Hessische Bergstrasse

Geographical location:
Bordered by the Rhine on the west and the protective Oden Forest on the east, the Hessische Bergstrasse extends from Darmstadt to just north of Heidelberg. The region also boasts a small "island of wine" near Gross-Umstadt on the eastern outskirts of Frankfurt.
Major town(s): Bensheim, Heppenheim.
Climate:
Ample sunshine and sufficient precipitation for vines to thrive.
Soil types:
The soils are varied, ranging (north to south) from porphyry-quartz to weathered granite to sand and loess-loam.
Vineyard area (2003):
444 ha / 1,097 acres · 2 districts · 3 collective vineyard sites · 20+ individual sites
Grape varieties [white 84% · red 16%] (2003):
Riesling (50.6%), Müller-Thurgau (9.2%), Grauburgunder (8.3%) as well as Silvaner, Spätburgunder, Kerner and Weissburgunder.
Marketing:
Well over half of the region's wine-growers deliver their grapes to the regional cooperative cellars in Heppenheim. The State Wine Domain in Bensheim is the region's largest vineyard owner. Given the small size of the region, Bergstrasse wines are scarce and almost without exception consumed locally.
Signposted routes through wine country:
The route B-3 (driving) traverses the length of the Bergstrasse. The Bergsträsser Weinlagenweg (hiking) is a marked path through the vineyards from Zwingenberg to Heppenheim.