Germany's Romantic Wine Valleys
When most Americans think of Germany, one of the first
associations is beer. And while German beer is indeed exceptional, German
wine is also first-rate. As the fourth largest wine-producer in Europe,
Germany manufactures some of the world’s greatest white wines, many of which
are only now rising to prominence in the United States. Castle ruins,
elegant spas, princely monastic estates and Brothers Grimm villages with
spires and half-timbered houses form the backdrop for many of the vineyards,
where visitors can stop, tour wineries and taste and buy wines. And there
are also multiple opportunities to participate in the wine harvest and even
stay at wineries, as many operate or are adjacent to romantic guest houses
(from modest to luxurious), inns and bed-and-breakfasts. Some vintners even
open their usually historic homes to paying guests during the height of the
season.
REGIONS
The Rhine and Mosel River Valleys of western Germany
are traditionally the country’s best-known wine areas, notable for their
flavorful, fragrantly "grapey" wines. These regions were Germany’s first
wine-growing areas, their vines transplanted from the Mediterranean almost
two thousand years ago by the Romans. But wine-making happens throughout
Germany, with a vast array of magnificent white and red vintages produced
not only in the Rhine and Mosel Valleys, but also in eleven other major
regions of Germany. Their products range from Sekt (sparkling wine), to
noble Rieslings, hearty Zinfandels, spicy Gewürtztraminers, flowery
Müller-Thurgaus and the full-bodied distinctive red wine: Spätburgunder
(literal translation: "late Burgundy").
Because of Germany’s size and diverse geological and
soil conditions, nearly every village in much of central and southern
Germany produces at least one wine with a distinct local character. And
while much of Germany’s wine is exported to the United States, a tour of
Germany’s wine-lands will enable the oenophile to encounter and taste
literally hundreds of wines that never leave the region.
What makes Germany’s wine lands so attractive to
travelers is their supreme accessability. In less than an hour from some of
the most visited German cities - Frankfurt, Wiesbaden, Heidelberg, Cologne,
Stuttgart, Mainz, Dresden, Würzburg, Saarbrücken, Freiburg and Koblenz -
visitors can find themselves in lush valleys dense with grape arbors,
vineyards, romantic halls set up for tastings and, in fall, the clip-clop of
horses drawing carts piled high with plump grapes, and the bunting and
hoopla of the harvest.
Two areas of note where travelers can find wines that
are not exported - the locals want to keep them for themselves! - are
Württemberg and Franconia. Near the city of Stuttgart - capital of
Baden-Württemberg, vineyards line the slopes of the Neckar River and its
tributaries. Nearly half of its vineyards are planted in red varieties,
indeed this is the largest red wine region in Germany. In Franconia, located
along the river courses of the Main River and its tributaries, spacious
fields, tranquil forests and medieval villages add to a landscape of
singular beauty. Traditionally, most Franconian wine stays in Germany, and
is bottled in a squat, green flagon known as a Bocksbeutel. It is considered
Germany’s driest and earthiest wine. In addition, Saxony wines are becoming
more and more known (the wines of both Franconia and Saxony - in former East
Germany - were barely known in the west before Germany’s reunification), and
these two are dry yet fruity.
FESTIVALS
Throughout the year, wineries and wine-producing towns
hold regular festivals and tastings. But it is in September and October that
virtually every winery in Germany becomes immersed in the harvesting and
squeezing of grapes - and also in the attendant parties, festivals,
wine-tastings, dances and frivolity that envelops rural Germany every fall.
Full details of when and where such festivals take place are available on
the Internet - according to region, as follows:
WINE GROWING REGION
NEAREST BIG CITY(IES)
Ahr (central western)
Aachen
www.ahr-rhein-eifel.de
Baden (southwest)
Heidelberg, Freiburg
www.badischerwein.com
Franconia (central-eastern)
Erfurt
www.weinland-franken.de
Mosel-Saar Ruwer (central-western)
Mannheim, Saarbrücken
www.msr-wein.de
Rheinland Palatinate (central-west)
Mainz, Wiesbaden
www.zum-wohl-die-pfalz.de
Rheingau (central western)
Frankfurt, Wiesebaden
www.rheingau.de
Rheinland–Hesse (central western)
Frankfurt, Mainz
www.rheinhessenwein.de
Saxony (eastern)
Dresden
www.weinbauverband-sachsen.de
Württemberg (southwest)
Stuttgart
www.wwg.de
For details of wine events in other parts of Germany, including in the Rhine
Valley, contact the German National Tourist Office at 212-661-7200.
Edited by Dave Shultz
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