Wine
With vineyards covering an area of 26,500 ha, Rheinhessen is Germany’s largest wine-growing region.
More than 3,500 wine growers have their home in the great sweep of the Rhine between Bingen and Worms, with the metropolis Mainz at the centre. The dynamism and change in this wine-growing region with its over 2000-year tradition, are enormous. Particularly the young generation of winegrowers shows with commitment, know how and self-assurance that quality and greatness can produce outstanding wines.
Two thirds of the vineyards are planted with the white-wine grapes Riesling, Silvaner, Müller Thurgau, but also Scheurebe, the burgundy varieties, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. About one third of the rolling hills are cultivated with red-wine grapes. Dornfelder, Spätburgunder and Portugieser predominate, but St. Laurent, Regent, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon also produce outstanding wines.
One special case is the Selection Rheinhessen – since 1992 a particularly ambitious class of fine, dry wines which are produced in accordance with strict rules. The highest objective: outstanding quality.
Since 2000, there has been the group of the Grosse Gewächse (Great Wines), a further designation of quality of the association Verband der Prädikatsweingüter Rheinhessen (VDP). The Grosse Gewächse focus on Riesling and Spätburgunder from the top locations of the region. Both programmes stand for top wines and the quality philosophy of the winegrowers in Rheinhessen.
A tingling delight for the palate is the Winzersekt (Winegrowers’ Sparkling Wine). It was invented in the 1980s. The base wines selected must come from the wine producer concerned and the sparkling wine is produced in accordance with the classic, but expensive champagne method with fermentation in the bottle.
With commitment and boldness, Rheinhessen is a major wine region in Germany. And the State Capital Mainz as its centre, located at the heart of the German winegrowing areas par excellence: Rhineland-Palatinate. Thus not only are wine producers with a rich tradition to be found within the city in the west of the Rhine-Main region, but also national institutions, such as the Deutsches Weininstitut (DWI). Wine culture and the enjoyment of wine are not only upheld as a tradition, but are also to be experienced in everyday life – whether when attending one of the wine-tasting events, such as Best of Mainz Wine, the Mainz Weinbörse or the Wine Forum Rheinhessen, or every week when sauntering across the market on Saturdays. A stroll around the old part of the city with a visit to a wine tavern also promises a special wine enjoyment.
Organic viticulture in Rheinhessen
Organic viticulture has a long tradition in Rheinhessen. Back in 1983, eleven Rhine-Hessian winegrowers joined forces to establish the “Ring ökologisch arbeitende Winzer Rheinhessen e.V.” (Ring of Organically Producing Winegrowers in Rhine-Hesse). Unlike many of their colleagues, they were convinced that they could manage in the vineyard even without chemical sprays and easily soluble mineral fertilisers.
Trademark “ECOVIN”
Just two years later, the Bundesverband Ökologischer Weinbau e.V. (Federal Association for Organic Winegrowing - BÖW) was founded with strict guidelines which are still valid in their essential features even today. In the following years, the idea was continuously developed further and the trademark ECOVIN introduced. Thanks to increasing awareness of the concept, the numbers of its members and thus the possibility of exchanging the latest findings also rose. Through the establishment of the head office of the renamed nationwide association ECOVIN in the area of the Rural Area Service Centre (DLR) Rheinhessen-Nahe-Hunsrück in Oppenheim. the foundation was laid for a close collaboration between both institutions. The DLR helps and supports the association and its members in an advisory capacity in all organic winegrowing matters.
Area under organic cultivation growing
In Ingelheim, where five Ecovin members are based at present, the first local Ecovin association was founded. Other organic wine producers are members of the organic associations Naturland, Demeter or Bioland. An ever larger share of organic wine producers is not organised in any cultivators association. In Rheinhessen in 2007, about 110 vineyards were operated in accordance with the guidelines of organic viticulture. The areas under cultivation lie roughly in the medium-sized to larger range and are ten hectares in size on average. All in all, in 2007, approx. 1200 ha of vineyards in Rhinehessen were cultivated in accordance with organic principle; tendency rising. This corresponds to a share of about 5 % of vineyards in Rhine-Hesse.
Large estates, great names
Some of Germany’s largest organic wine producers are located in Rheinhessen: Hirschhof (Westhofen), Wittmann (Westhofen), Knobloch (Ober-Flörsheim), Hemer (Worms) und Neumer (Uelversheim) with about 30 ha each. The high quality of the wine from the organic producers in Rhine-Hesse is shown not least at many tastings. Weingut Wittmann, for example, is mentioned in Gault Millau with 4 stars. A section of the producers markets their wines directly or through the specialist wine trade, others are organised in a producers association or work together with wine merchants.
Rheinhessen’s advantage as a location
Rheinhessen has a clear advantage as a location for the change over to organic winegrowing: the climatic conditions. As the precipitation is relatively low in comparison with other growing areas, attacks by fungus, for example, are less frequent. In addition, a large part of the vineyards allows good use of mechanical aids.
Objectives of organic viticulture
Dealing with nature carefully is the main objective of organic viticulture. It is based on the natural interplay of soil, climate and vine. The important thing is to maintain and improve the natural soil fertility by cultivation and greenery-planting measures, without using mineral nitrate fertilisers, herbicides, synthetic or organic fungicides and insecticides. Protection of the plants is based solely on strengthening the grape by rearing, cultivation measures and applying renewable or naturally occurring plant restorative agents. A further focus of organic viticulture is the promotion and maintenance of the variety of species in the ecosystem vineyard. The greenery planted is rich in species and the sowing of plants in flower serves to promote beneficial insects.
Doubly certified!
Producers who want to call their agricultural products organic products and market them accordingly, must undergo a control procedure in accordance with the EU eco regulation. In the case of membership in an organic cultivation association, there is a further check of compliance with the even stricter association guidelines in force in addition. All the results are documented in writing in a control report.
Offences are resolutely sanctioned. In addition to that, the relevant commissions also deduce recommendations for the growers from the annual control results. In this way, an association estate is newly certified annually both in accordance with the EU eco regulation and in accordance with association guidelines. Only after a successful conclusion of the test procedure do producers receive two certificates. The EU eco regulation stipulates that every estate must undergo the expensive control procedure at least once a year.
Contact for organic viticulture in Rhine-Hesse
Organic viticulture consulting:
Beate Fader, DLR Rheinhessen-Nahe-Hunsrück, 55276 Oppenheim, Tel: 06133/930-170,
e-mail: beate.fader@dlr.rlp.de
ECOVIN National Association, Head Office:
Götz Drewitz, Wormser Str. 162, 55276 Oppenheim, Tel: 06133-1640,
e-mail: g.drewitz@ecovin.de
