The Wine Regions of Germany

Each year, Germany holds hundreds of wine festivals. In order to provide all that wine and fun, however, Germany's wine producers need to be hard at work in their world-famous vineyards.
Baden

Situated in the southernmost tip of the wine region in Germany, Baden is a slender land strip extending from Heidelberg in the north all the way down to Lake Constance in the south. Baden is world-renowned. It's near the famous Black Forest, where the soils range from clay to volcanic stone, gravel to limestone. The grapes grown here a varied, but they include Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Pinot Gris,  Müller-Thurgau, and Gutedel.

Mittelrhein

While not a large wine producer in Germany, Mittelrhein's Bacharach, a small village named after Bacchus, the Greek god of wine, has been producing wine since the Middle Ages. The grapes here grow in clay-like slate, and they have a delightful acidic flavor. You'll find varieties like Kerner, Riesling, and Müller-Thurgau grown in this region. The vineyards here are usually situated on steep, rocky slopes close to medieval castles. This German wine region produces some of the best sparkling wine in the world.

Rheingau

Located in between Hoccheim on the Main River and Lorch (close to Mittelrhein), Rheingau is one of Germany's oldest wine regions. Botrytis and Pinot Noir are cultivated here. This wine region was developed by cloister and monastic inhabitants over the centuries, and the wines from here were said to have been served at Queen Victoria's table.

Rheinhessen

This region is bordered by the Rhine on the north and easst, and the Nahe River on the west. Its vineyard covers about 600 square miles, making it the second largest wine region in Germany. This area is blessed with a variety of soil and micro-climates. The Portugieser red and ancient Silvaner are both produced here.

Pfalze

Pfalze is the largest wine producer in Germany. It is known in the world for its clay, mark, and challk. The grapes cultivate here include Kerner, Morio-Muskat, Müller-Thurgau, and Silvaner. It also grows Dornfelder from which a complex, full-bodied red wine is made.

Pfalze is bordered on the west and south by France, and on the north by Rheinhessen. This German wine region stretches for more than 48 miles.

Germany's wine making regions boast of world-class vineyards and vintners who are able to produce world-class wine -- wine that make those hundreds of wine festivals hot among tourists and wine lovers the worldwide.