MAIN Wine Europe Germany Rheinhessen

Rheinhessen, the largest wine growing region of Germany, is defined by the two rivers that create its borders. The Nahe River marks the western edge and the Rhine draws the boundaries on the east and to the north.

The vines growing on the hills near Nierstein are known as the Rheinfront or Rheinterrasse. The delicate wines from these Riesling grapes have been cherished throughout history.

The Rheinhessen region spans the rolling hills and river valleys in a swath 20 miles wide and 30 miles long between the wine-growing communities of Worms (the birthplace of Liebfraumilch), Alzey, Mainz and Bingen.

In this large region, the soil types and microclimates can vary greatly. This makes it ideal for many different grape varieties.

A stunning panorama of the Rheingau, Bingen and Rheinhessen wine growing regions along the Rhine.

The three traditional white vines, Müller-Thurgau, Silvaner and Riesling, are the main varieties to be found here, but new varieties have been crossbred from these throughout history as the wine masters strive to improve and perfect the wines. The Sekt, Germany's sparkling wine, from this area is of exceptional quality. This area also produces some excellent red wines primarily from the Portugieser grape.

Dornfelder and Pinot Noir are also grown here. The area around Ingelheim is known for its full-bodied Pinot Noir Spätburgunder wine.

The region is also where the Liebfraumilch originated, and Rheinhessen's reputation has been affected by the large quantities of cheap and inferior wines that are sold under this label in the US. Don't judge the wines of Rhinehessen by this! ...

More information about Rheinhessen wines around the Web:

Rheinhessen (wine region) - Wikipedia - Excellent overview of the history, geography, wine districts and grape varieties of the region with related maps, photos, references & resources.

Wine Searcher Wines from Rheinhessen - UK site has listings of wines with stores that carry each wine. No Liebfraumilch here. There are no reviews or tasting notes with the wines, but the wine searcher site has a good reputation for offering quality wines and a search on the name of the wine will usually bring up a few comment and reviews to let you know more about it.