Hagemann winery

Once owned by the counts: limestone-rich vineyards for elegant wines

Birds of prey certainly fly their courses here, but they are not the origin of the name. Above Dienheim lies the "Falkenberg" vineyard. The name probably goes back to the "Counts of Falkenstein". In 1423, the mayor and council of the town of Oppenheim had jurisdiction over the Dienheim field parcel. From 1429 to 1497, Oppenheim belonged to the Counts of Falkenstein. So the people of Dienheim were also subjects of the counts. The Falkenberg stands for fine-fruited, elegant wines from various grape varieties. The subsoil of the loess beds contains loam and lime. The best way for hikers to discover the vineyard is by hiking the RheinTerrassenWeg and resting at the Falkenberghütte.

• To the further single location of Dienheim: Tafelstein

The word “Kehr” is a synonym for loop or serpentine. The plough turn as an interpretation for this can be ruled out, books say. The name of the vineyard is interpreted as a bend in the path. But don't all terrain forms have bends? Well then. The first mention of the site dates back to 1465. Different vines grow on loess, heavy clay and loam soils and limestone. The wines, especially Rieslings, are full-bodied and extremely dense, fruity and juicy. A vineyard hut with benches and a table offers a rest and a view.

Presented to the Pope

A red sandstone cross, a votive cross, stands at the foot of a vineyard in this single vineyard. This is probably where the name comes from. A votive cross means a special kind of cross: The cross was erected out of gratitude. As a rescue from an emergency. Riesling and also increasingly Pinot Noir vines grow here, which have freshness and finesse. A nice anecdote: Pope Benedict was served a 1999 Pinot Noir from this vineyard by the Kühling-Gillot winery as a mass wine - how fitting. The winemakers therefore call the site "Papstlage" (engl. Pope’s vineyard).

> Overview of sights in and around Oppenheim: https://www.stadt-oppenheim.de/sehen/
> Link to the German Viticulture Museum: https://www.dwm-content.de/
> Other single vineyard sites with the name Kreuz: Ingelheimer Rotes Kreuz, Ockenheimer Kreuz

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

Kranz family or wrath around the village? 

Is the single vineyard placed like a wreath (German: “Kranz”) around Dalheim? That would be a nice explanation, but unfortunately no. The site does, however, lie around one side of the village, from east to south to west. It was mentioned in a document in 1418 with the name "off dem Crausberge". It is assumed that a personal name was decisive. The various vines thrive on clay marl and loess. Incidentally, the fossil-rich sands in this area belong to the Stadecken Formation and were deposited in the Mainz Basin area about 30 million years ago. Hikers are recommended to visit the Graunsberg hut near the site: an approximately 150-year-old earth-covered building with barrel vaults. The "Amiche" cycle route runs close to the village of Dalheim.

• There is another single vineyard with the name Kranzberg in Rheinhessen: the Niersteiner Kranzberg

Wide range of grape varieties in the old part of the district

Nestled between the villages of Hillesheim, Dolgesheim, Wintersheim and Dorn-Dürkheim lies the single vineyard "Altenberg". This has nothing to do with senior vintners or old vines. The site was first mentioned in a document in 1618 with the name "im alten Berg". The area lies in the oldest part of the district. Apparently there was also a new part. A variety of grape varieties grow on loess and marl in the "Altenberg". A visit to the Evolution Column, a three-metre high marble column by the artist Achim Ribbeck, is worthwhile. A tribute to the important geological site above Dorn-Dürkheim: 80 vertebrate species have been found here, for example prehistoric horses.

The drink of the teacher - wines from the limestone

Which doctor is meant here? The doctor, the schoolmaster, a scholar? It is assumed, that the rights to use the vineyard belonged to the village schoolmaster. Apparently he was a foodie, as the vineyard is pure limestone. The humus layer is very thin. This produces mineral and salty wines. The acidity is well buffered by the limestone. Especially Pinots grow very well here. In former quarries - used by the inhabitants for centuries – dedicated winegrowers planted vines again.

• Discover the single vineyard via bike path "Valtinche". A former railroad line, named after the carter Valentin.

Wonderful vineyard site

Above Oppenheim, beginning at Landskron Castle, this single vineyard site runs along the slope to the south-southeast. The name actually refers to gentlemen, not meaning fine men, but actual rulers. It is unknown whether ecclesiastical or secular lords are meant, but it is suspected, that the lords of Dalberg gave the vineyard its name. They were one of the most important noble families in medieval Oppenheim. The Herrenberg is interspersed with limestone, a deep and poor soil, especially for white grape varieties such as Riesling, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and Silvaner. The grapes ripen slowly and show great ripening potential. The wines are very mineral. A visit to the Landskron ruins, the magnificent Katharinenkirche (the local church) and the town centre is recommended. Oppenheim is home to the German Museum of viticulture.

By the way: the single vineyard "Am Krötenbrunnen" once made the town of Oppenheim very famous. Today, this vineyard name no longer exists due to land consolidation. Yet, the Toad Fountain originally was not a vineyard, but an old water system. The gallery, which leads 30 metres into the mountain, has been shut down for many years. But until today, it is still there, in the center of the "Oppenheimer Herrenberg" site.

> Overview of the sights in and around Oppenheim: https://www.stadt-oppenheim.de/sehen/ 
> Link to the German Wine Museum: https://www.dwm-content.de/ 
> The Rheinterrassenweg leads through the middle of the single vineyard site https://www.rheinhessen.de/etappenvorschlaege/rheinterrassenweg-etappe-guntersblum-ludwigshoehe-dienheim-oppenheim 
> On the development of the field name "Am Krötenbrunnen": https://www.regionalgeschichte.net/rheinhessen/oppenheim/einzelaspekte/flurnamen.html 
> Rheinhessen blog: https://blog.rheinhessen.de/kirchenfuehrung-katharinenkirche-oppenheim-magdalena-schaeffer/

Carrying goods from the river to the town

Guilds and associations of craftsmen or merchants were very important in the Middle Ages. In Oppenheim there was a guild of sack bearers. Today they would be called transporters or logisticians. They once carried the ship's goods from the river Rhein to Oppenheim, as the town is located on an elevated site. Certainly a lot of goods were stored in the cellar labyrinths afterwards. These can still be visited today. The single vineyard was mentioned in 1475 as "hinder dem sacktreger thorne". Heavily weathered limestone lies in the subsoil. Vines such as Riesling, Silvaner or Gewürztraminer, but also Pinot Noir feel at home in the warm, wind-protected location.

> Discover the underground city of Oppenheim: https://www.rheinhessen.de/a-oppenheimer-kellerlabyrinth 
> Regional history of the town of Oppenheim: https://www.regionalgeschichte.net/rheinhessen/oppenheim.html 
> On the development of field names: https://www.regionalgeschichte.net/rheinhessen/oppenheim/einzelaspekte/flurnamen.html 
> The next generation of winegrowers is trained directly at the site: Dienstleistungszentrum Ländlicher Raum. 

The location name is based on the castle near Dexheim, of which only part of the tower is left after a fire in 1683.

Military horsemen, noble tables and fertile soils

In the Middle Ages, noble families received tributes from their people: pigs, cheese or wine. The so-called "Tafelgüter". It is assumed that the camp name "Tafelstein" refers to this. The vines between Dienheim and Ludwigshöhe grow on deep loess, loam and lime marl. Ideal for Riesling, Pinot Noir and other varieties. The soils are fertile with good water storage capacity. The "Siliusbrunnen" (Silius Well) located there refers to the horseman Silius, who served in a Roman cavalry regiment and was buried in the Rhine terraces.

• To the further single location of Dienheim: Falkenberg
• For the regional history of Dienheim