Ahr: Paradise for Bon Vivants

The Ahr is one of the smallest and most northerly wine-growing regions of Germany. Red varietals, in particular, thrive on the steep slopes overlooking the Ahr River south of Bonn. The fertile valley merits a visit – not only to discover landmarks of wine culture, such as Kloster Marienthal monastery and the wine-growers’ cooperative Mayschoss-Altenahr.
 
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Baden - Typically Diverse

Baden, with 16,000 ha (39,500 acres) of vineyards, ranks third in size among Germany’s 13 wine-growing regions. It stretches from north to south for some 400 km (250 miles). Not surprising, then, that its wines are quite varied. Amoung its landmarks of wine culture are four gigantic wine casks in Heidelberg’s castle.
 
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Franken: Bocksbeutel and Baroque

Müller-Thurgau, the primary grape variety in Franconia (Franken), is undergoing a renaissance at the hand of young growers who produce a modern style of wine. Würzburg is the wine capital of the region and renowned for its baroque architectural gems. Find also Staatliche Hofkeller, Bürgerspital zum Heiligen Geist, and Juliusspital – as is Castell, home of the dynasty of the same name and the cradle of Silvaner, an ancient varietal that thrives in the region’s shell-limestone and marly soils.
 
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Spring Awakens

The Hessische Bergstrasse is a tiny region along the foothills of the Odenwald forest south of Frankfurt. The warmth of spring arrives here earlier than elsewhere in Germany. Not only do the picturesque Old Town quarters of its villages beckon, but also its landmarks of wine culture: Lorsch Abbey, where many vineyard names were first documented in its historical codex, and the "Wein und Stein" geological discovery path.
 
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Home of Rhine Romanticism

The Mittelrhein town of Bacharach and the Bopparder Hamm, a broad vine-clad loop of the Rhine, were named wine cultural sights by the German Wine Institute. Rhine romanticism is embodied not only by the legendary Loreley cliff, but also by the dozens of fortresses and castle ruins along this 100-km (60-mile) stretch of the Rhine Valley – the backdrop for the region’s steep, terraced vineyards, which are also part of this UNESCO World Heritage site.
 
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Riesling Specialists

The vineyards along the Mosel, Saar, and Ruwer Rivers form what it considered to be Germany's oldest wine-growing region. Five landmarks of culture merit a visit: the Roman press house in Piesport; Germany’s oldest wine cellars in the Vereinigten Hospizien estate in Trier; the famous “sundials� in several vineyards; Europe’s steepest vineyard, the Bremmer Calmont; and Traben-Trarbach, formerly a major commercial wine center.
 
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2000 Years of Viticultural Tradition

Visitors to the Nahe region can expect a landscape bathed in soft shades of green, romantic river valleys, and three landmarks of wine culture: the ruins of Kloster Disibodenberg monastery, where the oldest grape variety of Germany still grows; Gut Hermannsberg, where Riesling thrives on slopes above a former copper mine; and the open-air museum in Bad Sobernheim, where the history of viticulture comes alive.
 
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Superlatives as far as the eye can see

The Pfalz is known for its superlatives, but it has more than the world's largest wine cask and wine festival: Germany's oldest productive vines in Rhodt unter Rietburg; the Historical Museum of the Pfalz in Speyer, which houses the world’s oldest bottle of wine; the wine village of Deidesheim, where the first quality wine of the Pfalz was produced; and the Roman villa in Weilberg/Ungstein, which bears witness to Roman viticulture.
 
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Pure Joie de Vivre

The Rheingau, known for its Riesling and Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) wines, is a very popular destination near Wiesbaden. Find Schloss Johannisberg, the “birthplace� of Spätlese, the late harvest; Kloster Eberbach monastery, where Cistercian monks set the stage for quality viticulture and the historical crane on riverbank in Oestrich, where many a wine barrel was sent on its way downstream to Rotterdam and beyond.
 
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Land of a Thousand Hills

Germany's largest wine-growing region enjoys optimal climatic conditions for viticulture. It is protected in the west by hills; the weather is dry; and in summer temperatures are warm; in winter, mild. The famous Liebfrauenstift-Kirchenstück vineyard in Worms, Germany's oldest recorded vineyard, Niersteiner Glöck and the Kupferberg visitor center in Mainz are "landmarks of wine culture".
 
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Experience Wine in Untouched Nature

The 51st degree of latitude runs through the Saale-Unstrut region, making it Germany's northernmost quality wine region. A balanced mix of sunshine and cool temperatures yields wines that are at once delicate and lively. Find the "stone album" (wine-related motifs carved in stone) in Grossjena; the vineyard huts that dot the terraced vineyards of the Schweigenberg hills; and the Rotkäppchen sparkling wine cellars in Freyburg.
 
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Land of Specialties and Rarities

Sachsen is Germany's easternmost wine-growing region and one of its smallest. The region’s two landmarks of wine culture are: the State Wine Domain "Schloss Wackerbarth" and Weingut Hoflössnitz with its wine museum that chronicles the region’s viticulture over the centuries.
 
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Red Wine Country in the South

In terms of volume, Württemberg is the only region that produces more red than white wine in Germany. With 11,500 ha (28,400 acres) of vineyards, it ranks fourth in size among Germany's 13 wine-growing regions. white wine in Germany. We distinguished three sites as landmarks of wine culture: Kessler in Esslingen, German's oldest sparkling wine producers; "Fürstenfass" (royal cask) and "Herrschaftskelter" (domain wine press) in Pfedelbach (east of Heilbronn).
 
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