Cistercian winery Michel

The dear lady, pilgrims and west winds

In the Middle Ages, on a high plateau about 215 metres above sea level, a Gothic Church of Our Lady actually stood here, together with a hospital courtyard for feeding pilgrims. It was built by the Lords of Dalberg. The location was given the name "in unser lieben frauen padt" in 1524 and "am Liebfrauenberg" in 1737. Today, the foundations still rest under the vines. The "Mariensäule", a monument in the middle of the vineyard, and the name of the single vineyard still remind us of the once highly revered site. The poor soil is characterised by heavy lime marl, with a massive lime reef resting in the subsoil. Cool westerly winds cause the grapes to ripen late. A top site for salty, mineral and complex Rieslings.

> Discover this single vineyard via the Jakobsweg or other routes in the vicinity, such as the Bohnerz-Weg: https://dittelsheim-hessloch.de/naherholung/ 

The location was mentioned in 1787 with the name "in the noble vineyards" documentary and gives indications of the quality of the location.

Long ear, deep well? Definitely a large diversity of varieties

Another very popular vineyard name in the German wine countries: “Hasensprung” (Engl: hare jump). There are various interpretations: Either the name comes from the Middle High German word "spring/sprung" and means spring or well. Or the location refers to the animal hare, which was or is abundant there and stands for fertility. Various grape varieties grow on the very fertile loess soil: great Riesling, fantastic Pinots, just as well as new grape varieties.

• Discover the other single vineyard of Bechtheim: Geyersberg, Rosengarten, Stein
• Discover the "Wine Festival on the Pilgrims' Path", with the "Rheinhessen AUSGEZEICHNET" seal of quality.

World famous and rich in stone

A bog (German: Moor) in Rheinhessen? Certainly not. The site was first mentioned in a document in 1282 with the name "in loco marstein" in a deed of donation to the Cistercian monastery of Otterberg (Pfalz) and can be interpreted as a "marker stone". In other words, it is a boundary stone or a landmark. It is indeed stony here: one stone found during clearing weighed up to 3.2 tons. In the upper soil layer, there are clay marl soils with limestone inclusions, and massive limestone rock underneath. Mineral Rieslings and Pinot Noirs bring world fame to the Westhofen winemakers. There are also plenty of vineyard cottages here, like the “Wingertshäusje Kommandozentrale".

> From Wingertshäuschen to Wingertshäuschen: https://www.rheinhessen.de/wingertsheisje-wanderweg
> To the other single vineyard sites of Westhofen: Aulerde, Brunnenhäuschen, Kirchspiel and Steingrube