Regional associations and their chairmen

Joachim Heger

Burgunder (Pinot) Country with Riesling Enclaves
Baden is a little wine universe of its own, embedded in a rich cultural landscape. On one side, there is the Bodensee (Lake Constance), with its view of the Alps; on the other side, the wonderful landscape of the Tauber River Valley. Here, the gently rounded hills of Heidelberg; there, the massif of the Kaiserstuhl that majestically overlooks the Rhine Valley. Viticultural diversity here is not merely a  whim of the times, but rather something that has evolved naturally, as have its climatic and geological differences.

The members of VDP Baden.

JOACHIM HEGER
Chairman, VDP Baden

BRANCH OFFICE
Timo Renner
Bachenstraße 19 - 21
79241 Ihringen
Tel: +49 (0)7668/205
Fax: +49 (0)7668/9300
Email t.renner@heger-weine.de

 

 

Karl Martin Schmitt

Franken is a wine-growing region steeped in history. Its vineyards line the Main River and its tributaries and hug the western slopes of the Steiger Forest. Its unique geology, escarpments and the soils that evolved from them give Franken an impressive landscape and a multitude of outstanding vineyard sites. The Silvaner grape, documented in Franken for more than 350 years, enables the soils of colored sandstone, shell-limestone and keuper to express themselves in an inimitable manner. Silvaner reigns supreme in Franken and consolidates the diversity of this region into a whole. A fresh, lively Silvaner Kabinett is excellent for daily enjoyment. A great, dry, expressive Spätlese with aging potential is extraordinarily versatile in today’s kitchens, whether it’s traditional, Mediterranean or “crossover” cuisine. Silvaner wines are always excellent partners throughout a meal, from appetizer to fine cheese. Franken is also home to Riesling and Pinot wines. They combine fruit and elegance with a mineral note. Dry Franken wines are traditionally bottled in the distinctive, flagon-shaped Bocksbeutel.

The members of VDP Franken.

KARL MARTIN SCHMITT
Chairman, VDP Franken

BRANCH OFFICE
Jutta Hemberger
Gräfenneuses 21
96160 Geiselwind - Germany
Phone +49 (0)9556 / 981029
Fax +49 (0)9556 / 981031
E-mail vdp-franken@t-online.de
Website of VDP Franken

 

 

Jochen Ratzenberger

Wine grapes reached the Mittelrhein in the wake of Roman legionnaires. The river rose and fell with the seasons, generations came and went, epoch-making buildings were built and fell into ruin. The vines stayed – they stamped the image of a region whose uniqueness was recently recognized with UNESCO World Heritage status, two centuries after Rhine Romanticism was born upstream and downstream from the Loreley. Numerous types of slate and soil formations afford the deep-rooted vine, particularly the Riesling, ideal growing conditions. A special microclimate fosters bouquet and delicate, fine-fruity aromas. Steep slopes and a natural exposure to the sun provide protective warmth. The vines will stay – provided that man continues to take care of them and is motivated to appreciate ancient traditions, and to introduce contemporary know-how with skill and caution in order to safeguard the future of this cultural asset.

The members of VDP Mittelrhein.

JOCHEN RATZENBERGER
Chairman, VDP Mittelrhein

Weingut Ratzenberger
Blücherstraße 167
55422 Bacharach 2 - Germany
Phone +49 (0)6743 / 1337
Fax +49 (0)6743 / 2842
E-mail weingut-ratzenberger@t-online.de

 

 

Armin Diel

Nahe
With a mere 4,135 ha (10,218 acres) of vines, the Nahe wine-growing region accounts for a relatively small portion of Germany’s vineyard area.  It is interesting to note that a kind of vineyard classification was undertaken in the Nahe about a century ago, when parcels were appraised for the purpose of determining land taxes. The results were documented in 1901 in a “Nahe Viticultural Map for the Administrative District of Coblenz,” in which the few very best sites are easy to recognize. This Nahe map had virtually been forgotten until the Prädikat wine estates rediscovered it in the 90s and had it reprinted. Furthermore, they adopted the classification set forth in the map for themselves and resolved to adhere to a series of strict, voluntary controls. In their vineyard statute of 1997, for example, they resolved to henceforth use vineyard designations only for Riesling wines from top sites. All other grape varieties are marketed without vineyard names.

The members of VDP Nahe.

ARMIN DIEL
Chairman, VDP Nahe-Ahr

BRANCH OFFICE
Marlene Claus
Burg Layen 16
55452 Rümmelsheim - Germany
Phone +49 (0)6721 / 9695-28
Fax +49 (0)6721 / 45047
E-mail vdpnahe@schlossgut-diel.com
Website of VDP Nahe-Ahr

 

 

Wolfgang Hehle

Ahr
Even the Romans prized the Ahr Valley as a wine-growing region. They were the first to plant grapes there when they settled between the Eifel Hills and the Rhine River. Situated a mere 30 km (20 miles) south of Bonn, the Ahr is one of Germany’s most distinguished red wine regions. Some 87 percent of the vineyards are planted with red wine grapes, with Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) at  the helm as “king” of the Ahr.
The Ahr’s traditional wine estates embrace the motto “quality rather than quantity” and top quality has its price. The situation of many sites makes tending vines extremely difficult and labor-intensive. Throughout the year and during the harvest growers often have to climb through rugged, precariously steep sites just to reach a small, isolated patch of vines. It is impossible to use machines here – all work must be done by hand. With only 552 ha (1,364 acres) of vines, the Ahr ranks tenth in size among Germany’s 13 wine-growing regions.

The members of VDP Ahr.

WOLFGANG HEHLE
Spokesperson, Ahr

Deutzerhof - Cossmann-Hehle
Deutzerwiese 2
53508 Mayschoß / Ahr - Germany
Phone +49 (0)2643 / 7264
Fax +49 (0)2643 / 3232
E-mail info@deutzerhof.de

 

 

Egon Müller

Two Thousand Years of Viticulture
Steep slopes, a narrow winding valley, the Eifel highland to the north, the lush hills of the Hunsrück to the south – this is the picturesque landscape of the Mosel, Saar and Ruwer and home of the members of the GROSSER RING. This wine-growing region is one of the world’s largest areas planted with Riesling vines. During centuries of continuous viticulture the natural and manmade landscapes have seamlessly intertwined into a whole. It is here, on world-renowned steep sites, that the grapes for top-quality wines grow. The cool climate and extremely long vegetation period yield wines that are light in body, but extraordinarily rich in aromas. Typical of these wines is the combination of low alcohol, pleasant acidity and natural fruity sweetness.

The members of VDP Mosel-Saar-Ruwer.

EGON MÜLLER
Chairman, VDP Grosser Ring - Mosel-Saar-Ruwer

BRANCH OFFICE
Monika Laurisch
Gartenfeldstrasse 12a
54295 Trier - Germany
Phone +49 (0)651 / 75041
Fax +49 (0)651 / 72891
E-mail grosserring@web.de
Website of VDP Grosser Ring - Mosel-Saar-Ruwer

 

 

Hans-Jörg Rebholz

The Pfalz, one of Germany’s most beautiful landscapes, is truly a paradise for gourmets. Joie de vivre and pleasure have always been priorities here. Blessed with some 1,800 hours of sunshine every year, the region is home to figs and almonds as well as grapes. The vineyards of the Pfalz lie parallel to the Deutsche Weinstrasse (German Wine Road) – which stretches from Bockenheim in the north, to the Alsatian border in Schweigen in the south – on the foothills of the protective Haardt Mountains (an extension of the French Vosges), which check winds and rain. There is a vast number of soil types here, and thus, optimal conditions for the cultivation of terroir-driven, top-quality wines. The traditional focal point of the Mittelhaardt district is Riesling, which has long yielded great wines in both dry and lusciously sweet styles. From Kallstadt to Ungstein to Bad Dürkheim, the top sites lie along a limestone ridge, while weathered, stony, colored sandstone soils prevail in the vineyards from Wachenheim to Gimmeldingen, with deposits of limestone, clay, basalt or loam – depending on the site. With wines from world-renowned sites, such as Forster Kirchenstück, traditional wine estates, such as Dr. Bürklin-Wolf, Dr. von Bassermann-Jordan or Reichsrat von Buhl, rose to world-class status centuries ago.

The members of VDP Pfalz.

HANS-JÖRG REBHOLZ
Chairman, VDP Pfalz

BRANCH OFFICE
Florentine Baier
Meerspinnstrasse 20
67435 Neustadt-Gimmeldingen - Germany
Phone +49 (0)6321 / 968703
Fax +49 (0)6321 / 968704
E-mail vdp-pfalz@t-online.de
Website of VDP Pfalz

 

 

Wilhelm Weil

Devoted to tradition, but always open to innovation
For almost a thousand kilometers (620 miles) the Rhine flows in a northerly direction – with one exception: near Wiesbaden, the Taunus Hills force it to bend at nearly a right angle and flow westward for some 30 km (20 miles) to Rüdesheim, where it bends again to resume its northerly course. Thus arose one of the world’s most beautiful viticultural landscapes, bordered in the north by the Taunus Hills and in the south by the Rhine. The Rheingau, with a vineyard area of ca. 3,100 ha (7,650 acres) of primarily south- and south-western-facing slopes, boasts the world’s highest proportion of Riesling grapes, supplemented by the red wine variety Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir). The vineyards lie between 80 and 220 meters above sea level and trace their geological origin to a Tertiary sea, upon whose northern shore the Rheingau is situated today. As a result, soil types are varied and include gravel and sand, as well as loamy to clayish soils interspersed with marl and loess. In the lower Rheingau near Rüdesheim and in the sites on heights, such as in Kiedrich and in Rauenthal at the foothills of the Taunus, there are also quartzite and weathered slate soils.

The members of VDP Rheingau.

WILHELM WEIL
Chairman, VDP Rheingau

BRANCH OFFICE
Friedericke Büchner
Mühlberg 5
65399 Kiedrich / Rheingau - Germany
Phone +49 (0)6123 / 676812
Fax +49 (0)6123 / 676813
E-mail vdp-rheingau@vr-web.de
Website of VDP Rheingau

 

 

Philipp Wittmann

The vineyards of Rheinhessen are on the left side of the Rhine, scattered throughout the large triangle formed between Bingen and Mainz in the north and Worms in the south. It is one of Germany’s largest and most traditional wine-growing regions. The Romans cultivated vines here, and the oldest documented mention of a German vineyard site by name is found in Rheinhessen: “Glöck” in Nierstein. The document is a deed of gift from Karlmann, Charlemagne’s uncle, who presented a church and vineyards in Nierstein to the diocese of Würzburg in 742. Charlemagne’s imperial residence in Ingeheim bears witness to his fondness for the area’s favorable climate. In the 9th century, viticulture in Rheinhessen was documented in 88 communities, and in 1402, sources in Worms first mentioned the “Rüssling” (Riesling) as a grape variety. Thanks to its geographical location and topography, the protection afforded by the Donnersberg hill in the west, its proximity to the Rhine, and its stony and fertile loam and loess soils, Rheinhessen is full of the natural resources associated with high-quality viticulture. Here, in the “land of a thousand hills,” the sun shines more than 1,500 hours annually and with only 500 mm of precipitation per year, it numbers among the driest regions in Germany.

The members of Rheinhessen.

PHILIPP WITTMANN
Chairman, VDP Rheinhessen

BRANCH OFFICE
Sonja Reinbold
Mainzer Str. 19
67593 Westhofen - Germany
Phone +49 (0)6244 / 91 84 908
Fax +49 (0)6244 / 5578
E-mail info@vdp-rheinhessen.de

 

Dr. Georg Prinz zur Lippe

Sachsen

With nearly 450 ha (1,100 acres) of vines, Sachsen is one of Germany’s smallest wine-growing regions. Its steep, primarily terraced vineyards line the Elbe Valley from Pillnitz, south of Dresden, to Radebeul, Meissen and Diesbar-Seusslitz. Known for wine, porcelain and the Albrechtsburg built by Heinrich I more than 1,000 years ago, Meissen is the cradle of Sachsen’s history and viticultural tradition. Sachsen is influenced by a continental climate. Despite winter temperatures that can dip to -28°C (-18°F), the annual average temperature is 9.3°C (49°F). This, and the region’s annual average of 1,570 hours of sunshine, provide excellent growing conditions for vines. Continuous stimuli challenge the vines to assert themselves, be it the constant fluctuation between warm days and cool nights or the succession of sunshine, rain and wind. The longer nature enables grapes to ripen, the more flavorful and aromatic the grapes. The aromas are further concentrated by very low yields – with an average of merely 45 hl/ha, Saxon wines will continue to be a rarity. The special character of Saxon wines is also influenced by the various soils and geological formations in the Elbe Valley. Carboniferous granite and syenite are prevalent, the latter often covered by a layer of Cretaceous sandstone, which in turn, is overlayered by loess, clay and sand deposits from the Ice Age and post-Ice Age. Müller-Thurgau, Riesling and Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc) are the main grape varieties, supplemented by the Saxon specialty Goldriesling (crossing of Riesling and Courtillier musqué) as well as Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris), Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) and Traminer.

The member of  VDP Sachsen.

Saale-Unstrut

Along the river valleys of the Saale and Unstrut, in the southern portion of Saxony-Anhalt, is Europe’s northernmost quality wine-growing region. Proud castles, the Saale-Unstrut-Triasland nature reserve and, of course, the terraced vineyards are the main features of the thousand-year-old landscape around Freyburg, Naumburg and Bad Kösen. In the Middle Ages, this Central German wine-growing region boasted 10,000 ha (nearly 250,000 acres) of vines and numbered among Germany’s largest vineyard areas. Today, vines are cultivated only in southern Saxony-Anhalt and northern Thuringia. With 665 ha (1,643 acres) of vines, Saale-Unstrut is one of Germany’s smaller regions. The region’s viticultural tradition is more than 1,000 years old and was carried on without interruption even during the difficult circumstances of German division. Because demand for the wines of the easterly regions far exceeded supply, consumers only had access to them “under the counter.” By the time the market economy was restored, a young, open-minded generation of wine-growers had developed. Full of ambition and idealism, their goal has been to revive Saale-Unstrut’s image as a wine-producing region – both at home and beyond the region’s borders. Fragrant, elegant Silvaner, hearty and powerful Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc), as well as Rieslings rich in nuances and mineral tones bear witness to the potential of the sites and the exacting standards of the growers. Typical regional wines – usually vinified in a dry style – reflect an interplay of extract and acidity, and have a delicate spiciness.

The members of VDP Saale-Unstrut.

DR. GEORG PRINZ ZUR LIPPE
Chairman, VDP Sachsen-Saale-Unstrut

BRANCH OFFICE
Ramona Marschall
c/o Niederländisches Konsulat
Palaisplatz 1
01079 Dresden
Tel. +49 (0)351 / 8040520
Fax +49 (0)351 / 4718419
E-mail ramona.marschall@schloss-proschwitz.de

 

 

Gert Aldinger

The Neckar River runs through the heart of the Württemberg wine-growing region. From its upper course near Tübingen to its confluence with the Rhine near Heidelberg, it shapes a landscape that is both charming and inviting. For 250 romantic kilometers (155 miles) it winds its way through the Jurassic soils of the Swabian Alb and the keuper near Stuttgart, then cuts its way northward through shell-limestone in a series of deep bends. In the course of several million years, together with its tributaries, the Kocher, Jagst, Murr, Enz and Rems rivers, the Neckar has created a contemporary, regional viticultural landscape that is at once unique and extraordinarily diverse. Württemberg’s vines grow primarily on deep, weathered, warm, red keuper soils that are the deposits of an ancient sea. Thanks to layers of gypsum keuper and colored marl, which are naturally rich in minerals and nutrients, the Rems Valley, the Bottwar Valley, the Stromberg and the Zabergäu, as well as the areas near Heilbronn and the Hohenlohe, are particularly fertile. The steep slopes in the narrow bends of the middle Neckar Valley, as well as along the Enz, Jagst and Kocher rivers, consist primarily of fossil-rich shell-limestone. The small terraced vineyards, supported by heat-retaining, natural stone walls, bear witness to Württemberg’s centuries-old viticultural tradition.

The members of VDP Württemberg.

GERT ALDINGER
Chairman, VDP Württemberg

Weingut Aldinger
Schmerstraße 25
70734 Fellbach - Germany
Phone +49 (0)711 / 581417
Fax +49 (0)711 / 581488
E-mail gert.aldinger@t-online.de