The wine-growing area is located in Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany and is named after the region. The name is derived from its historical affiliation as the province of Rheinhessen of the Grand Duchy of Hesse from 1816 to 1919. The vineyards cover 26,758 hectares, making it the largest wine-growing region in Germany in terms of area. The vineyards are located on the left bank of the Rhine between Bingen, Mainz and Worms in the shape of a huge triangle. Many artefacts provide evidence of ancient viticulture, such as a Roman water pipe in Ingelheim. Nierstein is home to the oldest vineyard in Germany, Glöck, which was first mentioned in a document in 742. Emperor Charlemagne (742-814) had a palace there and, according to legend, discovered the excellent suitability for vineyards while travelling along the Rhine. He promoted viticulture here by clearing forests in the Rhine plain and planting vineyards instead. The Riesling (Rissling) was first mentioned here in 1546 by the botanist Hieronymus Bock (1498-1554).
Climate and soil
Due to the hilly character of the landscape, Rheinhessen is also known as the "land of 1,000 hills". The soils consist mainly of loess, as well as sand, marl, limestone, clay, Rotliegend, brown earth, quartzite and porphyry. The climatic conditions for viticulture are ideal. Under the protection of the Odenwald and Taunus mountains, average temperatures range from 9.4 (Alzey) to 10.4 °Celsius (Worms). With 1,600 hours of sunshine a year, this region with low rainfall, warm summers and mild winters is one of the warmest German wine-growing regions and one of the driest areas in Central Europe. With the exception of the south-west, the average annual rainfall is only 550 millimetres. However, the loess cover, which is up to 15 metres deep in many areas, and the marl and clay soils prevent drought damage thanks to a good water balance.
Areas, municipalities and locations
The vineyards on the banks of the Rhine are often referred to as the Rhine front. Of the 136 municipalities, 120 end in "heim" and only four do not cultivate vines within their own boundaries. Rheinhessen is divided into three areas - Bingen, Nierstein and Wonnegau - with a total of 24 large vineyards and 434 individual vineyards. The area in the north-west, named after the town of Bingen is divided into six large vineyards: Abtey, Adelberg, Kaiserpfalz, Kurfürstenstück, Rheingrafenstein and Sankt Rochuskapelle. Well-known wine-growing villages with their individual vineyards are:
- Appenheim: Daubhaus, Drosselborn, Eselspfad, Hundertgulden
- Armsheim: Geiersberg, Goldstückchen, Leckerberg
- Aspisheim: Johannisberg, Sonnenberg
- Badenheim: Galgenberg, Römerberg
- Bermersheim vor der Höhe: Hildegardisberg, Klosterberg
- Biebelsheim: Honigberg, Kieselberg
- BingenBubenstück, Honigberg, Kapellenberg, Kirchberg, Klosterweg, Mainzerweg, Osterberg, Palmenstein, Pfarrgarten, Rosengarten, Scharlachberg, Schelmenstück, Schloßberg-Schwätzerchen, Schwarzenberg
- Bornheim: Hähnchen, Hütte Terrassen, Kirchenstück, Schönberg
- Bubenheim: Honigberg, Kallenberg
- Büdesheim: Bubenstück, Osterberg, Scharlachberg, Schloßberg-Schwätzerchen, Schwarzenberg
- Dromersheim: Honigberg, Klosterweg, Mainzerweg - see also under Eiswein
- Eckelsheim: Eselstreiber, Kirchberg, Sonnenköpfchen
- Ensheim: Kachelberg
- Flonheim: Binger Berg (parcels Kisselberg, Muhlenpfad, Ringelberg), Geisterberg, Klostergarten, La Roche, Pfaffenberg, Rotenpfad
- Frei-Laubersheim: Alte Römerstraße, Fels, Kirchberg, Reichskeller, Rheingrafenberg
- Fürfeld: Eichelberg, Kapellenberg, Steige
- Gau-Algesheim: Goldberg, Johannisberg, Rothenberg, St Laurenzi Chapel, Steinert
- Gensingen: Goldberge
- Groß-Winternheim: Bockstein, Heilighäuschen, Schlossberg, Klosterbruder
- Heidesheim: Geißberg, Höllenberg, Steinacker
- Horrweiler: Gewürzgärtchen, Goldberg
- Ingelheim: Bockstein, Burgberg, Heilighäuschen, Höllenweg, Horn, Kirchenstück, Klosterbruder, Lottenstück, Pares, Rabenkopf, Rheinhöhe, Rotes Kreuz, Schlossberg, Schloss Westerhaus, Sonnenberg, Sonnenhang, Steinacker, Täuscherspfad
- Jugenheim: Goldberg, Hasensprung, Heiligenhäuschen, Sankt Georgenberg
- Neu-Bamberg: Eichelberg, Heerkretz, Kirschwingert, Kletterberg
- Nieder-Hilbersheim: Honigberg, Steinacker
- Ockenheim: Hockenmühle, Klosterweg, Kreuz, Laberstall, St. Jakobsberg, Schönhölle
- Pleitersheim: Sternberg
- Sankt Johann: Geyersberg, Klostergarten, Steinberg
- Schwabenheim: Klostergarten, Schlossberg, Sonnenberg
- Siefersheim: Goldenes Horn, Heerkretz, Höllberg, Martinsberg
- Sprendlingen: Hölle, Honigberg, Klostergarten, Sonnenberg, Wißberg
- Uffhofen: La Roche, Pfaffenberg
- Vendersheim: Sonnenberg
- Wendelsheim: Heiligenpfad, Steigerberg
- Wolfsheim: Götzenborn, Osterberg, Sankt Kathrin
- Wörrstadt: Kachelberg, Rheingrafenberg
- Zotzenheim: Johannisberg, Klostergarten
The area to the north-east Nierstein extends as far as the Roman city of Mainz, which was founded in 38 BC. The centre is the so-called Rhine front from Nackenheim to Schwabsburg. The most impressive and best steep slopes in Rheinhessen with the red slate soils (Rotliegend) that give the area its name are found here on the famous Roter Hang. The Nierstein area is divided into 11 large vineyards: Auflangen, Domherr, Gutes Domtal, Güldenmorgen, Krötenbrunnen, Petersberg, Rehbach, Rheinblick, Sankt Alban, Spiegelberg and Vogelsgärten. Well-known wine-growing villages with their individual vineyards are:
- Albig: Homberg, Hundskopf, Hammerstein Castle
- Alsheim: Fischerpfad, Frühmesse, Goldberg, Römerberg, Sonnenberg
- Bechtolsheim: Homberg, Klosterberg, Sonnenberg, Wingertstor
- Biebelnheim: Pilgerstein, Rosenberg
- Bodenheim: Burgweg, Ebersberg, Heitersbrünnchen, Hoch, Kapelle, Kreuzberg, Leidhecke, Mönchspfad, Reichsritterstift, Silberberg, Westrum
- Dalheim: Altdörr, Kranzberg, Steinberg
- Dexheim: Doctor
- Dienheim: Falkenberg, Höhlchen, cross, Paterhof, castle, Siliusbrunnen, Tafelstein
- Dolgesheim: Kreuzberg, Schützenhütte
- Dorn-Dürkheim: Hasensprung, Römerberg
- Ebersheim: Hüttberg, sand, wine cellar
- Eimsheim: Hexelberg, Römerschanze, Sonnenhang
- Elsheim: Blume, Bockstein, Tempelchen
- Essenheim: Römerberg, Devil's Path
- Framersheim: Hornberg, Kreuzweg, Zechberg
- Friesenheim: Altdörr, Bergpfad, Knopf
- Gau-Bischofsheim: Glockenberg, Herrnberg, Kellersberg, Pfaffenweg
- Gau-Odernheim: Fuchsloch, Herrgottspfad, Ölberg, Vogelsang
- Gimbsheim: Frauenthal, Sonnenweg
- Guntersblum: Authental, Bornpfad, Eiserne Hand, Himmelthal, Kreuzkapelle, Sankt Julianenbrunnen, Sonnenberg, Sonnenhang, Steig-Terrassen, Steinberg
- Hahnheim: Knopf, Moosberg
- Harxheim: Börnchen, Lieth, Schlossberg
- Hillesheim: Altenberg, Sonnheil
- Laubenheim: Edelmann, Johannisberg, Klosterberg
- Lörzweiler: Hohberg, Königstuhl, Ölgild
- Ludwigshöhe: Honigberg, Teufelskopf
- MainzEdelmann, Hüttberg, Johannisberg, Kirchenstück, Klosterberg, Sand
- Mettenheim: Goldberg, Michelsberg, Schlossberg
- Mommenheim: Kloppenberg, Osterberg, Silbergrube
- Nackenheim: Engelsberg, Rothenberg, Schmittskapellchen
- NiersteinBergkirche, Bildstock, Brückchen, Brudersberg, Ebersberg, Findling, Glöck, Goldene Luft, Heiligenbaum, Hipping, Hölle, Kirchplatte, Klostergarten, Kranzberg, Ölberg, Orbel, Paterberg, Pettenthal, Pfaffenkappe, Rosenberg, Schloss Hohenrechen, Schloss Schwabsburg, Zehnmorgen
- Ober-Olm: Kapellenberg
- Oppenheim: Daubhaus, Gutleuthaus, Herrenberg, Herrengarten, Kreuz, Sackträger, Schloss, Schlossberg,...
