Rheinhessen wine for beginners

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Rheinhessen wine for beginners

We like to drink wine. It has to taste good. That's one of the reasons why we often do Wine Regions visit the world. We try wines from the region at the local winemakers, which we then bring home. Nevertheless, we would not call ourselves wine connoisseurs. There is more to it than just drinking a glass of wine. It is not always possible to buy wines directly from the winemaker. Nevertheless we learn more and more. However, if we want to buy wine in Rheinhessen, we have to rely on tips from others. We first have to explore the wine region on the Rhine more closely. What makes Rheinhessenwein so special? What do you have to look out for when buying?

 

Rheinhessen wine - Rheinhessen wine
With its ideal conditions for viticulture, Rheinhessen is the largest German wine-growing region.
Photo: djd / www.rheinhessenwein.de

 

"The soul of wine"

A Riesling from Rheinhessen or a Franconian Silvaner? A Dornfelder from the Palatinate or a Pinot Gris from Baden? What does the origin of a wine say? Can the quality be read off the label?

 

 

 

Rheinhessenwein is a reflection of its origins

The soil in which the vines are rooted is just as important for the quality of a Rheinhessen wine as the climatic conditions and the work of the winemaker. In some vineyards, for example, the soil is shaped by limestone, in others by loess, which is then also reflected in the wine. "Origin is like a fingerprint, it is the soul of a wine," explains winemaker Christine Huff from the Fritz Ekkehard Huff winery in Nierstein, one of around 2.000 wineries in Germany's largest wine-growing region, Rheinhessen.

 

djd / www.rheinhessenwein.de / Jason Sellers
Christine Huff from the Fritz Ekkehard Huff winery in Nierstein, which she runs together with her husband Jeremy Bird-Huff.
Photo: djd / www.rheinhessenwein.de / Jason Sellers

 

The region around Nierstein is characterized by the “Red Slope”: iron-rich red rock dominates the vineyards, the clay sandstone soil is dry and can store heat well. “Riesling in particular is a variety that has deep roots in dry soil like on the Roter Hang. On its way to the water, the vine absorbs the minerals from the soil,” says the winemaker. This reflection of the soil then passes into the grapes and shapes the wine. The typical Riesling from the “Roter Hang” has a spicy note and is unique in its clear structure.

 

 

Niersteiner Glöck vineyard Photo: djd / www.rheinhessenwein.de / Torsten Silz
Niersteiner Glöck vineyard: Rheinhessen is one of 13 protected designations of origin established for wines from Germany. Photo: djd/www.rheinhessenwein.de/Torsten Silz

Estate wine, local wine or single vineyard wine? Which Rheinhessen wine is the best?

So if you want to taste a real original on the tongue and on the palate, you should choose a Rheinhessen wine with an indication of the origin. If “Rheinhessen” is on the label, 100 percent of the grapes for Riesling, Silvaner and Co. come from this region. Here wine lovers can search for wineries. The information on the wine-growing area, e.g. Rheinhessen, the location, e.g. Nierstein, or the location, e.g. Niersteiner Pettenthal, on the label provide orientation when buying wine.

Estate wines are considered to be the winemaker's "calling cards"; only grapes from the winery are used for them. Local wines should show the character of the place - the grapes come from the best vineyards within a locality. Single-site wines, on the other hand, represent the highest quality wines of a company - the grapes are ripened in individual layers. For Christine Huff, this information is a quality feature: “The vines only grow here on my doorstep, these terroir features only exist here. You can't copy or falsify that. "

 

Rheinhessen wine
Rheinhessenwein (c) Copyright djd / Rheinhessenwein / Robert-Dieth

Rheinhessen wine has been around since ancient times

It is said that wine was grown in Rheinhessen as early as before Christ. Viticulture has been documented in the region around Nierstein since 742. The Niersteiner Glöck is thus the oldest wine location in Germany that has been documented. Rheinhessen wine enjoyed an excellent reputation until the middle of the 20th century. The wines achieved top prices at wine auctions. In the second half of the 20th century, however, the region's winemakers placed more emphasis on quantity than quality. This permanently damaged the reputation of the wine from Rheinhessen. That changed again in the first decades of the 21st century. For the young generation of winemakers from Rheinhessen, the quality of the wine is more important than the quantity. Today, young winemakers attach great importance to using the properties of the terroir for their wines. As a result, they produce top quality wines.

Wine types for the Rheinhessen wine

Riesling is by far the leading wine variety in Rheinhessen. The winegrowers specialize in this grape variety, especially in the areas around Hakenheim, Nierstein and Oppenheim. In second place is Müller-Thurgau, followed by Dornfelder, Silvaner, Portugieser, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and Kerner. While Scheurebe was also popular up to now, Sauvignon Blanc is increasingly taking its place.

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Conclusion: There are many ways to taste wine

We still like to try wines on site before purchasing a range. Nevertheless, there are ways you can get wines from wine regions like Rheinhessen. The best thing to do is buy a few bottles and do your wine tasting at home. You can also do a virtual wine tasting, although in this case not with Rheinhessen wine. It's even better if there's a wine dealer in your neighborhood. You can often do free wine tastings here. Then you should also buy wines. Only then can you decide which one tastes good to you. You can have one too Excursion with wine tasting in the Rhine Valley * .

Travel Arrangements:

Parking at the airport

You can book your parking space at the airport here.

How to get there

Arrival by plane, bus or train*. The nearest airport is Frankfurt. From there you can then continue your journey by rental car.

Car Rentals:

Car rental price comparison for Germany

Accommodations:

Hotels, apartments and other accommodations in Rheinhessen * For example, you can book using this link.

Travel guide to Rheinhessenwein

You can also do it on Amazon Travel guide for Rheinhessen * order

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Other Slow Travel Tips is also available here.

 

Rheinhessen wine photo:
Click on the photo and save “Rheinhessenwein” on Pinterest. Photo: djd/www.rheinhessenwein.de/Robert Dieth

 

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Source: Research and djd / www.rheinhessenwein.de

Text: © Copyright Monika Fuchs and TWO
Photos: © Copyright see caption

Rheinhessen wine for beginners

Monika Fuchs

Monika Fuchs and Petar Fuchs are the authors and publishers of the Food and Slow Travel blog  TravelWorldOnline. They have been publishing this blog since 2005. TravelWorldOnline has been online since 2001. Their topics are trips to Savor, wine tourism worldwide and slow travel. During her studies Monika Fuchs spent some time in North America, where she - partly together with Petar Fuchs - traveled to the USA and Canada and spent a research year in British Columbia. This intensified her thirst for knowledge, which she satisfied for 6 years as an adventure guide for Rotel Tours and then for 11 years as a tour guide for Studiosus Reisen around the world. She was constantly expanding her travel regions, but curiosity still gnawed at her: "What's beyond the horizon? What else is there to discover in this city? Which people are interesting here? What do they eat in this region?" As a freelance travel journalist (her articles have appeared in DIE ZEIT, 360° Canada, 360° USA, etc.), she is now looking for answers to these questions as a travel writer and travel blogger in many countries around the world. Petar Fuchs produces the videos on this blog as well as on YouTube. Monika Fuchs from TravelWorldOnline is among Germany's top 50 bloggers in 2021. Find more Information about Monika and Petar Fuchs here.