Geisenheimer Rothenberg

According to the VDP, the Rothenberg takes its name from the red iron oxide in its soil ('Roth' is an old German spelling for 'red' and 'berg' means 'mountain') and was first mentioned in written documents in 1145. Weingüter Wegeler names the nobleman Ruthard de Rothenberch as the source of that 1145 mention and offers 'Rodenberg', in the sense of clearing land, as a second possible origin of the name (producer site, fetched 2026). On the 1867 site classification map, which the VDP calls the oldest in the world, the vineyard was assigned the highest Class I status, equal to the Rüdesheimer Berglagen, Schloss Johannisberg, Steinberg, Marcobrunn and Gräfenberg; Wegeler says the map was rediscovered in 2011. Today the VDP classifies 5.44 hectares of the site as VDP.GROSSE LAGE, with Riesling as the only classified variety (VDP site profile, fetched 2026).

• 1145: first written mention of the vineyard (VDP), which Wegeler attributes to the nobleman Ruthard de Rothenberch (producer site)
• 1867: Class I status on the site classification map the VDP calls the world's oldest
• VDP.GROSSE LAGE: 5.44 hectares classified within the 44-hectare Einzellage (VDP site profile, fetched 2026)
• Other Geisenheim sites on the VDP's Grosse Lage list: Kläuserweg, Mäuerchen and Morschberg, plus Jesuitengarten, which the VDP lists under Oestrich-Winkel and Geisenheim (VDP, fetched 2026)

The VDP describes the Rothenberg as a pure south-facing slope between 100 and 130 meters above sea level that runs in parts at up to 40 percent down toward Geisenheim, reaching the edge of the town's buildings. Its site profile for the classified area gives a south to southeast aspect, an elevation of 135 to 145 meters and slopes of 10 to 44 percent (VDP, fetched 2026). The soils glow red from iron oxide and also contain weathered rock rich in coarse material with slate, including Taunus quartzite, and have good water-holding capacity; the site profile summarises the ground as eroded Taunus quartzite with veils of loess. Weingüter Wegeler gives the slope a gradient of around 40 percent and calls it probably one of the winners of climate change (producer site, fetched 2026). The Deutsches Weininstitut (DWI) says the view from the Rothenberg was named one of Germany's Best Vineyard Views, a vista taking in the Taunus peaks to the north and, up the Rhine, Schloss Johannisberg and the vineyards of Wiesbaden and Mainz.

• Aspect and elevation (VDP site profile, fetched 2026): south to southeast, 135 to 145 meters, slopes of 10 to 44 percent
• Soils: red iron oxide with weathered slate and Taunus quartzite and good water retention (VDP); Wegeler describes Taunus quartzite interspersed with red clay slate (producer site)
• View: the DWI says the vista pans over the Inselrhein, home to the Rhine's largest island, the Mariannenaue, and its widest section (1 kilometer)
• Walking: the DWI lists a 13.5-kilometer hike from the Rothenberg, about 3.5 hours at medium difficulty, with St. Hildegard's Benedictine Abbey and the Niederwald monument setting its course

The VDP lists Riesling as the only classified variety for the Rothenberg Grosse Lage and names two VDP member estates working in the site: Geheimrat J. Wegeler (Gutshaus Rheingau) and Hochschule Geisenheim University (VDP, fetched 2026). Weingüter Wegeler's own shop (fetched 2026) lists Rothenberg Riesling Grosses Gewächs (GG) from the 2016, 2022 and 2024 vintages alongside Auslese, Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese bottlings and a Rothenberg Riesling Sekt brut nature. In a wein.plus report on the 40th anniversary of Wegeler's Geheimrat J Riesling, first presented in 1984, managing director Richard Grosche says 'The backbone of Geheimrat J will always be the Geisenheimer Rothenberg', and the magazine notes that the winery has many different plots on the slope. The Hochschule Geisenheim estate has been a VDP member since 1995 and farms 13 hectares, according to its VDP profile. The university says it was founded on 1 January 2013 from the merger of the Geisenheim Research Institute (Forschungsanstalt Geisenheim) and the Geisenheim faculty of the RheinMain University of Applied Sciences, with roots in the Royal Prussian Institute of Pomology and Viticulture founded in 1872 by Eduard von Lade (university site, fetched 2026).

• Riesling only: the VDP's site profile names Riesling as the classified variety
• Wegeler's Rothenberg range (producer shop, fetched 2026): Riesling GG, Auslese, a 2011 Beerenauslese, a 2016 Trockenbeerenauslese and a 2016 Riesling Sekt brut nature
• Geheimrat J: wein.plus reports that Wegeler owns 45 hectares in the Rheingau and selects Rothenberg parcels for this dry Riesling
• Hochschule Geisenheim: in its VDP interview, technical cellar head Ludwig Pasch says research, teaching and production come together at the university's estate

Weingüter Wegeler reports that in 2011 Trockenbeerenauslesen (TBA) were harvested in the Rothenberg with must weights of 259, 319 and 340 degrees Oechsle. The estate adds that 2015, 2016 and 2017 were the most recent vintages with optimal conditions for TBA, with must weights of 170, 190 and 230 degrees harvested (producer site, fetched 2026). Its shop lists Rothenberg Auslese from 1996 and 2002, a 2011 Beerenauslese and a 2016 Trockenbeerenauslese.

• 2011 (Wegeler): TBA must weights of 259, 319 and 340 degrees Oechsle
• 2015 to 2017 (Wegeler): the most recent vintages with optimal TBA conditions, at 170, 190 and 230 degrees
• Wegeler's 2002 Geisenheim Rothenberg Auslese is labelled edelsüß (noble sweet) on its shop page (fetched 2026)

Primary sources (the VDP, the Deutsches Weininstitut, and the own sites of Weingüter Wegeler and Hochschule Geisenheim University): https://www.vdp.de/de/die-weine/weinbergonline/lage/7168-rothenberg, https://www.vdp.de/en/the-wines/vineyardonline/lage/7168-rothenberg, https://www.wegeler.com/en/the-estates/rheingau-estate, https://shop.wegeler.com/2002-geisenheim-rothenberg-auslese, https://shop.wegeler.com/search?search=rothenberg, https://www.vdp.de/de/die-winzer/rheingau/hochschule-geisenheim, https://www.hs-geisenheim.de/en/university/about-us/history, https://www.winesofgermany.com/our-regions/winesight/232/geisenheimer-rothenberg. Secondary sources: https://magazine.wein.plus/how-good-riesling-became-a-premium-brand-40-years-of-geheimrat-j. Last verified 2026-09-28