NAHE - Regional Bio Flashcards
Nahe - Regional Bio
A relatively small wine-growing region with 4200ha of vineyard and named for the river, a tributary of the Rhine. The region shares boarders with Rheinhessen, Rheingau and Mittelrhein. The best vineyards are found on steep volcanic slopes along the river, usually facing south and south-east and only Riesling may bear the name of the area’s top vineyards.
Between the Mosel and Rheingau, Nahe is akin to the middle child and displays all the characteristics as such, overlooked yet budding with potential. This may be because Nahe came late to the wine scene as Romans neglected to cultivate vines here and it was only until around 500 years after the Mosel had been planted that the Nahe was used for vines.
The Nahe has had tumultuous history, slipping from high regard in the 19th century to relative obscurity in the early half of the 20th century due to economic hardships.
The region can be broken into three distinct sub-regions, yet with only one Bereich. The Upper Nahe to the south-west, Bad Kreuznach and it’s surrounding neighbors, and then the Lower Nahe to the north-east. The are between Monzingen to Traisen is noted for the best terroir, lending pungent spicy and minerally complex wines.
Volcanic Rock dominates the Upper Nahe, but is actually extremely varied. The best vineyards are found to the north of Bad Kreuznach in the northern outskirts.
The Lower Nahe is distinct and shares similaritys in soil with the Rheinhessen. Here Grauer Burgunder, Weissburgunder and Silvaner are grown as well.
