Regions

Rheingau

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The Rheingau runs along the right bank of the Rhine from Hochheim to Lorch: Riesling country, home to Kloster Eberbach, Schloss Johannisberg and the Spätburgunder slopes of Assmannshausen.

The Rheingau occupies a south-facing stretch of the Rhine in the German state of Hesse, one of the 13 specified wine-growing regions named in § 3 of Germany's Weingesetz. Its vineyards covered 3,117 hectares in 2025 and run for roughly 50 kilometers along the right bank of the Rhine, from near Frankfurt am Main across Wiesbaden to Lorch. Riesling dominates with 76.1 percent of plantings (2,441 of 3,207 hectares in 2023), and the Rheingau has the highest percentage of Riesling plantings of any German wine region. The region's wine history runs through Kloster Eberbach, Schloss Johannisberg, and the Charta growers' association that Bernhard Breuer co-founded in 1984.

Drill Rheingau. Flashcards and trivia on the region and its wines.

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History and Heritage

Grapes have been cultivated on the Johannisberg slopes since 817, and legend holds that Charlemagne ordered the vineyards planted after seeing the snow melt there first. Around 1100, Benedictine monks from the abbey of Saint Alban in Mainz founded a cloister on the spot. In 1136 thirteen monks from Clairvaux settled in the valley that became Kloster Eberbach; the abbey grew into one of the biggest and most important cloisters in Germany, and in 1162 it owned a storehouse in Cologne. In 1775 a messenger carrying the harvest authorization from the prince bishop in Fulda to Schloss Johannisberg was delayed for a couple of weeks; the grapes were picked shrivelled and covered in noble rot, and this delay is credited with the birth of Spätlese. As early as 1897, most of the renowned Rheingau wineries, including Schloss Johannisberg, formed a 'Vereinigung Rheingauer Weingutsbesitzer', which in 1910 was one of the founding organizations of the VDP's predecessor. By the 1970s, 70 percent of Rheingau wines were quite sweet. In 1984 Bernhard Breuer co-founded the Charta association of growers, pledging wines made to higher quality standards than the 1971 wine laws required.

Schloss Johannisberg: from 1716 the estate belonged to the prince bishop of Fulda, who built the three-winged castle; four years later 294,000 Riesling vines were planted in its vineyards, and its 35 hectares are still stocked exclusively with Riesling
Kloster Eberbach: monastic life ended with secularisation in 1803; the estate passed to the Duke of Nassau, to the Prussians from 1866, and since 1945 to the State of Hessen, and its Steinberg vineyard is enclosed by a 3,000-meter medieval wall of quarry stones
Charta: Graf Matuschka-Greiffenclau of Schloss Vollrads was another co-founder, and Charta wines were off-dry, with 9 to 12 grams of residual sugar balanced by high acidity; Weingut Spreitzer joined in 1988 and joined the VDP together with the other Charta growers in 1999
Schloss Vollrads: the estate's wine history dates to 1211, when members of the Greiffenclau family first sold wine to the St. Viktorstift in Mainz; today it farms around 70 hectares planted only to Riesling

Key Facts

The Rheingau's vineyard area was 3,117 hectares in 2025, including 2,355 hectares of Riesling and around 390 hectares of Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir)
In 2023 the Rheingau had 3,207 hectares, 85 percent white and 15 percent red, with Riesling at 76.1 percent and Spätburgunder at 12.6 percent; seven German regions were larger by area that year
At Wiesbaden the Rhine bends almost at a right angle toward the west and, after roughly 30 kilometers near Rüdesheim, turns north again; this Rheinknie ('Rhine knee') is the region's geographical peculiarity
The forest-capped Taunus Hills protect the vineyards from cold winds and the Rhine provides a heat-reflecting surface; winters are mild and summers warm
The Schloss Johannisberg late-harvest story dates to 1775, when a delayed messenger meant the grapes were shrivelled and covered in noble rot before picking, which makes Johannisberg the birthplace of the Spätlese
Kloster Eberbach was founded in 1136 by thirteen monks from Clairvaux; a carpenter's bill dates its 'Kabinett cellar' for the monks' most valuable wines to 1730
The VDP adopted its four-tier classification in January 2012, applying from the 2012 vintage; in the Rheingau only Riesling and Pinot Noir are defined for VDP.Grosse Lage sites

Geography and Climate

The Rheingau's defining feature is the Rheinknie: the Rhine, which normally flows northward, bends almost at a right angle toward the west at Wiesbaden, forced by the Rheingau mountains, and after roughly 30 kilometers near Rüdesheim turns north again. The region is practically one long hillside on the northern bank of the river, from Wicker and Hochheim near the confluence of the Main and Rhine to the bend at Rüdesheim and on to the border with the Mittelrhein at Lorchhausen. Winters are mild and summers warm; the forest-capped Taunus Hills protect the vineyards from cold winds, and the Rhine provides a heat-reflecting surface. The wide river also acts as a heat reservoir that gives a stable, mild climate, and in the lower Rheingau from Rüdesheim the slopes become steeper and more rugged as the Rhine turns north again and narrows. Soils vary within a small area and take in chalk, sand, gravel, all types of clay, loess, quartzite and slate: quartzite and clay slate mark the steep slopes of the lower Rheingau, with loess, clay, sand, gravel and marl in the middle and upper Rheingau.

The Rheingau lies along the 50th parallel north, and the cloister founded on the Johannisberg around 1100 stood on the 50th latitude
Kiedrich: Weingut Robert Weil's three southwest-facing hillside sites, Klosterberg, Turmberg and Gräfenberg, are higher-elevation vineyards of up to 240 meters above sea level whose soils carry phyllite, a metamorphic clay slate that forms a foothill zone in the eastern Rheingau
River and inland sites: the vineyards closest to the river enjoy the balmiest temperatures, while those further inland are somewhat cooler with a longer growing season; Decanter (2002) singled out the sheltered sedimentary soils at Hochheim, to the east, as giving the richest, most robust wines of the region
Assmannshausen: steep soils of quartzite and clay slate surround Assmannshausen, where Pinot Noir is the dominant variety, and the Höllenberg has a 45 percent gradient with heat-storing slate soil

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Key Grapes and Wine Styles

Riesling is the Rheingau's focus. In 2023 the region had 2,441 hectares of Riesling out of 3,207 (76.1 percent), followed by Spätburgunder on 403 hectares (12.6 percent), Weißburgunder on 67 hectares (2.1 percent) and Grauburgunder on 36 hectares (1.1 percent); 2025 figures give 2,355 hectares of Riesling within 3,117 hectares. Riesling thrives on the dry, stony, south-facing slopes, withstands cold winter days and benefits from a long ripening period that allows it to develop fine acidity and delicate aromas, and Rheingau Riesling Spätlesen still rank among the region's signature wines. The VDP puts the Rheingau's Riesling share at almost 80 percent and calls it the highest proportion of Riesling in the world. Spätburgunder is particularly well known in Assmannshausen, where the variety has grown on the Assmannshäuser Höllenberg for over 500 years. In 2002, dry wines far outnumbered sweet ones in the Rheingau.

Prädikat spectrum: there are six Prädikats, Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese, Eiswein and Trockenbeerenauslese, each with a defined minimum must weight that depends on grape variety and growing region
Noble sweet wines: Beerenauslese is made from individually selected, overripe berries usually infected by Botrytis cinerea, and Trockenbeerenauslese, the top of the quality pyramid, comes from shrunken, shriveled, noble rot berries that cannot be harvested every vintage
Spätburgunder Grosses Gewächs: August Kesseler bottles an Assmannshäuser Höllenberg GG and a Rüdesheimer Berg Schlossberg GG from what the estate calls the best Pinot Noir sites in the Rheingau
Variety split (2023): Riesling 76.1 percent, Spätburgunder 12.6 percent, Weißburgunder 2.1 percent and Grauburgunder 1.1 percent of 3,207 hectares, with a white-to-red ratio of 85 to 15

Notable Producers and Benchmark Vineyards

Several Rheingau estates trace their histories back generations or centuries. Weingut Robert Weil in Kiedrich dates to 1867, when Dr. Robert Weil bought his first vineyards on the Kiedricher Berg, and he expanded the estate from 1875; his great-grandson Wilhelm Weil began investing in the cellar and vineyards in 1987. The estate holds 90 hectares, all dedicated to Riesling and farmed with certified organic viticulture. The Hessian State Wineries at Kloster Eberbach administer six domains, five of them in the Rheingau, with 200 hectares of vineyards, and opened the Steinbergkeller winery near the old monastery in 2008. Weingut Georg Breuer in Rüdesheim, founded in 1880, is managed by Theresa Breuer, daughter of Bernhard Breuer (d. 2004), with Florian Moll and Joel Welander; it farms 40 hectares in Rüdesheim, Rauenthal and Lorch, 65 percent of them on steep slopes. Weingut Spreitzer in Oestrich traces its roots to 1641, and brothers Bernd and Andreas Spreitzer took over operations from their father Bernhard in 1997.

Kiedricher Gräfenberg (VDP.Grosse Lage): the site Robert Weil calls its finest hillside vineyard, first documented in 1109 as an allotment of the Rheingrafen; its stony soil has a high proportion of phyllite interspersed with loess loam, and Weil makes both a dry Grosses Gewächs and naturally sweet Prädikat wines from it
Rüdesheim, Rauenthal and Lorch: Georg Breuer names Berg Schlossberg (artist label since 1980), Berg Rottland and Berg Roseneck in Rüdesheim, the Nonnenberg monopole in Rauenthal and Pfaffenwies in Lorch as its best sites
Steinberg: Kloster Eberbach's walled vineyard, the oldest vineyard site in Eberbach and its very first; the cellars of the Steinbergkeller reach below it
Assmannshäuser Höllenberg: August Kesseler, who took over his parents' 2.5-hectare estate in Assmannshausen at the age of 19, now farms just under 40 hectares, and the Kloster Eberbach estate also grows Spätburgunder on the Höllenberg

Wine Laws and VDP Classification

Classification ladders

Ripeness scale

German Prädikat

Germany Full article 6 tiers, lowest to highest

6Trockenbeerenauslese
Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA), the pinnacle, requires a minimum of 150°Oe from individually selected, botrytis-shrivelled, raisin-like berries.
min 150 Oe
Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA), the pinnacle, requires a minimum of 150°Oe from individually selected, botrytis-shrivelled, raisin-like berries.
From German Prädikatswein Classification
5Eiswein
Eiswein, at the same ripeness level as Beerenauslese (minimum 110-128°Oe), requires only healthy, botrytis-free grapes frozen naturally on the vine to at least -7 degrees Celsius and pressed while frozen.
min 110 Oeharvested at minus 7 degrees Celsius or colder
Eiswein, made from grapes as ripe as Beerenauslese (minimum 110-128°Oe by region), must be harvested and pressed while frozen; at least -7 degrees Celsius is required before the grapes can be harvested, and growers aim for healthy grapes without botrytis, which gives a fresh, concentrated fruit taste with relatively stable acidity.
From German Prädikatswein Classification
4Beerenauslese
Under the Weingesetz, if, exceptionally, no noble rot has occurred because of the variety or the weather, overripeness of the shrivelled berries is enough, and hand harvesting is required for both Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese.
Under the Weingesetz, if, exceptionally, no noble rot has occurred because of the variety or the weather, overripeness of the shrivelled berries is enough, and hand harvesting is required for both Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese.
From German Prädikatswein Classification
3Auslese
Auslese ('selected harvest') requires 83-100°Oe, with grapes hand-selected from very ripe bunches, sometimes touched by botrytis.
min 83 Oe83 to 100 degrees Oechsle
Auslese ('selection') requires 83-100°Oe; the Weingesetz allows only fully ripe or nobly rotten grapes, unripe berries are separated out, and the wines are often intense in aroma and taste but not always sweet.
From German Prädikatswein Classification
2Spätlese
Spätlese, meaning 'late harvest,' requires a minimum of 76-90°Oe, with the grapes picked after the main harvest.
min 76 Oe
Spätlese, meaning 'late harvest,' requires a minimum of 76-90°Oe depending on region; the Weingesetz allows only fully ripe grapes picked in a late harvest, and the wines tend to show more intense flavor and concentration, though they too can be vinified dry.
From German Prädikatswein Classification
1Kabinett
Kabinett is the entry level of Prädikatswein, made from ripe grapes at 67-82°Oe depending on region.
min 67 Oe67-82°Oe depending on region
Kabinett is the entry level of Prädikatswein, made from ripe grapes at 67-82°Oe depending on region.
From German Prädikatswein Classification

A Prädikat indicates the ripeness of grapes at harvest, not the sugar remaining in the wine; Kabinett, Spätlese and Auslese can all be vinified fully dry.
Eiswein was used in conjunction with other Prädikate before 1982, when it became its own independent category.
There are no upper ripeness limits for any Prädikat level, so a producer may harvest at Spätlese ripeness but label the wine as Kabinett.

Tiers, criteria and figures come only from German Prädikatswein Classification own text. Tap a rung for its criteria and the sentence behind it.

Geographic tiers

German Wine Quality Categories

Germany Full article 4 tiers, lowest to highest

4Prädikatswein
Prädikatswein, the top tier, cannot be chaptalized and must meet specific minimum Oechsle readings depending on region and grape variety.
100% from named areaKabinett 70 - 85, Spätlese 76 - 95, Auslese 83 - 105, Beerenauslese and Eiswein 110 - 128, Trockenbeerenauslese 150 - 154 Oechsle
Prädikatswein, the top tier, cannot be chaptalized and must meet specific minimum Oechsle readings depending on region and grape variety.
From German Wine Classification
3Qualitätswein
Qualitätswein must originate entirely from one of Germany's 13 designated regions and is wine with a protected designation of origin that has passed an official analytical and sensory quality examination, with chaptalization permitted.
100% from named area
Qualitätswein must originate entirely from one of Germany's 13 designated regions and accounts for the vast majority of German production.
From German Wine Classification, read from two or more sentences
2Landwein
Landwein, equivalent to a protected geographical indication, requires at least 85 percent of grapes from the named region.
85% from named area
Landwein, equivalent to a protected geographical indication, requires at least 85 percent of grapes from the named region.
From German Wine Classification
1Deutscher Wein
Deutscher Wein is the basic table wine category requiring only that grapes be grown in Germany, with a minimum of 8.5% alcohol and total acidity of at least 3.5 g/l and no geographic designation required on the label.
minimum 8.5% alcohol and total acidity of at least 3.5 g/l
At the base sits Deutscher Wein, the basic table wine category requiring only that grapes be grown in Germany.
From German Wine Classification, read from two or more sentences

The Prädikat describes ripeness at harvest, not sweetness in the finished wine; wines up to and including Auslese can be vinified dry, off-dry, or sweet.
The top category was known as Qualitätswein mit Prädikat (QmP) until officially renamed Prädikatswein on August 1, 2007.
The 2021 Wine Law, in force from 27 January 2021 and binding from the 2026 vintage, added a parallel geographic pyramid of Anbaugebiet, Region, Ortswein and Lagenwein.

Tiers, criteria and figures come only from German Wine Classification own text. Tap a rung for its criteria and the sentence behind it.

Geographic tiers

VDP Classification

Germany Full article 5 tiers, lowest to highest

5Grosses GewächsGrosses Gewächs (GG)
The article names this tier without stating its criteria.
Grosses Gewächs must contain no more than nine grams of residual sugar and are released no earlier than September 1 of the year following harvest for whites, and a year later for reds.
From VDP Classification, read from two or more sentences
4Grosse Lage
Grosse Lage (grand cru equivalent) represents Germany's finest sites: yields are limited to 50 hl/ha, harvesting must be done selectively by hand, and dry wines from these sites carry the Grosses Gewächs (GG) designation.
yields limited to 50 hl/ha
Examples Erbach
Grosse Lage (grand cru equivalent) represents Germany's finest sites: yields are limited to 50 hl/ha, harvesting must be done selectively by hand, and dry wines from these sites carry the Grosses Gewächs (GG) designation.
From VDP Classification
3Erste Lage
Erste Lage (premier cru equivalent) requires optimal growing conditions, hand harvesting, and a yield ceiling of 60 hl/ha.
yield ceiling of 60 hl/ha
Erste Lage (premier cru equivalent) requires optimal growing conditions, hand harvesting, and a yield ceiling of 60 hl/ha.
From VDP Classification
2Ortswein
Ortswein (village wine) must originate from a single village using regionally defined varieties.
same yield ceiling as Gutswein (75 hl/ha)
Ortswein (village wine) must originate from a single village using regionally defined varieties.
From VDP Classification
1Gutswein
Gutswein (estate wine) forms the base, with grapes from estate-owned vineyards and a maximum yield of 75 hl/ha.
maximum yield of 75 hl/ha
Gutswein (estate wine) forms the base, with grapes from estate-owned vineyards and a maximum yield of 75 hl/ha.
From VDP Classification

The four-tier classification was unanimously adopted at an extraordinary general meeting in 2012, building on the Grosses Gewächs concept first defined in 2002.
The tiers are based purely on vineyard origin, paralleling the Burgundian approach of Premier Cru and Grand Cru.
VDP standards consistently exceed German wine law, mandating lower yields, hand harvesting at top tiers, and strict tasting panel approval.

Tiers, criteria and figures come only from VDP Classification own text. Tap a rung for its criteria and the sentence behind it.

Sweetness levels

German Sweetness Designations

Germany Full article 4 tiers, lowest to highest

4Süß
Süß is the German label term for any wine whose residual sugar exceeds the Halbtrocken threshold of 18 g/L, with no legal ceiling imposed on sweetness.
above 18 g/L RS with no upper legal limit
Süß is the German label term for any wine whose residual sugar exceeds the Halbtrocken threshold of 18 g/L, with no legal ceiling imposed on sweetness.
From Süß (Sweet: No Legal Maximum RS)
3Lieblichlieblich
The article names this tier without stating its criteria.
An informal intermediate term, lieblich, sometimes describes wines in the 18 to 45 g/L RS range, while süß in the strictest EU sense refers to wines above 45 g/L.
From Süß (Sweet: No Legal Maximum RS), read from two or more sentences
2Halbtrocken
Halbtrocken (off-dry) is the legally defined sweetness category with a maximum of 18 g/L residual sugar.
maximum 18 g/L RS
German wine law establishes three legally defined sweetness categories based on residual sugar in the finished wine: Trocken (dry, maximum 9 g/L RS), Halbtrocken (off-dry, maximum 18 g/L RS), and Süß (sweet, above 18 g/L RS with no upper legal limit).
From Süß (Sweet: No Legal Maximum RS)
1Trocken
Trocken (dry) is a legally defined sweetness category with a maximum of 9 g/L residual sugar (up to 4 g/L strictly, with an acidity-based allowance to 9 g/L).
maximum 9 g/L RS
Trocken: maximum 9 g/L RS (up to 4 g/L strictly, with acidity-based allowance to 9 g/L); Halbtrocken: maximum 18 g/L RS; Süß: above 18 g/L RS with no ceiling
From Süß (Sweet: No Legal Maximum RS)

The sweetness designations operate on an entirely separate axis from the Prädikat ripeness system, which measures must weight at harvest.
Lieblich is an informal term, not a legally defined category; EU regulation formally defines süß as above 45 g/L RS, though German labeling practice uses Süß for the entire above-Halbtrocken range.
The Weingesetz of 14 July 1971 codified the Trocken/Halbtrocken/Süß framework that still governs German labeling.

Tiers, criteria and figures come only from Süß (Sweet: No Legal Maximum RS) own text. Tap a rung for its criteria and the sentence behind it.

The Weingesetz (§ 3) names the Rheingau as one of 13 specified wine-growing regions (bestimmte Anbaugebiete) for quality and Prädikat wines. The Prädikat levels from Kabinett to Trockenbeerenauslese each carry a minimum must weight measured in degrees Oechsle, and Prädikat wines may not be enriched with sugar. The 10th Act amending the Wine Act came into force on 27 January 2021, and the new regulations are binding from the 2026 vintage; the amended Wine Ordinance standardises the terms Großes Gewächs and Erstes Gewächs for the first time. Under it, Großes Gewächs must be hand-picked at no more than 50 hectolitres per hectare, reach at least 12 percent natural alcohol, be dry and pass a sensory evaluation, while Erstes Gewächs allows up to 60 hectolitres per hectare on flat sites or 70 on steep slopes with at least 11 percent. Layered on top is the VDP's own classification, which is not stipulated in German wine law: its four tiers, VDP.Gutswein, VDP.Ortswein, VDP.Erste Lage and VDP.Grosse Lage, were adopted unanimously in January 2012, applying from the 2012 vintage, and dry wines from Grosse Lage sites are called VDP.Grosses Gewächs.

Rheingau varieties: the VDP's regional rules define Riesling and Pinot Noir for both VDP.Grosse Lage and VDP.Erste Lage sites in the Rheingau
VDP.Grosse Lage rules: yields capped at 50 hectolitres per hectare, selective hand harvest, and inspection by a board of examiners before and after bottling; white VDP.Grosses Gewächs goes on sale on September 1 after roughly one year of maturation
Erstes Gewächs in the Rheingau: the quality map for Rheingau sites was presented and Hessen's 'Erstes Gewächs' regulation passed in 1999, allowing the term on labels from the 1999 vintage; from the 2018 vintage the regional category was renamed Großes Gewächs, with an 'RGG' logo and a residual-sugar limit cut from 13 to 9 grams per litre
VDP.Rheingau: the VDP's 33 member estates in the Rheingau cultivate 1,140 hectares, more than one third of the region's vineyards

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Visiting and Cultural Experience

The Rheingau is a highly popular tourist destination: the 120-kilometer Rheingau Riesling Route runs through its wine villages, alongside the signposted Rheingauer Riesling Pfad for hiking and Rheingauer Radwanderweg for cycling. The regional calendar includes the Gourmet & Wine Festival in March, the Schlemmerwochen in late April, the Rheingau Music Festival during the summer months, the Glorious Rheingau Days in November, and the traditional wine auctions held at Kloster Eberbach. Kloster Eberbach is one of the best-preserved medieval monastic complexes in Germany; director Jean-Jacques Annaud shot interior scenes for 'The Name of the Rose' there in the winter of 1985, and the film reached cinemas in 1986. Viewpoints include the Niederwald Monument, Schloss Johannisberg, the Hallgartener Zange above Oestrich-Winkel and the Bubenhäuser Höhe.

Rüdesheim and Assmannshausen: during the summer season a chairlift runs from the Niederwald Monument in Rüdesheim past the Höllenberg down to Assmannshausen
Oestrich-Winkel: its wine crane, built between April 1744 and February 1745, loaded wine casks onto Rhine barges and was still working every day until 1926
Geisenheim: the Geisenheim Research Institute for Viticulture, Fruit Growing, and Horticulture, whose studies continue to provide new insights for improving wine quality
Rheingau Riesling Route: 120 kilometers through the region's wine villages, with Gutsschänken and seasonal wine taverns along the way

Sources and last verified

Primary sources (Deutsches Weininstitut, the Weingesetz, the VDP and the named producers' own sites): https://www.winesofgermany.com/our-regions/growing-area/69/rheingau, https://www.winesofgermany.com/fileadmin/DWI/News_Medien/PDF/Statistik_2024-2025.pdf, https://www.winesofgermany.com/our-regions/highlight-of-wine-culture/156/the-monastery-of-eberbach, https://www.winesofgermany.com/our-regions/highlight-of-wine-culture/308/schloss-johannisberg, https://www.winesofgermany.com/our-regions/highlight-of-wine-culture/368/the-wine-crane-of-oestrich, https://www.winesofgermany.com/our-wine/quality-standards/quality-standard/449/pr%C3%A4dikat-categories, https://www.winesofgermany.com/our-wine/quality-standards/quality-standard/182/must-weights, https://www.winesofgermany.com/our-wine/quality-standards/quality-standard/462/new-origin-pyramid-for-qualit%C3%A4t-and-pr%C3%A4dikat-wines, https://www.winesofgermany.com/wine-industry/wine-law-and-regulations, https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/weing_1994/__3.html, https://www.vdp.de/en/the-wines/the-vdpregions/rheingau, https://www.vdp.de/en/the-wines/classification, https://www.weingut-robert-weil.com/en/wines/vineyards-1, https://www.weingut-robert-weil.com/en/winery/tradition, https://www.weingut-robert-weil.com/en/winery/modern-times, https://www.georg-breuer.com/index.php?s=e_weingut, https://www.weingut-spreitzer.de/weingut/historie/, https://www.schlossvollrads.com/weingut, https://www.august-kesseler.de/unser-weingut/, https://www.august-kesseler.de/unsere-lagen/, https://kloster-eberbach.de/de/wein/weingut, https://kloster-eberbach.de/de/presse-und-oeffentlichkeitsarbeit/aktuelle-meldungen/40-jahre-name-der-rose, https://www.weingut-robert-weil.com/en/wines/assortment/grosse-lage, https://www.weingut-robert-weil.com/en/wines/assortment/erste-lage, https://www.weingut-robert-weil.com/en/wines/assortment/gutsweine, https://www.weingut-robert-weil.com/en/wines/riesling, https://www.august-kesseler.de/unsere-weine/. Secondary sources: https://www.decanter.com/features/rheingau-high-and-dry-248976/, https://magazine.wein.plus/news/rheingauer-weinbauverband-introduces-grosses-gewaechs-top-category-first-crop-is-replaced-with-vintage-2018. Last verified 2026-10-05

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Flavor Profile

Rheingau Riesling shows ripe stone fruit (peach, apricot, nectarine) and citrus (lemon zest, grapefruit), with a stony, mineral edge and fresh acidity. Dry Grosses Gewächs bottlings add white flower and dried herb notes and a long finish, while Spätlese and Auslese wines lean toward honey and dried apricot. With bottle age, Riesling can develop petrol notes alongside honey and toasted nuts. Assmannshausen Spätburgunder offers red cherry, raspberry, dried violets and earthy spice with fine tannins and a light to medium body.

Food Pairings

Kabinett and Spätlese Riesling with spicy Asian dishes (Thai green curry, Vietnamese fresh rolls, Korean bibimbap)Grosses Gewächs Trocken with grilled white fish (turbot, halibut, sea bass) and classic sauces such as beurre blanc or brown butter capersRheingau Riesling (off-dry Spätlese) with white asparagus and hollandaiseAuslese and Beerenauslese with aged Comté or Gruyère, foie gras, and blue-veined cheesesAssmannshausen Spätburgunder with roasted game birds (duck, pheasant, pigeon) and wild mushroom reductions

Wines to Try

Weingut Robert Weil Riesling Trocken
Robert Weil's Rheingau estate Riesling (VDP.Gutswein), made from fruit grown on estate holdings abutting its classified Kiedrich hillside vineyards.
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Weingut Robert Weil Kiedricher Turmberg Riesling Trocken
A dry VDP.Erste Lage Riesling from the Turmberg, reinstated in 2005 as a single vineyard and Robert Weil's 3.8-hectare monopoly, on phyllite with loess-loam admixtures.
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Weingut Robert Weil Kiedricher Gräfenberg Riesling Grosses Gewächs
The dry VDP.Grosses Gewächs from the Kiedrich Gräfenberg, the VDP.Grosse Lage that Robert Weil calls its finest hillside vineyard.
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How to Say It

RüdesheimROO-des-hyme

SpätburgunderSHPAYT-bur-goon-der

TrockenbeerenausleseTROK-en-bay-ren-OWS-lay-zeh

PrädikatPRAY-dee-kaht

Grosses GewächsGROH-ses geh-VEKHS

Kloster EberbachKLOH-ster AY-ber-bahkh

Kiedricher GräfenbergKEE-dri-kher GRAY-fen-behrg

RotschieferROHT-shee-fer

Exam Study NotesWSET / CMS

Rheingau = one of 13 German bestimmte Anbaugebiete (Weingesetz § 3); 3,117 ha in 2025, on the right bank of the Rhine for roughly 50 km from near Frankfurt am Main across Wiesbaden to Lorch.
Rheinknie: at Wiesbaden the Rhine turns west for roughly 30 km before turning north again near Rüdesheim; the Taunus Hills shelter the vineyards from cold winds and the Rhine reflects heat.
Varieties (2023): Riesling 76.1% (2,441 of 3,207 ha), Spätburgunder 12.6% (403 ha); the Rheingau has the highest Riesling percentage of any German region, and Spätburgunder is particularly well known in Assmannshausen.
History: Kloster Eberbach founded 1136 by monks from Clairvaux, with its 'Kabinett cellar' dated to 1730; the delayed harvest messenger at Schloss Johannisberg in 1775 is credited with the birth of Spätlese.
Classification: VDP four tiers adopted January 2012, from the 2012 vintage; Rheingau VDP.Grosse Lage and Erste Lage varieties = Riesling and Pinot Noir; Hessen's Erstes Gewächs regulation passed 1999; under the amended Wine Ordinance, Großes Gewächs = hand-picked, max 50 hl/ha, min 12% natural alcohol, dry.

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