Winery Manz

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 

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

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/

Climb up and enjoy the view over the terraces

There's no mistake in the spelling here. The name is meant exactly as it is written: The Middle High German word "Steige", which means steep descent; is joined by the terraced terrain. The vines look towards the Rhine like visitors in a theatre. Behind the loess layer is limestone. The site is hot and dry. The wines are ripe and spicy. Close to the single vineyard: the Jewish cemetery, first mentioned in a document in 1736.

> To the other single vineyard sites of Guntersblum: Bornpfad, Himmelthal, and Kreuzkapelle.
> Information about the Jewish cemetery: https://www.kulturverein-guntersblum.de/joomla/index.php/geschichte/der-juedische-friedhof-in-guntersblum 
> Discover this single vineyard via Rheinterrassenweg, stage 4: 
https://www.rheinhessen.de/etappenvorschlaege/rheinterrassenweg-etappe-guntersblum-ludwigshoehe-dienheim-oppenheim
> In the photos you can see two red grape harvesting machines. The photos were taken in the fall of 2021. 

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.

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. 

A vanished village and an up-and-coming location

Has the devil been up to his mischief here? The name "devil" in the case of vineyards often refers to disreputable localities. Or is it perhaps based on a more harmless personal name? The single vineyard site lies to the west of the village. Not far away, however, in the direction of the river Rhein, is a late Baroque cemetery cross with a somewhat creepy background. The village of Rudeslheim, which perished in 1822, is located there. The cross is a reminder for this. The "Ludwigshöher Teufelskopf" site has a slope of 15 to 25 percent. In the soil - loess, limestone and sandy loam - mainly white varieties thrive, such as harmonious Riesling and even Grüner Veltliner.

> To the Rhine Terraces Trail: https://www.rheinhessen.de/rheinterrassenweg-etappe-guntersblum-ludwigshoehe-dienheim-oppenheim
> To the wine hiking trail above Ludwigshöhe: https://www.outdooractive.com/de/route/wanderung/rheinhessen/weinwanderweg-oberhalb-von-ludwigshoehe/193379203/
> Info on the Rudelsheim vineyard: https://www.regionalgeschichte.net/rheinhessen/ludwigshoehe/kulturdenkmaeler/feldkreuz.html
> To other vineyards with the name Teufel: Essenheimer Teufelspfad