Rheingau

Overview

The Rheingau region covers just 3% of Germany’s total vineyard area – around 3,100 hectares – and is located on the river Rhine, a 20-minute drive west of Frankfurt. The majority of Rheingau’s vineyards are located on a stretch of south facing northern banks of the river, between Wiesbaden and Rudesheim.

In this northern cool and continental climate, with an average annual temperature of 10 degrees C, the river is essential in aiding ripening of the grapes, by reflecting sunlight onto the vineyards thus moderating temperatures. The vineyards are further protected from cold winds by the Taunus mountains in the immediate north. Rheingau Rieslings are typically fuller bodied and more masculine than the more delicate examples from the Mosel.  

Key Villages

We don’t use the term sub-region in Germany, instead we refer to villages, of which there are 11 of significance in the Rheingau region. We currently focus on six of these, as shown below, with their most famous vineyard in brackets.

• Oestrich (Oestrich Lenchen)
• Oestrich (Oestrich Doosberg)
• Erbach (Erbacher Marcobrunn)
• Kiedrich (Kiedricher Grafenberg)
• Lorch (Lorcher Schlossberg)
• Johannisberg (Schloss Johannisberg)

Key Producers

We focus on the following key producers from the Rheingau:

• Eva Fricke
• Peter Jakob Kuhn
• Robert Weil
• Schloss Johannisberg
• Schloss Reinhartshausen