German Rivers
“The Germans are exceedingly fond of Rhine wines”
Germany is famous for its steep slopes, terraced vines rising almost vertically at times. These slopes are vital for ripening in a cool climate, the slate, stony soils radiating heat and reflecting sunshine. The rivers are also essential for the same reason, as well as having helped push the land into the slopes. Without Germany’s rivers, there wouldn’t be world-class wine.
After the Hundred Years War finally came to an end in the mid-17th century, farmers rushed to plant crops for food and for money. They planted cereals that would harvest immediately, in contrast to grape vines. But they wanted to plant everywhere they could, so vines were planted on the steep slopes above the rivers as nothing else would ripen there. Despite the horrors of a century of war, it led to a fortituous development: some of the greatest wine in the world. Those slopes, where nothing else could be grown, were and remain perfect for wine, a long growing season which soaks up the sunshine above the rivers.
rhine (rhein/rhin)
The Rhine (Rhein in German) begins in Alpine south-east Switzerland, travelling to Basel on the Swiss-German border and flowing upwards through Germany and then westerly to the Netherlands, finishing in Amsterdam and the North Sea. The river, which is over 1,200km, crosses through many disputed regions, cutting the boundaries between Switzerland, Austria, Liechtenstein, Germany, France, and the Netherlands, disputes which go back to the Roman Empire.
It was also an important means of trade, navigating commerce between all these different regions and countries. Alsace in particular benefited from its position on the Rhine. The wines, usually spiced, were transported throughout Central Europe and to northern Europe by the river. It’s also a river that, since Roman times, has been adapted for trade to facilitate commerce, with the creation of dams and the removal of bends in the river to make it easier to navigate. In places, the Rhine now looks quite different from what it did 200 years ago. The changes to the course of the river made both trade and farming easier, but also created erosion which increased the steepness of the slopes.
In Germany, the Rhein is connected to many industrial areas around Köln and Düsseldort, but there are many wine regions connected to the river: Rheinhessen, Rheingau, and Mittelrhein in Germany, and Alsace in France. Rheinhessen is known for larger-volume production, but there is also very good wine made from slopes above the river. Rheinterrase has warmer temperatures because of the river, with the vines protected from frost. Rheingau is the most famous region, with the river aiding the development of noble rot for the finest sweet wines. Mittelrhein is lesser known outside the country, but again has very steep slopes which result in very good Riesling.
It’s hard to generalise about such a long river which touches so many countries and whose course has been altered by people over centuries, but there are many great wine regions connected to the Rhine.
mosel (moselle)
Another river which connects Germany and France. Mosel (Moselle in French) begins in the Vosges mountains in France, flowing through Lorraine into Luxembourg and then into Germany where it meets the Rhine in Koblenz. Half of the vineyards in the region are 25%+ gradient, the highest vineyard (Calmont) 65%. The river winds back and forth, the slopes dramatically above it. The Lower Mosel, whose steepest vineyards are termed as Terrassenmosel, has a lot in common in neighbouring Mittelrhein, not surprisingly as it’s where the two rivers meet. Mittelmosel is where the most famous villages and vineyards are located, still on steep slopes. More basic wines in the Mosel are from flat, fertile vineyards: the river can have two different impacts, providing water to the low-lying sites or reflecting sunlight to the higher-elevation slopes.
saar & rüwer
These two rivers used to be lumped together as extenstions of the Mosel, but now are considered wine regions in their own right: one can’t just lump rivers together. Saar in particular has seen a revival in quality production. The slopes above the river are just so cold it’s difficult to ripen the grapes despite the water effect. This leads to a taut acidity in the wines and arguably the most underappreciated wines in Germany. With climate change, the rivers will further aid ripening hopefully without losing the character of the wines.
nahe
The Nahe is another river which flows into the Rhine, originating in Saarland and meeting the Rhine in Bingen. There are several valleys within the region, and slopes rise above the river with differing slate soils. The climate changes along the river, getting warmer as it moves further to the east.
tauber
The Black Forest (Schwarzenwald) is a beautiful region in Baden on the Upper Rhine Valley on the other side of the Vosges mountains in Alsace. The valley is important as there are many different soil types formed over millions of years and also warm air comes in from the south to aid ripening. Spring frost is a potential issue; vines are grown above the valley floor on south-facing slopes. The Rhine is also important in Baden but one district, Tauberfranken, is named after the river Tauber that crosses Franken, Württemburg, and Baden, and refers to a little island within the river where Meunier (Schwarzriesling) is grown. The river Neckar is also important in Württemburg, an unheralded region with extremely steep slopes.
ahr
The Ahr is an 85km river that feeds into the Rhine. It winds back and forth to create south-facing slopes on dark, volcanic soils that together make ripening Pinot Noir (Spätburgunder) possible in a region that’s so far north—more than 50° latitude. It’s also a region known for its natural spring water—Bad Neuenahr is a famous spa town.
main
Another river that joins the Rhine is Main, which runs into the Tauber valley. The wine region most associated with the river is Franken, east of Frankfurt. Its winding direction again creates steep, south-facing slopes on which vines are grown, most notably Silvaner. Soils vary along the river, seen in their different colours from white to red which define the features of local buildings. The river creates varied regions depending on aspect, soil type, and climate.
Not every region in Germany is heavily influenced by a river, but many are. Without the rivers, we wouldn’t have world-class German wine.
