Rheingauer Landwein

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• The subsoil of the Upper and Middle Rheingau consists of sandy and clayey marine and brackish unconsolidated sediments of Tertiary age, while the Lower Rheingau is characterised by quartzites, quartzitic sandstones, phyllites, and clay slates of the Lower Devonian.
• The Rhine and Main terrace plains make up the largest share of the growing region's area and are covered with thick deposits of loess or loess loam.
• The Rheingau lies in the rain shadow of the forested heights of the Rheingaugebirge — a part of the Hohen Taunus range, oriented from southwest to northeast — and these forests slow the drainage of cold night air into the vineyards below.
• In the village areas close to the Rhine, Mediterranean woody plants such as fig trees, olives, apricots, and peaches grow in gardens, while on the steep Rhine slopes a vegetation adapted to drought conditions prevails.
• Climatic data averaged over the 30-year period from 1971 to 2000 show a mean annual temperature of 10.6 °C, with 15.4 °C during the growing season, as well as an average annual rainfall of 582 mm and approximately 1,603 hours of sunshine.
• The beneficial influence of the Rhine Rift Valley leads to an early start to the growing season, and the predominantly south- to southwest-facing slopes and steep sites enhance heat accumulation.

• After harvest, the wine is vinified and classified at the Landwein quality level, with cellar practices primarily aimed at preserving the compounds concentrated in the grapes.

• The large diurnal temperature swings during the ripening phase extend that phase and have a positive effect on the development of aromatic compounds in the grapes.

Facts drawn from the specification's terroir-link section by automatic interpretation — see the source.

All appellations in Germany

Sources

• eAmbrosia register (EU) — File number PGI-DE-A1299
• Official trade body site — Deutsches Weininstitut (DWI)