Discover the winemakers from Germany
Weinbaugebiete Germany
Hardly anyone thinks of Germany when they think of a classic wine nation. The land of poets and thinkers can also look back on a history of wine-growing that is rich in tradition. In Germany, a variety of quality wines are produced in a total of 13 wine-growing regions: Rheinhessen, Moselle, Ahr, Pfalz, Franken, Baden, Saale-Unstrut, Nahe, Sachsen, Hessische Bergstraße, Mittelrhein, Rheingau and Württemberg. The regions are geographically separated from each other and together come to over 100,000 hectares of vineyards.
Franconia region
Franconia is one of the oldest wine-growing regions in Germany. The cultivation area covers an area of approx. 6,000 hectares from Bamberg to Aschaffenburg in northern Bavaria and is traversed by the Main. Much of the vineyards are on sheltered sites along the river and its tributaries. The special feature of Franconian wines is that they are usually fully fermented and therefore have hardly any residual sugar. The two main grape varieties in the area are Silvaner and Müller-Thurgau.
Moselle region
The Moselle is Germany's oldest wine-growing region. Already in the 1st century B.C. The Romans cultivated wine along the river of the same name due to the excellent climatic conditions. With a vineyard area of around 9,000 hectares, the Moselle region is the fifth largest wine-growing region in Germany. A synonym for Moselle wines is Riesling, after all the grape variety accounts for more than 60 percent of the growing area. Moselle Rieslings are known worldwide for their top quality.
Near region
The Nahe wine-growing region, named after the river of the same name, lies between the Rheingau region in the north and the Rheinhessen region in the east. A special feature of the cultivation area is the great variety of soils and the narrowest of landscape changes. The nature of the soil can change over sections of several hundred meters, which leads to a great variety of tastes in the Nahe wines. Above all, Müller-Thurgau and Riesling are grown on around 4,000 hectares of vineyards.
Rheingau region
The cultivation area is about 50 kilometers long between Wiesbaden and Rüdesheim in Hesse. Because of the excellent climatic conditions, wine has been cultivated here since the time of Emperor Charlemagne. With an area of just over 3,000 hectares, the Rheingau region is not a particularly large wine-growing region, but the quality of its wines is above average. In the Rheingau, almost exclusively Riesling is grown with a share of almost 80 percent.
Rheinhessen region
With a cultivation area of around 27,000 hectares, Rheinhessen is the largest cultivation area in Germany. The name is somewhat misleading, because the wine-growing region is not in the federal state of Hesse, but in Rhineland-Palatinate. The surrounding mountains protect the wine-growing region from cold north winds and heavy rainfall. In addition, the wide range of climate and soil conditions ensures a rich spectrum of interesting wines, ranging from Riesling and Müller-Thurgau to Dornfelder and Silvaner to Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir.
Wuerttemberg region
The growing area is concentrated in the area between Heilbronn and Stuttgart in Baden-Württemberg. In addition, some wineries on Lake Constance are included in the area. With a cultivation area of approx. 11,000 hectares, Württemberg is the fourth largest wine-growing region in Germany. The area is characterized by numerous river valleys, such as the Neckar and its tributaries Enz, Jagst, Kocher and Rems. The Württemberg region is an important growing area for red wines such as Trollinger, Lemberger, Schwarzriesling and Pinot Noir.
