Rheinhessen is Germany's largest region for producing the quality wines of the Qualitätswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete (QbA) and Prädikatswein designations, with roughly 26,500 hectares (65,483 acres) of vineyards as of 2014. Many of its most significant viticultural areas are favorably influenced by the Rhine river, which runs along its north and eastern borders. The Rhine, along with the Nahe river to the west and the Haardt mountains to its south, form a natural border. Rheinhessen covers an area south of Rheingau, north of Pfalz and east of Nahe, and is located within the Rhineland-Palatinate federal state.
The region has been cultivating grapes for wine production at least since ancient Roman occupation. It's also the home to the oldest surviving records of a German vineyard. Named Glöck, the vineyard was included in a deed for a church and vineyards gifted by Carloman – a duke of the Franks of the Carolingian family and the uncle of the first Holy Roman Emperor, Charlemagne – to the diocese of Würzburg in 742. Within a century, dozens of villages were cultivating grapes throughout Rheinhessen. An early documentation of Riesling as a distinct grape variety, identified as Rüssling, was also found in records from the city Worms dating back to 1402. The size of the region, and its location on the Rhine, has given it a significant role in Germany's wine industry history. Its largest city, Mainz, has been an unofficial center for wine trade, being home to several national wine organizations including the German Wine Institute and the Association of German Prädikat Wine Estates (Verband Deutscher Prädikats- und Qualitätsweingüter e.V.)
The region predominantly produces white wine, in-line with the majority of German wine production, however it is known for growing relatively diverse range of grape varieties. Müller-Thurgau has been the most planted variety for much of Rheinhessen's modern history, however Riesling has gained in prominence and over the last half-decade the two grapes have come to occupy a similar share of the land under vine, roughly 16 percent each. Dornfelder, the most widely planted red, accounts for 13 percent of the land under vine, with other prominent varieties include Silvaner, Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris) and Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir). Despite the diversity, Riesling and Spätburgunder are the only varieties permitted in the VDP Grosse Lagen wines of Rheinhessen.
Significant to the region is also the variety Scheurebe, a crossing made in the Alzey subregion by Georg Scheu in 1916. For most of its existence it was thought to be a crossing between Riesling and Silvaner, but Rrecent DNA testing has ruled out Silvaner as a parent. While Scheurebe has enjoyed some popularity in the past, the grape's share of the cultivated area in Rheinhessen has been on the decline.
The region was also the birth place and major producer of Liebfraumilch - a mass-produced, semi-sweet, white wine style originally produced in Worms. When the wine gained international popularity, it greatly damaged the wine-producing reputation of Rheinhessen, and even Germany, both of which have only began to recover in recent decades.
Because of its size, Rheinhessen has variety of soil types and climatic influences. Many of the best-known viticultural areas are close to the Rhine, which forms a steeply embanked valley that is able to trap heat, while the river moderates temperature and reflects sunlight. The Taunus hills, Odenwald, and Hunsrück Mountains shelter vineyards from harsh weather, giving Rheinhessen a mild climate compared to the rest Germany, with a relatively long growing season. Annual precipitation is also relatively low, roughly 500mm, making it one of the country's driest wine producing areas.
Rheinhessen is divided into three bereiche, known for producing wines in varying degrees of quality and having different soil composition. Nierstein is often regarded as the leader in terms of quality, due to its proximity to the Rhine and the rich mineral deposits found on the riverbed. The Roter Hang (Red Slope), so-named because of its iron-rich red-hued sandstone, is found here – between Nackenheim and Nierstein, as part of the Rheinterrasse sub-region of Rheinhessen. Bingen lies to the north-west and includes the town of Ingelheim, where the majority of red grapes in the region are grown. Wonnegau is further south and includes the centers of Worms and Alzey, two of the largest grape-growing regions in Rheinhessen.
