulfur to help preserve wine

Sensorische Prüfung/sensory examination – assessing the color, bouquet, and taste of a wineusing the eyes, nose, tongue, andpalate

Sommelier (Sommelière)/wine waiter or steward – person responsible for selecting and/orserving wine in an upscale restaurant

Steillage/sloping site – a vineyardwith a slope of 5 to 20%; the steep-er the slope, the higher the expo-sure to the sun; slopes of 30% ormore are considered steep; 60% ofGermany’s vineyards are on slopesor steep slopes

Tannine/tannins – tannins in winederive from the stems, skins, andseeds of grapes; they decisively in-fluence the taste and quality of awine

Terroir – interplay of climate, soil,grape variety, and the skill of thewinemaker that lend a wine its un-mistakable character

Trester/grape pomace – stems,skins, and seeds left after grapesare pressed; also: brandy distilledfrom grape pomace (cf. grappa,marc)

Verkostung/tasting – a wine tasting Verschnitt/blend – a cuvée of wines

from different grape varieties, vin-tages, or casks

Weissherbst – rosé wine made fromone grape variety and of least qual-ity wine level quality; little or noskin contact with the juice aftercrushing (at least 95%), but finalcolor of the wine is not prescribed


lebendig/ dry, with a harmoniouslively acidity

mild low in acidity or tannins

mineralisch/ a tone imparted bymineral grapes grown in slatey,

chalky or volcanic soils; perceived as a certain saltiness on the tongue

prickelnd/ fresh and lively due toslightly residual CO2 in a effervescent wine

reintönig/ a harmonious,clean, well-balanced flawless wine

schwer/heavy high in alcohol

spritzig/ perceptible CO2 lends a lively, light natural sparklerefreshing

TASTING TERMINOLOGY

abgerundet/ harmoniousrounded

Adstringenz/ drying, mouth-astringency puckering effect of a

wine high in tannins

blumig/ fragrant, reminiscent offlowery blossoms

brandig/ unpleasantly spirituousexcessively in character; heavy;alcoholic penetrating

erdig/earthy earthy smell and flavor derived from certain soils

fruchtig/ aromas reminiscent of fruity naturally ripe fruit

herb/tannic red wines with pronounced tannins

körperreich/ mouth-fillingfull-bodied

Wine glossary 157


INDEX158

Ahr 14Ahr Valley Bike Trail 19Ahr Wine Market 20Architecture, modern 46Aroma wheels 153Arp Museum, Remagen 65Art & Wine 20At a glance 150

Bacharach 63Bad Kreuznach 86Bad Neuenahr Golf Club 19Bad Sobernheim Open-Air Museum 84, 85

Baden 22Baden Wine Route 31Ballrechten-Dottingen 12Bangert Manor, Bad Kreuznach87

Becker’s [R] 77Beerenauslese 152Bergstrasse Wine Market 56Bergsträsser Weinlagenweg(Bergstrasse Vineyard Trail)[MERIAN Tip] 52

Bicycle tours 77Bingen 116Biosphärenhaus Pfälzerwald(Biosphere House) 11

Bocksbeutel bottles 41Bocksbeutel Route, MiddleFranken 48

Bopparder Hamm 61Bremm 69, 74Bremmer Calmont 74Brogsitters Sanct Peter [R] 19Bunte Kuh 18,19Bürgerspital zum HeiligenGeist 40, 41

Burghotel Auf Schönburg [R]66

Calmont, Bremmer 74Castell 45Covered wagon rides 147Cradle of Saxony [MERIAN Tip]135

Culinarium [R] 78Cultural Festival at theJuliusspital 40

Deidesheim 93Deidesheim Wine Fair 98Dernau 19Designations of style 152Designations of style for Sekt(sparkling wine) 153

Disibodenberg 5, 82

Disibodenberg Monastery Ruins 81

Dresden 136Dürkheim Sausage Market 99DWI (Deutsches Weininstitut –German Wine Institute) 5

Eberbach Abbey 102Ehrenfels Castle 100Eiswein 152Eltville am Rhein [MERIAN Tip]109

Eltville Sekt and BiedermeierFestival 109

Eltz Castle 76, 76Emperor Domitian 5Ernst Hoffmann Winery 9Escherndorf 44experimenta, Heilbronn 145

Facts and Figures about Germany’s Wine-GrowingRegions 149

Faust Museum, Knittlingen 146Fellbacher Herbst 147Festival of 100 Wines 147Flörsheim-Wicker 107Fountain, Juliusspital 43Franken 36Franken Red Wine Hiking Trail48

Freiburg Wine Festival 33Freundstück [R] 98Freyburg 124

Generation Riesling 58 German Museum of PreciousStones, Idar-Oberstein 77

German Wine Institute 5Goldener Engel [R] 56Goseck Circle [MERIAN Tip] 127Grape varieties 150Great Cask at Heidelberg Cas-tle 25, 26

Grossmann, Sigrid and Rein-hold 10

Gutenberg Museum, Mainz117

Halbtrocken (off-dry) 152Heidelberg Castle 5, 25Heppenheim marketplace 57Hessische Bergstrasse 50Hikers’ Restaurant Zur Lilie [R]33

Historic Wine Festival and Vint-ners’ Parade, Heimersheim20

Hofgut Sonnenschein 10Hoflössnitz 5, 133, 134Hoflössnitz Wine Estate andTavern 10

Holy Ghost Torkel, Meersburg24

Hornberg Castle 142Hornisgrinde 30Hotel Krone Assmannshausen[R] 108

Hotel Restaurant Krone [R] 98 Hotel Unstruttal [R] 128

Ihringen 27Imperial Palace, Bad Wimpfen145

Jakob Christ Wine Estate 10Johann Lafers Stromburg [R] 87Johannisberg Castle 104, 105Johannisburg Castle, Aschaf-fenburg 48

Jordans Untermühle [R] 118

Kabinett 152Kanne [R] 94Kessler Sekt Manufactory,Esslingen 140, 140, 141

Koblenz 64Kocher-Jagst Bike Trail 146Kupferberg Visitors’ Center,Mainz 114

Kuhkapellen 117

Lake Dwelling Museum, Unter-hildingen 30

Landmarks of German WineCulture 5

Letzenberg Wine Trail 31Liebfrauenstift-Kirchenstück,Worms 111, 113

Lieblich (mild) 153Limburg Abbey ruins 97Loreley 64Lorsch Abbey 54, 55Lössnitz 5

Main-Franconia Museum,Würzburg 48

Mainz Wine Salon 118Malsch 32Manor farm, Mussbach 97Marbach 146Marienthal Monastery 16, 17Markgräfler Wiiwegli 31Marksburg 60Maulbronn Abbey 145Mayschoss 14, 15Meersburg 4, 24Messel Pit 56Middle Frankonia BocksbeutelRoute 48

Middle Mosel Wine Festival 78

Miltenberg 46Mittelrhein 60

If a term is listed more than once, the bold page number indicatesthe primary mention of the term; an italic page number indicates aphoto.Abbreviation: Restaurant [R]

Index


Index

Mosel 68Mosel Music Festival 78Mosel Wine Museum, Bernkastel-Kues 77

Müllheim 28Mummelsee 28, 30Museum at the ImperialPalace, Ingelheim 117

Nahe 80Naumburg 126Nebra Ark, Nebra-Kleinwangen128

Nebra Sky Disk 129Neckarsulm Organic Wine Festival 11

Neuenburg Castle 127Neumagen Wine Ship 70Neustadt 88Niersteiner Glöck 112

Oberwesel 65Oestrich-Winkel 106On the Main River throughMain-Franken [MERIAN Tip]45

On the Road in Germany’sWine Regions 13

Oppenheim’s underworld 117Organic wine estates 9

Palatia Classic 99Palatia Jazz 99Parkhotel Güldene Berge [R]129

Pfalz 88Pfedelbach 144Pfunds Molkerei 137Piesport 5, 70Pilgrimage church, Birnau 22Prädikatswein 151

Qualitätswein 151Quality categories 151Quality designations 152

Radebeul 130Rebenbummler Museum Train[MERIAN Tip] 31

Rech 19Red wine grapes, Top ten 151Red Wine Hiking Trail [MERIANTip] 20

Red Wine Hiking Trail, Franco-nia 48

Reichenau 24Restaurant Buchholz [R] 118Restaurant Café Pension Jäger-steig [R] 33

Restaurant Rappenhof [R] 147

Rheinburgenweg (Rhine CastleTrail) 66

Rheingau 100Rheingau Music Festival 109

Rheingau Wine Museum,Bromserburg castle,Rüdesheim 108

Rheinhessen 110Rheinsteig 66Rhine in Flames 66Rhineland State Museum, Trier77

Rhodt unter Rietburg 91, 92Rochuskapelle 83Roman Wine Estate, Ungstein5, 90, 90

Roman Wine Press Festival,Piesport 78

Rotenfels 86Rothenburg ob der Tauber 30Rotkäppchen Sparkling WineCellars 121,122

Rüdesheim Wine Festival 109

Saale-Unstrut 120Sachsen 130Sausage Market, Dürkheim 99Saxon club 133Saxon steamboat tours 136Schloss ReinhartshausenKempinski [R] 108

Schlossböckelheimer Kupfer-grube 84

Schwab’s Landgasthof [R] 49Schweigenberg 120Sekt Manufactory, Kessler140, 140, 141

Slevogt’s country idyll [MER-IAN Tip] 97

Spätlese (late harvest) 152Speyer 97St. Martin 97Staatlicher Hofkeller,Würzburg 38, 39

Stone Picture Book, Naumburg125, 126

Strombergkellerei 9Stuttgart Wine Village [MERIANTip] 146, 147

Süss (sweet) 153Superior quality wine con-sumption 137

Tasting terminology 156Tauberbischofsheim 28Themed wine tastings 57Tips for consumers 9Traben-Trarbach 73Traveling Green 8Trier [MERIAN Tip] 75Trocken (dry) 152Trockenbeerenauslese 152Trullo – Trulli [MERIAN Tip] 114,115

Türmersturm, Tauberbischofs -heim 28

Veitshöchheim 47Vereinigte Hospitien, Trier 71Vincenz Richter [R] 136

Vineyard Slope Hiking Trail,Winningen 77

Vineyard sundials 72, 73Vinotherapy [MERIAN Tip] 86Vintners’ Festival 56Vintners’ huts 124Vogelsburg Monastery 2Vogtsbauernhof Open-Air FarmMuseum, Gutach 29

Vogtsburg 29

Wackerbarth Castle 131, 132Wein & Tafelhaus [R] 78Weinböhla 136Weinstube Im Messwingert [R]108

Welcome to Germany’s WineCountry 4

Werder Wachtelberg 128Wernerkapelle, Bacharach 62White wine grapes, Top ten151

Wiesbaden 107Wilhelm Hack Museum, Lud-wigshafen 98

Wine and Stone 52Wine and Water 34Wine culture specialists 153Wine Estate of the VereinigtenHospitien, Trier 71

Wine estate with a view 98Wine festivals 49, 66, 78, 87,129, 137

Wine glossary 154Wine growers’ cooperatives153

Wine Museum, Speyer 95, 96Wine presses of Piesport, Ro-man 70

Wine regions at a glance 150Wine tasting 29, 128Winklerberg Volcanic RockGarden, Ihringen 27

Winningen Vineyard Slope Hik-ing Trail 77

Winztertage Medieval WineFestival, Steinbach 33

Women’s Wine Night, Flör-sheim-Dalsheim 118

Worms 117Württemberg 138Würzburg 47Würzburg Baroque Festival 49,49

Würzburg Juliusspital 42

Year Castle [MERIAN Tip] 64

Zehners Stube [R] 32Zirbelstube [R] 32Zornheim 110

159


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PROGRAM MANAGEMENTDr. Stefan RießAUTHORClaudia Weber (with additional texts byMartina Frietsch: Baden, Rheinhessen,Württemberg)PROJECT MANAGEMENTVerónica Reisenegger, Andreas HugleEDITING Kerry Brady, Lois HoyalPICTURE RESEARCHCharlotte MayTYPESETTING bookwise GmbH, MunichENGLISH TRANSLATIONMary DobrianSERIES DESIGNIndependent Medien Design, Elke Irnstetter, Mathias FrischMAPSGecko-Publishing GmbH for MERIAN-KartographiePRINTING AND BINDINGPolygraf Print, Slovakia

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