The flavor of forest floor in wine of Mittelrhein
Discover the of Mittelrhein wines revealing the of forest floor flavor during the olphactive analysis (nose) and during the gustative analysis (mouth).
Mittelrhein is one of Germany's smaller wine regions, with around 468 hectares (1,156 acres) under Vine. A Long, thin region, it follows the course of the Rhine river between Rheinhessen/bingen">Bingen and Bonn, a distance of about 100 kilometers (60 miles) as the crow flies.
At its Southern end, the region abuts the western edge of Rheinhessen and northern limits of the Nahe. It also intersects with the Mosel and Ahr regions, where their respective rivers Flow into the Rhine.
The better Vineyard sites are concentrated in the south, around Boppard, Bacharach and Bingen.
Some of the scenery here is spectacular, with medieval castles perched on rocky crags overlooking the vineyards and river below. Indeed, the 'Upper Middle Rhine Valley' was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2002.
Mittelrhein wine production is dominated by white wine varieties, most obviously Riesling, which accounts for around 65 percent of vines here.
Müller-Thurgau, Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris) and Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc) also feature. The only red-wine grape grown in any quantity here is Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) which accounts for roughly ten percent.
Very little Mittelrhein wine is exported, and even on the German domestic market it is not widely known. Unfortunately, the region's dramatic beauty comes at a cost to the wine trade.
While taller overall vines do exist in regions such as Galicia with their pergola training method, the roots of any vine usually top out at 37cm. It’s at this top point where the Vitis vinifera shoot is grafted in and continues to grow, giving us such grapes as Cabernet Sauvignon or Chardonnay. This is opposed to the rootstocks which are composed of various crosses of vines such as Vitis rupestris which aren’t used for wine production but are resistant to the root louse, phylloxera. This new tal ...
In the second part of this series, Decanter’s editorial team members highlight the wines they are looking forward to tasting at the upcoming Decanter Fine Wine Encounter NYC on Saturday 18th June 2022. Tina Gellie – Content Manager and Regional Editor (US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand & South Africa) Burrowing Owl, Cabernet Sauvignon, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada 2019 In 2016, while on a press trip to British Columbia’s Okanagan and Similkameen Valleys, I had the pleasur ...
At a lunch in Brussels, the 2021 PFV ‘Family is Sustainability’ prize was presented to Jan Strick and his son Matthijs of Maison Bernard, who triumphed over more than 100 applicants from around the world to win the €100,000 (£84,000) award. ‘Selection was difficult,’ said Matthieu Perrin, president of the PFV, ‘but ultimately the jury felt that Maison Bernard is a brilliant example of exquisite handicraft and the maintenance of an ancient artisanal tradition in family hands, exactly as we fight ...