Wine myth Riesling

Germany's most important grape variety, Riesling, celebrates its birthday on March 13. The grape variety was first mentioned in a document on this day in 1435. Germany is considered the home of Riesling, as almost half of the world's Riesling vines grow here. It is said that the word Riesling comes from “verrieseln”, which means “of racy acidity”. However, it could also be related to the word “Rusling”, which means dark wood. There is even speculation that it is related to the word “noble rice”. Well, there has always been uncertainty about the name.

The first references to its distribution in what is now Rheinhessen date back to the 15th century. The first documented mention of a vineyard site was in the 16th century in Worms-Pfeddersheim with Riesling vines in the “Fohndel” vineyard, today's St. Georgenberg. This special Riesling document was written on thick parchment on November 11, 1511 and is kept in the Worms city archives. It is therefore a special story about Riesling cultivation, combined with impressive culture and a great tradition in the wine villages along the Rhine.

Riesling is not only a wonderful vine and undeniably one of the greatest grape varieties in the world, it is also the source of some of the finest white wines in existence. Although it reflects the differences in soils and climatic conditions more than other vines originating in Germany, it retains its distinctiveness wherever it grows. After all, Riesling accounts for around 19% of the vineyard area in Rheinhessen and, with over 5,000 hectares, is the most important grape variety in Rheinhessen. And the trend is still rising.

As you can see, Rheinhessen has a great future for Riesling. It is above all the young winegrowers who are fully aware of the potential of Riesling and are making it what it is. It is not for nothing that Riesling is regarded internationally as the benchmark for great white wine art.