The 13 German Wine-Growing Regions - From the Mosel to the Pfalz

Fine wines of all kinds: Germany's wine-growing regions

Wine is grown on a good 102,000 hectares in Germany. This area is divided into 13 wine regions, each region has its own peculiarities and special advantages, and the result is a rich selection of wines that pair perfectly with the respective regional cuisine. Below we provide an overview of the wine-growing regions of Germany.

Rhine-Hesse

When it comes to German wine, a number of regions come to mind. Rhine-Hesse is rarely mentioned first. Nevertheless, this cultivation area with a good 26,000 hectares is the largest in Germany. Located on the left bank of the Rhine in the federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate, a large number of different grape varietals are cultivated here. White grapes account for more than two thirds of them, dominated by Riesling and Müller Thurgau.

Pfalz

To the south of Rhine-Hesse, the Palatinate is the second-largest growing area with a good 23,000 hectares. Wine cultivation in this area can be traced back to Roman times. Here too, Riesling tops the list of varietals with a good 21 percent of grapes, followed by Müller-Thurgau with 10 percent.

Baden

Within the wine-growing region of Baden, which ranks third with a good 15,000 hectares, the Kaiserstuhl in particular enjoys an excellent reputation among wine connoisseurs. The special feature of Baden is that it is the only wine-growing region in Germany where the average temperatures are high enough to be classified as wine-growing zone B by the European Union.

Württemberg

Also in the south is the fourth-largest wine-growing region in Germany. Würrtemberg has a good 11,000 hectares of vineyards and is remarkable for the large proportion of red grape varietals by German standards. These account for more than two-thirds of the cultivated area, among which the Trollinger accounts for almost a quarter of the total yield.

Mosel

Although most of the slopes in the narrow Mosel valley are used for wine production, the total area is only 8,800 hectares. Nevertheless, some of the best known and best winegrowers in Germany are located here - including TV presenter Günther Jauch.

Franken

The special feature of Franconian wines is their traditionally low residual sweetness. While wine can generally be described as dry when the sugar content is below 9 grams per litre, the bar for "Franconian dry" is significantly lower with a maximum of 4 grams of residual sugar per litre.

Nahe

Characterised by a particularly mild climate, the Nahe Valley has been an independent wine-growing region since 1971. The peculiarity of this area is the variety of soils. 180 different types of soil are found within 4,000 hectares.

Rheingau

For many, Rhein Riesling is the epitome of German wine culture. The Assmannshäuser Höllenberg is also one of the few German classic vineyards for the cultivation of high-quality red wine.

Saale Unstrut

The most northerly of Germany's wine-growing regions is located on the Saale and Unstrut. With a good 750 hectares, it is the largest of the small growing areas. Barren soils and unreliable rainfall mean that early-ripening varietals such as Müller-Thurgau and Silvaner thrive here.