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Geographical Location
The Palatinate wine-growing region is located in the federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate. It stretches south of Worms in a belt 80 kilometers long to the French border north of Alsace and from the slopes of the Palatinate Forest to the Rhine plain.
Grape VarietiesIn the Palatinate, white wines are the undisputed leaders with 60%. Riesling leads with 22.5%, followed by Müller-Thurgau with 10%, Kerner with 5%, Pinot Gris with 4.5% and Silvaner and Pinot Blanc with 3.5% each. The remaining 40% are red wines, with the Dornfelder grape variety dominating with 14%, followed by Portuguese with 10% and Pinot Noir with 7%.
Climate and SoilsThe Palatinate offers ideal conditions for viticulture. There are dry, not too hot summers and mild winters. With around 1,800 hours of sunshine a year, the Palatinate is one of the warmest German growing areas.
The Middle Rhine has a temperate climate. The wind-protected locations benefit from many sunny days. The water surface of the Rhine and the sun-sloping soil store heat during the day, which it releases again after sunset, so that excessive temperature fluctuations are avoided.
The soils on the Middle Rhine consist of slate and weathered greywacke soils, which store heat during the day. In the north, the soils are of volcanic origin. Pumice and tufa, but also loess islands, loam and Rhine pebble soils can be found.
Size and LocationsThe cultivation area with 23,390 hectares of vineyards in the federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate is the second largest in Germany after Rheinhessen.
More than 60% of the vineyards are steep slopes with more than 30% inclination, the rest almost only slopes. The Middle Rhine wine-growing region covers 455 hectares of vineyards. It is divided into the two areas of Loreley and Siebengebirge with eleven major sites and 111 individual sites.
FeatureViticulture on the Middle Rhine is mostly dominated by small private wineries. Both the cultivation and the development of the wine are usually in one hand. The wines can often only be obtained directly from the winegrowers, and there are only a few cooperatives.
