Mittelrhein

Mittelrhein (literally, “Middle Rhine”) is one of the 13 German wine-growing regions, located along a 120-kilometer stretch of the famous Rhine river. The Middle Rhine is commonly thought of as the touristy portion of the Rhine, and probably the wine growing region that most foreigners think of when they think about German wine. Moreover, Mittelrhein is located to arguably the most famous German wine growing region, Mosel.

Despite the picturesque scenery of the region – including the Rhine Gorge, recently included on the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites – wines from Mittelrhein are rarely exported, due to the combination of increasing domestic demand and declining supply.

The most famous grape varietal from Mittelrhein is Riesling, which accounts for a majority (68%) of all wine produced in the region. The second most popular grape varietal is Spatburgunder, which accounts for just 8.7% of wine production from this region. Trailing far behind are Müller-Thurgau (6.3%) and Kerner (3.3%).

The Mittelrhein wine region is divided into a total of 2 districts, 11 sites, and 111 vineyards. These vineyards are located on both sides of the Rhine. Of the 11 sites, 10 are located in the federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate, while 1 is located in the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

Similar to other German wine growing regions, white wine grapes are dominant, accounting for 85% of all wine produced in Mittelrhein. Predominantly, this is due to the climate of the region, which favors white wine production.

Here is a brief audio guide on Mittelrhein wine region. Check it out.