Ahr

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• Located in the Rhenish Slate Massif; Lower Devonian rocks: sandstones (greywackes) and clay slates of the Ahr anticline.
• Western portion of the rock sequence: hard, consolidated bedrock; eastern portion: deeply weathered saprolites, frequently displaying variegated coloration.
• Terraces of the Ahr partly covered by substantial deposits of Löß and Lößlehm; additionally, gravels and Lehme of the valley floodplains.
• 69% of vineyard areas have a slope gradient exceeding 30%; valley slopes reach 150–200 m in height.
• Mean annual temperature 9.8 °C, average precipitation 650 mm, approximately 1,450 hours of sunshine per year.

• A tradition of viticulture along the Ahr is documented as far back as 755 AD, when a vineyard near Remagen was donated to the monastery of Stablo.
• Steillage conditions (69% of vineyard areas with >30% slope gradient) necessitate a high level of manual labor and severely limit mechanization.

• Schiefer and greywacke soils impart a pronounced minerality; the intensive cultivation required in Steillagen promotes fine, precise aromatic and flavor expression.
• A long growing season and favorable mesoclimate encourage a grape variety profile characterized by harmonious acidity and well-defined aromas.

• The Schiefer and greywacke soils of the Lower Devonian impart a pronounced minerality to the wines of the Ahr.

Facts drawn from the cahier's terroir-link section (Lien au terroir) by automatic interpretation — see the source.

Sources

• eAmbrosia register (EU) — File number PDO-DE-A0867
• Official trade body site — Ahrwein e.V.