Our Wine Bar Tips for Düsseldorf

Wherever wine is grown, you'll also find wine taverns. Most of these regions are in the south-western part of Germany, where climatic conditions play a key role.

Of the 13 wine-growing regions, 11 are located in Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate and Baden-Württemberg. Numerous wine taverns can be found here, as wine plays a particularly important role in these areas. In the rest of Germany and the world, German wine is very popular.

Wine taverns have a wonderfully rustic character, making them perfect places to linger and enjoy yourself. They have an unmistakable charm, and you'll find a wine tavern in every wine-growing region, no matter how small the village.

The Wine Tavern

For those who don't know what a wine tavern is, the name alone suggests that wine plays a central role. And we can all guess what goes on in a wine tavern - "come on in and make yourself at home" is a familiar sentiment to us all. A wine tavern is the perfect meeting place for eating, drinking and socialising.

Wine taverns are often housed in old half-timbered buildings, many of which are listed. Regional home-style cooking meets cosy get-togethers amid a rustic atmosphere in rural vaulted cellars.

You can experience this unmistakable flair in Düsseldorf at Finns Wine & Kitchen.

Nevertheless, it should be remembered that, logically, not every wine tavern in the country can be located within a wine-growing region. When this is the case, a selection of wines from the wine-growing regions is bought in and offered. Different approaches can be taken here:

Either all the wines on offer are sourced exclusively from the nearest wine region, or - the second option - the fine wines are selected from several of the 13 wine-growing regions.

Particularly with this geographically determined selection, wines from abroad - such as Spain, Italy or France, but also from overseas - are often found on the wine list.

What's on Offer in Düsseldorf

Most wine taverns are linked to winegrowing businesses, meaning that serving the house wine is standard practice! The wines on the list are, of course, carefully selected, as the tavern often has limited space available. The selection consists of various wines from different wineries. As a result, tourists might well take a case or two home with them.

Some taverns devote an entire page of their menu to so-called guest wines.

In wine taverns, the range of dishes on offer is fairly limited - for legal reasons. Only simple dishes without much preparation may be served alongside the wine. This is the case, for example, at En de Canon.

In the regions of south-western Rhineland-Palatinate and Hesse, which bear a strong French influence, onion cake and tarte flambée are regional classics on the menu, though only during the grape harvest season - paired with Federweißer, the young, still-fermenting wine.

In all the taverns in the Rheingau and Rheinhessen regions in north-eastern Rhineland-Palatinate, you'll find a fresh cheese preparation called Spundekäs, which is usually served with hearty bread.

In Franconia, more specifically along the Main, "angemachter Camembert", "Kochkäse" or "blaue Zipfel" feature on the menu.

Baguette with Griebenschmalz (crackling dripping) is served in the "Saxony" wine-growing region, where it's known as Fettbemmchen.

You'll also often find bacon-wrapped dates, feta cheese, mixed - usually Mediterranean - platters or sausage salad with bread. The Winzerplatte, a platter of sausage and cheese, is also a popular choice in wine taverns everywhere.

Wine Villages and Surrounding Areas

The villages in the wine regions have been shaped by the cultivation of the surrounding vineyards for several centuries. The village centres, with their charming little lanes, invite you to linger and delight visitors with their lovingly maintained half-timbered buildings.

Many of these villages have listed status, whether for individual buildings or entire village centres. The countryside surrounding the wine villages is also often well worth seeing.

The vineyard slopes, hiking trails and expansive field paths can be both challenging and romantic. Numerous castle ruins, palaces and fortresses lie along the way.

When you look out over the landscape below, you'll see forests and a sea of vines: lush green in summer, and in autumn a mosaic of striking colours - from rich yellows and oranges to deep red.

Germany's Wine-Growing Regions

As already mentioned, most wine-growing regions are located in south-western Germany. Apart from the Saxony and Saale-Unstrut regions, all of them lie in either Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate or Hesse. Why are these regions so unique? Which wine-growing region produces the best white or red wine? We'll explain why, for example, Goldriesling is so special, and much more besides:

Germany's largest wine-growing region is Rheinhessen, covering around 26,000 hectares. This makes up a good quarter of the total area of 100,000 hectares.

Thanks to the mild climate and varied soils, conditions here are excellent for white wines. The world's largest cultivation area for Silvaner is found in Rheinhessen.

At around 23,000 hectares, the Palatinate (Pfalz) is the second-largest region by area. Red and white wines thrive along the German Wine Route thanks to the consistently sunny weather and varied soils. Dornfelder, Müller-Thurgau and Riesling are the main grape varieties grown here.

The Baden wine-growing region, at just under 16,000 hectares, is considerably smaller, yet at 400 kilometres long, it's the longest. According to an EU regulation, Baden is the warmest of all Germany's wine regions. Burgundy varieties are predominantly grown here, with half of the total yield made up of Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir), Grauburgunder/Ruländer (Pinot Gris) and Weißburgunder (Pinot Blanc).

The red grape varieties Lemberger, Schwarzriesling and Trollinger are found above all in the 11,000-hectare Württemberg wine-growing region. A speciality of this region is Schillerwein, also known as Rotling. This wine is produced by pressing red and white grapes together. Due to its colour, this wine is often mistakenly equated with rosé.

The world's steepest vineyard has a gradient of a striking 65 degrees - and belongs to the Mosel region, which covers a total area of 9,000 hectares.

Ahr, Franconia, Rheingau and Others

The Franconia wine-growing region covers around 6,000 hectares. It's also home to the largest cultivation area for Riesling. In total, 80% of Franconia's yield is white wine, with Müller-Thurgau and Silvaner being the most widely grown varieties. The Bocksbeutel is typical of this region; higher-quality Franconian wines are bottled in flat, round-bellied bottles with a short neck.

The Nahe wine-growing region, covering 4,000 hectares, is a paradise for winegrowers. Due to past volcanic activity, around 180 different soil types can be found here. This diversity is reflected in the wines too. Whether Riesling, Müller-Thurgau, Dornfelder or Spätburgunder - all varieties thrive here.

In the Rheingau region, mainly white wines are grown - such as Riesling. Riesling accounts for 80% of the wine produced in this 3,000-hectare region. It's also home to the largest contiguous area for growing Spätburgunder in Germany.

The Saale-Unstrut wine region is the larger of the two wine-growing regions located in the former East Germany. It's also the northernmost of Germany's wine-growing regions. At exactly 800 hectares, it's considerably smaller than Rheingau. Due to its northern location and local weather conditions, mainly early to mid-ripening grape varieties are grown, chiefly Müller-Thurgau and Silvaner. 75% of the total yield consists of wines made from white grapes.

The Ahr region covers just 560 hectares, yet more red wine is produced here than in any other wine-growing region. The slate found in the soil provides an excellent basis for top-quality wines. Spätburgunder in particular thrives here.

Smaller Regions

Goldriesling: since it's only grown in Germany's 500-hectare Saxony wine region, it's a genuine rarity. Saxony is Germany's easternmost wine-growing region. Weißburgunder and Grauburgunder are also grown here, but Traminer is the leading variety.

Cultivating the Mittelrhein wine-growing region is quite time-consuming and costly. The sun shines perfectly on the terraced slopes, making the winegrowers' efforts truly worthwhile. The sun is especially beneficial for Riesling, which accounts for around two-thirds of the total yield.

Germany's smallest wine region, covering just 460 hectares, is the Hessische Bergstraße. Riesling also plays a significant role here, accounting for almost half of the yield. The red wine from this region is also highly regarded everywhere.

That concludes our information on Germany's 13 wine regions and on Düsseldorf in general. We hope our blog post has helped give you an overview of the wine-growing regions. Enjoy your exploring.