Mittelrhein

Small wine-growing region in Germany, with a total vineyard area of only 526 hectares (down from more than 2.200 hectares a century ago, and 1.000 hectares 50 years ago). It is located in the federal state of Rheinland-Pfalz from Oberdollendorf close to Königswinter (across the river from Bonn) in the north, to the borders of Bingen in the south. Koblenz, one of the largest cities in a German wine-growing region, is located at the centre of this beautiful river landscape. Viticulture was established in the region by the Romans, once they had established the cities of Cologne (Colonia) and Bonn (Bonna). The region saw its heyday in medieval times, at a time when the Cistercian order built the Kloster Heisterbach abbey (only ruins remain today) above Oberdollendorf. The small town of Bacharach is an ancient centre of the wine trade. The famous „Wirtshaus an der Lahn“ restaurant can be found in Niederlahnstein. The world-famous Loreley cliff, 132 metres high, is located close to the village of St. Goarshausen. A legend from the 19th century claims that a nixen would sit atop the cliff, and that her enticing singing would attract the boatsmen passing on the Rhine, and cause them to wreck their boats on the slate cliffs. German poet and writer Heinrich Heine (1797-1856) made the Loreley world famous with his immortal lines „Ich weiß nicht, was soll es bedeuten, dass ich so traurig bin“ (I do not know the reason why I am so sad). She is also the symbol and patron of the wine-growing region. The “Weinforum Mittelrhein” takes place each year on the first weekend in September at the Burg Rheinfels castle in St. Goar close to the Loreley rock, the „Mittelrhein Weinmesse“ wine fair takes place on the first Saturday in May in Bacharach-Steeg.

The vineyards stretch over a distance of more than 100 kilometres on both sides of the Rhine river, sometimes extending far into side valleys. A few vienyards are also located on the banks of the Lahn river. This is an overwhelmingly beautiful landscape, with numerous ruins of old castles, the vineyards form a narrow band, sometimes terraced, on the steep slopes above the river. The UNESCO recognised the beauty and history of theregion when it declared the valley of the Mittelrhein, from Bingen to Koblenz, as a world cultural heritage site in 2002. The sites are protected from wind, and enjoy many sunny days, the Rhine river serves as an excellent storage medium for heat, and reflects light back onto the vineyards. The soils are either slate or decomposed grey wacke structures, with a few islands of loess, and some volcanic soils in the north.

The wine-growing region is divided into two districts with 11 regional sites and 111 single vineyard sites. The Siebengebirge district has a single regional site, Petersberg. The Loreley district is divided into the regional sites Burg Hammerstein, Burg Rheinfels, Gedeonseck, Lahntal, Loreleyfelsen, Marksburg, Schloss Herrenberg, Schloss Schönburg, Schloss Stahleck and Schloss Reichenstein. The regional sites (Grosslagen) are no longer of any importance. Well-known wine-producing communes with their single vineyard sites are Bacharach with HahnHahn (site), PostenBernstein (site) and Oelsberg; Steeg with St. Jost, St. Goarshausen with Loreley Edel; as well as Unkel with Sonnenberg. Well-known producers include Bastian, Didinger, Dr. Kauer, Lanius-Knab, Mades, Mohr und Söhne, Müller Matthias, Perll August, Ockenfels, Ratzenberger, Toni Jost Hahnenhof, Villa Riesling and Weingart Florian. The list of varieties planted is clearly dominated by Riesling (2001):
Variety Synonyms Colour Hectares % share
Riesling Weißer Riesling White 372 70,7
Müller-Thurgau Rivaner White 36 6,8
Pinot Noir Spätburgunder Red 36 6,8
Kerner - White 24 4,6
Dornfelder - Red 12 2,3
Blauer Portugieser PortugieserRed 12 1,7
Pinot Blanc Weißburgunder White 6 1,1
Scheurebe Sämling 88 White 6 1,1
Pinot Gris Ruländer, Grauburgunder White 5 1,0
Silvaner Grüner Silvaner White 4 0,8
White varieties 466 88,6
Red varieties 60 11,4
TOTAL 526 100