Rheinhessen

Question 1

What are the bereiche of the Rheinhessen?

Answer 1

Nierstein

Bingen-covers much of the western reaches of the Rheinhessen

Wonnegau

Question 2

Where is Nierstein Bereiche?
What are the major villages?
What are they known as collectively?

Answer 2

—Eastern border of Rheinhessen
—Bodenheim, Nackenheim, Nierstein, Oppenheim, Dienheim
—Between Nackenheim and Nierstein is known as Roter Hang)

Question 3

Where is Bingen Bereiche?
What are the major villages of Bingen
Who is the major producer?

Answer 3

In the northwestern corner of the Rheinhessen; covers much of the western reaches of the Anbaugebiet. The region lacks the star power Wonnegau currently enjoys, but there are clusters of good sites in the villages of Bingen and Siefersheim, the latter anchored by the recent successes of Wagner-Stempel.

Siefersheim, Bingen, Appenheim

Question 4

Where is Wonnegau Bereiche?
What are the major villages of Wonnegau?
What are the soils?
Who are the major producers?

Answer 4

In the Southwest of the Rheinhessen
Westhofen, Flörsheim-Dalsheim, Dittelsheim, Monsheim, Worms
-Although the vineyards appear somewhat unspectacularly, some of the best dry Riesling wines in the world today come from the calcareous limestone and loess soils
-Klaus-Peter Keller and Philipp Wittmann (both share access to several vineyards in the southern Wonnegau Bereich)

Question 5

Which anbaugebiet surround Rheinhessen?

Answer 5

Rheingau in the north
Pfalz in the south,
Nahe on its western border
Hessische-Bergstrasse a few kilometers to the east.

Question 6

How much of Germany’s land under vine belongs to the Rheinhessen?

Answer 6

1/4, Germany’s biggest winegrowing region.

Question 7

What river forms the northern and eastern border of the Rheinhessen?

Answer 7

Rhine

Question 8

What was the most expensive wine aboard the doomed Titanic?

Answer 8

Niersteiner Riesling.

Question 9

What is the grade of Roter Hang?

Answer 9

70-80%, not representative of the rest of the Rheinhessen.

Question 10

What are the two most famous vineyards in Roter Hang?

Answer 10

Pettenthal (Nierstein)
and Rothenberg (Nackenheim)

Question 11

What is the one area historically associated with quality wine growing in the Rheinhessen? What is the soil structure and how does it characterize the wine? Where is it located; between what two villages?

Answer 11

Roter Hang

• Rotliegendes (Permian red soil) a “red hill” of clay and weathered red sandstone; Aromas of peach, citrus, and a smoked meat pungency characterize wines grown on these red soils.
• on the left bank of the Rhine between the villages of Nierstein and Nackenheim, in the Rheinterrasse

Question 12

Why is there such a diversity of grape varieties and no single Rheinhessen style?

Answer 12

In such a large area, there is a large difference in mesoclimates and soils, and no single climatic feature (river’s moderating influence, or aspect or slope) that can individually explain prevailing conditions for the Rheinhessen.

Question 13

What is the Rheinterrasse?

How much of the regions Riesling does?

What is the flavor profile of Riesling from Rheinterrasse?

Answer 13

A large span of eastern exposures in the Rheinhessen, which extends south of Nierstein through the village of Oppenheim

• where a third of the region’s Riesling vines grows
• Aromas of peach, citrus, and a smoked meat pungency characterize wines grown on the red soils

Question 14

Where is Siefersheim. Name a producer from the village and his top vineyards.

Answer 14

It is in the Grosslage of Bingen in the Rheinhessen.

It is home to the recent successes of Wagner-Stempel.

The Heerkretz and Höllberg vineyards are the stars of the estate.

Question 15

What are the soils found in Wonnegau?

Answer 15

Limestone and loess soils

Question 16

Name the well known biodynamic producer in the Roter Hang?

Answer 16

Kühling-Gillot

Question 17

What is Message in a bottle? Name producers

Answer 17

An organization of over two dozen young producers in the Rheinhessen committed to raising the regions potential and image, internally and internationally.

Typically, they focus on dry styles and promote spontaneous fermentation as a stylistic choice.

Keller
Wittmann
Wagner-Stempel
Kühling-Gillot 
Gunderloch

Question 18

Who owns 3/4 of Nackenheimer Rothenberg?

Answer 18

Gunderloch estate

Question 19

What grape does Rheinhessen have more planted than any other region in the world?

Answer 19

Silvaner (dry Silvaner is a regional specialty.)

Question 20

What is the most expensive dry Riesling produced in Germany? Where is it produced?

Answer 20

Keller G-Max

-some of the best dry Riesling wines in the world today come from the limestone and loess soils in the Bereich of Wonnegau in the Rheinhessen. (Keller sources the most expensive dry Riesling produced in Germany, “G-Max,” from an undisclosed parcel in the region.

Question 21

What two cities make up the north and south end of the Rheinhessen? What is the distance between the two?

Answer 21

50 kilometers make up the distance between Mainz in the north and Worms in the south.

Question 22

What protects the Rheinterrasse from frost and wind?

Answer 22

Protected from the frost and winds that sweep through much of the Rheinhessen by the hills on its western border, which rise to over 600 m (nearly 2,000 ft).