Germany's largest wine-growing region, Rheinhessen is a welcoming and hospitable region on the Rhine. Everyone is amazed by what is being achieved in the triangular region between Mainz, Worms and Bingen, where a group of young vintners with great enthusiasm for wine, self-confidence, incredible dynamism and a great feel for fine wines is at work. Buzzing networks such as 'Message in a bottle' or associations such as 'Grosses Gewächs Rheinhessen', 'Selection Rheinhessen', 'Ecovin' and 'Wein vom Roten Hang' provide innovation, while Mainz and Rheinhessen represent Germany in the Great Wine Capitals international club.
Rheinhessen is the largest wine-producing region in Germany with 26,300 hectares under vine. Around two thirds of this area is used for white wine varieties. Rieslings from the Rhine and Rheinhessen hills have been causing a sensation around the world. People are also showing an increased interest in silvaner wines, and pinot wines are quickly catching up too.
The area used for producing red wine has doubled in size over the last ten years. Dornfelder is the no. 1 variety. And red wine stars such as pinot noir or discoveries such as portugieser are producing some really great wines.
After a red wine boom, more emphasis is now being placed on the classic whites.
The soil of the region's vineyards has plenty of fascinating tales to tell. It helps us to understand the authenticity of wines which are so strongly defined by the place in which the grapes were grown, and to explain their individuality.
The combination of soil type, location, wine-growing expertise and wine is fascinating. The geological history of the soil beneath the Rheinhessen vineyards tells powerful stories of desert sands, rain forest, layers of lava, lime nodules and loess concretions. These substances give each wine from around the region its own distinctive taste, which means there is a Rheinhessen wine for every occasion.
Rheinhessen offers the ideal conditions for grapevines to flourish. In particular, they need plenty of sun, and they certainly get that here with 1,700 hours of sunshine a year. With an average annual temperature of 11°C, this is one of the warmest regions in Germany. And with just 510mm of rainfall per annum, Rheinhessen is also one of the country's driest areas. So you can happily leave your umbrella at home. With such low rainfall, Rheinhessen provides the perfect environment for eco-friendly wine growing. Nowhere else in Germany has as many eco-growers working in the vineyards.
Rheinhessen has approximately 3,800 wineries. Around 80 per cent of the wine produced here is sold to the supermarkets by the producers. Approx. 20 per cent is sold by winegrowers directly. Rheinhessen is a big wine exporter and sells approx. 30 per cent of the wine it produces to international markets.
The region's leading vineyards include Scharlachberg (Bingen), Rothenberg (Nackenheim), Pettenthal, Ölberg, Hipping, Glöck (Nierstein), Sackträger (Oppenheim), Liebfrauenstift-Kirchenstück (Worms), Hubacker (Flörsheim-Dalsheim), Morstein (Westhofen), Feuerberg (Flomborn) and Heerkretz (Siefersheim).
The production of sparkling wine has a long tradition in Mainz. Sixty cellars across seven underground levels belonging to the former Kupferberg sekt winery in the Kästrich area of Mainz form the deepest sparkling-wine cellar in the world. Artefacts dating back 2,000 years were unearthed during works in the Kupferberg cellars.
Worms has been a wine-making town since the Romans came to the Rhine. In the Middle Ages, the 'Song of the Nibelungs' praised the good wine at the royal Burgundian court in Worms. In the centuries that followed, all of Worms' spiritual and secular leaders developed a liking for these wines, a taste that spread far beyond the region. Wines made from the grapes grown on the Liebfrauenstift-Kirchenstück estate are particularly well known.
The traditional Mainz Wine Market is regarded as one of Mainz's best festivals. The municipal park in Mainz provides an unparalleled setting for the wine stalls, with the sekt festival and arts and crafts market in its rose garden. Strolling wine tastings and delicious food are other attractions in Mainz, which has been a member of the Great Wine Capitals network since 2008.
The Rhine has long been the at heart of life for the people along its banks. On the Rhine Cycle Route, you can explore the history and culture of the river from its source in the Alps to its estuary on the North Sea coast.
The importance of the Rhine is regularly documented along its riverbanks in the form of castles, fortresses, churches and historical towns and cities. Many of these are on the list of UNESCO World Heritage. The Rhine is also a major commercial transport route in Europe. Dozens of docks handle its busy shipping traffic. The picturesque Middle Rhine Valley, home to the famous Loreley rock, is one of many scenic stretches along the route. As well as the delicious local cuisine, you can enjoy wine made in the vineyards on either side of the valley and a host of cultural attractions.
Terrain: flat, family-friendly route along the banks of the Rhine. Predominantly asphalt, some sections paved or on crushed brick/stone. Mostly free of cars.
Scenery: the route follows the Rhine from its source in the Alps to its estuary in the North Sea, crossing a huge variety of landscapes from mountains to plains.
The heritage-listed buildings at Julius Wasem's wine estate in Ingelheim are home to a vinothek (with tasting rooms), a restaurant, a wine barn with an adjoining garden, and function and meeting rooms. The combination of modern architecture and the heritage-listed facades of the Cistercian Convent of Engelthal make this an exceptional setting in which to enjoy wine.