Palatinate

The wines from Palatinate

At 85 kilometers long, the Palatinate is Germany's longest wine region. It stretches from the left bank of the Rhine to the French Alsace region. Along this region lie 130 villages, home to several wineries. And with 23,000 hectares, the Palatinate itself is the second-largest German wine-growing region.

The German Wine Road

Until 1992, this region was known as Rheinpfalz. At that time, the focus was primarily on the production of bulk wines. In recent years, however, the area has focused on developing fine quality wines and is known as the German Wine Route. The Palatinate Forest is one of the most important areas in this wine region. The vineyards are situated on a rolling terrain along the eastern edge of the forest, stretching approximately 10 by 80 kilometers. But the most important area is Mittelhaardt, where the sandy loam soils form the basis for high-quality wines. The well-known wine villages of Bad Durkheim, Kallstadt, Ungstein, Wachenheim, and Deidesheim are also located here. Besides producing high-quality wines, the Palatinate also likes to celebrate. The season begins with the Mandelblutenfest in Neustadt-Gimmeldingen and ends in November with the Martinus-Weinfest.

The balance between white and red wines

Over 60 percent of Palatinate wines are white. Various grape varieties are used for this, with Riesling proudly claiming the role of king of white wines. Muller-Thurgau, Silvaner, Weissburgunder, and Gewürztraminer are also widely planted in the rolling vineyards. The Palatinate is one of Germany's warmest regions, and therefore, many red grape varieties are also found. The Dornfelder grape is primarily used for red wines. Portugieser and Spatburgunder are also frequently pressed into quality wines. The soil and climate in Germany are becoming increasingly warmer, and this means that the Dornfelder grape is increasingly thriving. It is responsible for full-bodied red wines with a robust flavor. The Palatinate enjoys abundant sunshine, and combined with the average temperature, this offers many possibilities. Riesling and Dornfelder thrive in this climate, and thanks to the nutrient-rich soil, they can develop beautiful characteristics. The soil consists of sandstone, loam, and clay, with a small portion of rock and lava.

Quality wineries from Palatinate

Palatinate is by far the largest Riesling region in the world. A star in this area is the Emil Bauer winery. They have been crafting exquisite wines for five generations, including the Bundschuh Riesling, an aromatic Riesling with surprisingly deep flavor. A special grape variety in Palatinate is the St. Laurent. This grape was saved from extinction by the region's winemakers and now creates velvety-smooth red wines from it. Among them is the Ellermann winery. With the Spiegel St. Laurent wine, they demonstrate that they can also produce a fantastic wine with this grape variety. After twelve months of oak aging, a wine is created with richness and finesse. The pleasant tannins give the wine a bite and ensure that you won't soon forget this grape variety.