Pfalz

Wine-growing region in the federal state of Rheinland-Pfalz in Germany, with a total vineyard are of 23.422 hectares, making it the second-largest region in Germany after Rheinhessen. It was known as Rheinpfalz up to 1995. The Pfalz is one of the oldest German wine-growing regions, and stretches south from in a belt 80 kilometres long as far as the broder with France north of Alsace, and from the slopes of the Pfälzer Wald hills to the Rhine plains. The name (lat. Palatium = palace) is derived from the dukes of the Holy Roman Empire, who resided in the city of Heidelberg from the 3rd to the mid-8th century. This is documented by a deed signed by king Siegbert III. dated 653 AD. In excess of 100 wine-producing towns and villages were mentioned in the 8th century. The Pfalz is Germany’s most fertile, sunny wine-growing region, and the region with the greatest volume of production. The southern section, from Neustadt on down, is the most modern and most intensively cultivated wine-growing region in Germany. It is here that the idea was born in 1935 to create a German wine route, the „Deutsche Weinstraße“, this first wine route has become a fixed term. It runs from Bockenheim in the north to Schweigen-Rechtenbach on the French border. Bad Dürkheim, which lies along this route, ist he home of the Dürkheimer Fass, the largest oak barrel in the world, with a volume of 1,7 million litres, which is used as a restaurant. The classification Grosses Gewächs (Grand Cru) has been introduced for wines from top-quality single vineyard sites. The new classification of origin and quality DCP (Districtus Controllatus Pfalz) was introduced in 2005.

The varied and complex soils consist of coloured sandstone, limestone-rich clay soils, marl, keuper, shell limestone, granite, porphyry as well as islands of slate and clay. In spite of its large area, the Pfalz region is divided into only 2 districts, which cover a total of 25 regional sites and 330 single vineyard sites. The Mittelhaardt-Deutsche Weinstrasse district includes 16 regional sites. Well-known towns and villages with their corresponding vineyard sites are Bad Dürkheim with Michelsberg, Nonnengarten and Steinberg; Deidesheim with Grainhübel, Hergottsacker, Hohenmorgen, Kalkofen, Kieselberg, Mäushöhle and Paradiesgarten; Forst with Bischofsgarten, Freundstück, Jesuitengarten, Kirchenstück, Pechstein and Ungeheuer; Haardt with Bürgergarten, Herrenleiten and Herzog; Kallstadt with Annaberg and Saumagen; Königsbach with Idig and Ölberg; Ruppertsberg with Gaisböhl, Hoheburg, Nussbien and Reiterpfad; Ungstein with Herrenberg; Wachenheim with Gerümpel and Goldbächel; as well as Zell with the Schwarzer Hergott site.

The Südliche Weinstrasse district consists of 9 regional sites. Well-known towns and villages, with their corresponding vineyard sites, are Bad Bergzabern with Altenberg; Billigheim-Ingenheim with Steingebiß, Rosenberg and Venusbuckel; Birkweiler with Kastanienbusch, Mandelberg and Rosenberg; Edenkoben with Heidegarten, Kastaniengarten and Klostergarten; Godramstein with Münzberg; Kirrweiler with Römerweg; Maikammer with Heiligenberg; Schweigen-Rechtenbach with Sonnenberg; as well as Siebeldingen with the Im Sonnenschein site and the Geilweilerhof institute.

More than 20 co-operatives work around a fifth of the vineyard area in the Pfalz region. Well-known producers include Acham-Magin, Ackermann Karl-Heinz, Aloisiushof, Argus Peter, Bärenhof, Bassermann-Jordan, Becker Friedrich, Beck Gerhard, Benderhof, Bergdolt-Reif und Nett, Bergdolt St. Lamprecht, Bernhart, Biffar Josef, Bohnenstiel, Borell-Diehl, Brenneis-Koch, Christmann Arnold, Darting, Dr. Bürklin-Wolf, Dr. Deinhard, Dr. Wehrheim, Fitz-Ritter, Forster Winzerverein, Gaul Karl-Heinz, Gebrüder Bart, Geheimrat J. Wegeler Erben, Gies-Düppel, Gnägy, Henninger IV, Henninger Walter, J. L. Wolf, Kaub Karl-Heinz, Kimich, Klein Gerhard, Knipser, Koch Bernhard, Koehler-Ruprecht, Kuhn Philipp, Lergenmüller, Lucashof, Mesel, Meßmer Herbert, Meyer Frank, Minges, Mosbacher Georg, Möwes, Müller-Catoir, Müller Eugen, Münzberg, Neiss, Ökonomierat Rebholz, Pfaffmann Karl, Pfeffingen, Reichsrat von Buhl, Rings, Sauer Heiner, Schaefer Karl, Schmitt Egon, Siegrist, Siener-Wettstein, Spindler Heinrich, St. Annaberg, Studier, Weegmüller, Weik, Wolf Michael, Ziegler August and Zöller Hermann.
The varieties planted are (2001):
Variety Synonyms Colour Hectares % share
Riesling Weißer Riesling White 4.863 20,8
Müller-Thurgau Rivaner White 3.568 15,2
Blauer Portugieser Portugieser Red 2.601 11,1
Dornfelder - Red 2.302 9,8
Kerner - White 1.914 8,2
Pinot Noir Spätburgunder Red 1.254 5,4
Silvaner Grüner Silvaner White 1.211 5,2
Scheurebe Sämling 88 White 722 3,1
Pinot Blanc Weißburgunder White 689 2,9
Pinot Gris Ruländer, Grauburgunder White 601 2,6
Morio-Muskat Morio White 480 2,0
Huxelrebe - White 404 1,7
Chardonnay - White 303 1,3
Ortega - White 291 1,2
Regent - Red 171 0,7
Traminer Roter Traminer White 350 1,5
Schwarzriesling Müllerrebe Red 161 0,7
Dunkelfelder - Red 149 0,6
Faberrebe - White 133 0,6
Ehrenfelser - White 72 0,3
White varieties 16.140 68,9
Red varieties 7.282 31,1
TOTAL 23.422 100