I got a taste of Riesling's terroir in the Rheingau
A wine lover writes about a 2000-year-old winemaking tradition shaped by sunlit slopes and slate-rich soils along the Rhine, that produces Germany's greatest white wine
“Wine delights the hearts of mankind," proclaims a Latin inscription on a wooden wine press dating to 1801. Next to it, stands another basket wine press from 1668, with fluted columns holding up the heavy horizontal disc used for pressing grapes. Both wine presses are part of an exhibit in what used to be the refectory (dining room) of the 12th century Eberbach Abbey, a former Cistercian monastery in the Rheingau region of the west-German state of Hesse. With 3,000 hectares corresponding to just 3% of the total German vineyard area, Rheingau is amongst the smallest of the country's 13 designated winemaking regions. But it is here that the Riesling finds its best expression, making up more than 75% of wine produced in the region. And the abbey is where it all began.
Winemaking in Germany dates back nearly 2,000 years when the Romans established vineyards along the Rhine. In the Middle Ages, Cistercian and Benedictine monasteries became custodians of winemaking traditions, cultivating vineyards and refining techniques. Eberbach Abbey was founded in 1136 by Bernard of Clairvaux from Burgundy, France (later venerated as Saint Bernard). The monks at the abbey began cultivating French red grape varieties, and later, white varieties including the Riesling. In the early 1700s, Riesling grapes were mass-planted in the Rheingau, pioneering the region's reputation for producing high-quality, single-varietal wines.
The Rheingau (literally, land of the Rhine in Old German) measures a mere 28km in length, between the towns of Wiesbaden and Rüdesheim. It spans the northern banks of the Rhine as it flows westward. This creates a unique microclimate protected from the cold northern winds by the Taunus Mountains. The south-facing slopes of the riverbank have a gentle-to-steep incline that provides optimal sunlight exposure to the Riesling grapes, concentrating the sugars. The soils vary from slate to quartzite to clay and add a distinct minerality, contributing to the complexity and depth of flavour in the wines. This unique terroir brings the required acidity and notes of slate, flint, and earthiness to the wine — characteristics that are much prized in a good German Riesling.
After learning much about the Rheingau Rieslings, I’m keen to try some. A 10-minute drive (6km) from the abbey brings me to the family-run Baron Knyphausen Winery, located in Eltville am Rhein, the largest town in the region. The winery dates to 1818 and is currently run by its 8th-generation owner, Frederik Baron Knyphausen who welcomes me with a glass of their 2022 Riesling Sekt Brut. The dry sparkling wine is fresh and tingly with a creamy mouthfeel, the perfect drink for a breezy late-August afternoon. And because this is Germany, the food pairing is pretzel (what else?) and spundekäse, a paprika-laced fresh cream cheese dip. With just 16 hectares of vineyards, Baron Knyphausen Winery is a boutique one but it’s part of the prestigious Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter (VDP). This is an association of more than 200 wineries from all of Germany’s 13 wine regions that adhere to strict winemaking rules. In essence, a VDP classification indicates the highest quality of German wine.
Frederik shows me around the vineyards that are planted largely with Riesling grapes but there’s also a bit of Pinot Noir as well as Roter Riesling, which is considered the parent varietal of present-day Riesling. Just off the vineyards is a yellow-walled manor house with a tall slate roof dotted with dormer windows. “The house was built in 1727 and was our family home; I grew up here but it’s now an estate hotel," says Frederik. The winery also has a restaurant housed in a modern, industrial-style building and a tasting room and wine shop. The winemaking unit itself is quite modern and I get a tour, but not before a new wine is poured into my glass — the 2023 Riesling is labelled Charta, referencing an association formed in 1984 to certify high-quality 100% Riesling wines made from the best Rheingau vineyards. Later, I also try a glass of the 2023 Roter Riesling. “The Red Riesling is a pink-skinned grape, similar to a Pinot Gris, but the resulting wine is yellowish-golden, not rosé or red as you might expect from the name," explains Frederik. The off-dry wine is certainly sweeter than the previous ones, but not cloyingly so.
Over two days, I sample several Rieslings through the Rheingau, as well as across the river in the separate wine region of Rheinhessen. All are eminently drinkable, shattering my previously-held belief that Rieslings are either too sour or too sweet for my taste. As I sit down to dinner at Wald.Weit hotel where I’m staying, the server opens another Riesling. This one is a private-label wine made exclusively for the hotel by Weingut Robert Weil, one of the most renowned Rheingau wineries dating to 1875. The 2024 Riesling is a ‘trocken’ or dry wine, which is crisp and full-bodied with juicy citrus notes and subtle minerality. As the sun sets over the Rhine, I’m convinced the only thing better than drinking a Rheingau Riesling is drinking it right here, where every glass comes with a view — and a story.
Prachi Joshi is a Mumbai-based travel and food writer.
topics
