Wein- und Sektkellerei Jakob Gerhardt Niersteiner Schloßkellereien GmbH

Biblical reference, oil mill or oily Rieslings?

Is the single vineyard named “Ölberg” because an oil mill once stood here? Or did the Ölberg get its name because of the oily consistency of the wines produced here? Does the site maybe have biblical references, named after a monastery? Anything is possible. The single vineyard is part of the "Roter Hang" but turns away from the river Rhein and faces south-southeast, situated above Nierstein. Partly very steep with a gradient of up to 60 percent. Like it is tpical for Roter Hang, the soil here is Rotliegendes, the iron oxide-containing, and landscape-defining red shining clay slate. The dominant grape variety is Riesling. In the middle of the vineyard: the Wartturm, a Nierstein landmark. Once a medieval signal tower from the 12th century.

> Discover the single vineyard by bike: https://www.rheinhessen.de/amiche-radweg

> Info about the Nierstein Wartturm: https://www.rheinhessen.de/a-wartturm-von-nierstein
> Wine events, winemakers and more: https://roter-hang.de/

Tool, hill, goat? Nowadays a premium vineyard

The name of the vineyard is documented in a deed from 1753, as the vineyard property of various Nierstein vineyards. The origin of the name has not been definitively clarified. It could have come from Middle High German and once meant "hügell" (hill). Or it goes back to "Hippe", which means tool - or another version - goat. Did bleating goats once jump over the hill here? Who knows. Today, no goats bleat there any more - and the winegrowers have nothing to complain about either. This single vineyard site is of special value. World-class Rieslings thrive on the special red claystone called Rotliegenden. The "Alexander-von-Humboldt-Blick" is a viewing point located in the middle of the single vineyard site. In 1790, the naturalists Georg Forster and Alexander von Humboldt travelled by carriage from Mainz to Nierstein and reported on the red rock and the noble wine.

> Hike and audio to the Hipping station: https://roter-hang.de/weinerlebnis/hipping/ 
> Info about the Alexander-von-Humboldt view: https://rhein-selz-tourismus.de/rhein-selz-entdecken/die-entdeckung-des-tages/alexander-von-humboldt-blick.html 
> Discover the single vineyard by bike: https://www.rheinhessen.de/amiche-radweg 

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/

Boy's name? Toad migration? Rieslings of world fame!

A vineyard of world fame! As the name "Thal" (old German word for valley) suggests, this single vineyard site begins in the valley, directly by the river Rhein, and then climbs steeply up the "Roter Hang". This single vineyard site is the steepest section on "Roter Hang" - very valuable and extremely sought after by winegrowers. The cadastral name has existed since 1753. Where does the name come from? There are several interpretations. The most common variant would be the boy or family name Peter. It could also be derived from Pater, meaning monk. The vineyards were owned by the church for a long time. Or - as they say in Nierstein: "Petten" refers to toads that migrate to the springs and sump holes that emerge above. An indication of this is that an adjacent area is called "Stumpe Loch", which is probably derived from Sumpfloch. Whether ordinary boy's name or ordinary toad: the Rieslings, on the other hand, are not ordinary at all. They are mineral, expressive and capable of ageing. They grow on bare red clay sandstone and get plenty of sun all day long.

> Discover the single vineyard site by bike: https://www.rheinhessen.de/amiche-radweg
> More information about the vineyards of the "Roter Hang": https://roter-hang.de/roter-hang/weinlagen/

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 layer designation is based on a former cross chapel.

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.