Wiesbaden - Wine Bars

Wine taverns can be found wherever there are plenty of wine-growing estates. In Germany, these are mainly regions in the south-western part of the country. The reason for this lies in the climatic conditions.

11 of the 13 German wine-growing regions are located in Rheinland-Pfalz, Hessen and Baden-Württemberg. As wine plays such an important role here, there are a great many wine taverns in these areas. German wines are enjoyed not just around the world but also across the rest of Germany.

Wine taverns invite you to relax and enjoy yourself thanks to their cosy atmosphere. They exude a special flair that makes them so distinctive. No matter how tiny the village, if it lies within a wine-growing region, you're sure to find a wine tavern there too.

The wine tavern

For those who don't know what a wine tavern is, the name itself gives it away - wine plays a central role. And what one does in a wine tavern, we can all guess - "Come on in" is a familiar sentiment to us all. A wine tavern is the perfect meeting place for drinking, socialising and eating.

They're often found in centuries-old half-timbered houses, many of which are listed buildings. In rustic vaulted cellars, regional fare meets convivial company amid a wonderfully traditional atmosphere.

You can experience this unmistakable atmosphere in Wiesbaden at Weinod Vinothek & Weinbar.

That said, it's clear that not every wine tavern in the country can be located within a wine-growing region. Where this is the case, a selection of wines is sourced and offered from the wine regions instead. Two approaches are typically used here:

Either wines are sourced from the nearest wine region, or - the second option - fine wines are selected from more than one of the 13 wine-growing areas.

With this geographical selection in particular, wines from abroad - such as Italy, France or Spain, but also from overseas - are frequently found on the menu.

What's on offer in Wiesbaden

Regional wines are, of course, guaranteed to be served, especially since most wine taverns work closely with winegrowing estates. Space in the tavern is usually limited, which is why the wines on the menu are carefully selected. Nevertheless, wine taverns also serve wines other than their own. As a result, holidaymakers might well end up taking a case or two home with them.

Guest wines are often listed on a separate page of the menu.

For legal reasons, menus in wine taverns tend to be quite simple. Only dishes that require little preparation may be served alongside wine. This is the case, for example, at WEINBAR 38.

Flammkuchen and Zwiebelkuchen (onion tart) are regional favourites in the south-west of Rheinland-Pfalz, close to France, and in Hessen, mainly during harvest time alongside the new wine, also known as Federweißer.

In all the taverns in the Rheinhessen and Rheingau regions in the north-east of Rheinland-Pfalz, you'll find a soft cheese preparation called Spundekäs, usually served with hearty bread.

Along the Main, in the Franken wine-growing region, "Kochkäse", "blaue Zipfel" and "angemachte Camembert" all feature on the menu.

In the "Sachsen" wine-growing region, baguette with Griebenschmalz (crackling dripping) is served. It's known as Fettbemmchen.

You'll also commonly find sheep's cheese, mixed and Mediterranean platters, sausage salad with bread, and dates wrapped in bacon. Cold meat and cheese platters are very popular in wine taverns, where they're also known as Winzerplatten (winegrower's platters).

Wine for Wiesbaden

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

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

Extensive field paths through the vineyards and hiking trails are both challenging and romantic. Depending on the region, some paths pass by castles, castle ruins and stately homes.

When you look out over the surrounding landscape from up there, you'll see forests and a sea of vines: lush green in summer, and in autumn a mosaic of striking colours - from deep red to rich shades of yellow and orange.

Germany's wine-growing regions

As already mentioned, most wine-growing regions are located in the south-west of Germany. Aside from Saale-Unstrut and Sachsen, all the wine regions lie in Hessen, Baden-Württemberg or Rheinland-Pfalz. But what makes each region so special? Which wine region produces the best red or white wine? And what makes the Goldriesling grape so special? Here's an overview:

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

The mild climate and varied soils provide excellent conditions for white grape varieties. The world's largest Silvaner cultivation area is found in Rheinhessen.

The second-largest growing region is the Pfalz, with a good 23,000 hectares. Along the German Wine Route, white and red wines flourish thanks to the varied soils and relatively frequent sunshine. The main grape varieties grown here are Dornfelder, Müller-Thurgau and Riesling.

At just under 16,000 hectares, the Baden wine region is considerably smaller, yet at 400 kilometres long, it's the most extensive. According to an EU regulation dividing wine-growing areas into seven climatic zones, Baden is the warmest of all Germany's wine regions. The main varieties grown here are Grauburgunder/Ruländer, Blauer Spätburgunder and Weißburgunder - in other words, Pinot wines in general.

In the 11,000-hectare Württemberg wine-growing region, you'll mainly find the red varieties Trollinger, Schwarzriesling and Lemberger. The Rotling, also known as Schillerwein, is a speciality of this region. It's made by pressing red and white grapes together. Because of its colour, it's often mistaken for a rosé wine.

With around 9,000 hectares under cultivation, the Mosel region is considered the world's largest steep-slope wine-growing area - the gradient of the world's steepest vineyard is around 65 degrees.

Franken, Ahr, Rheingau and others

The Franken wine-growing region covers a good 6,000 hectares. It's also home to the largest area used for growing Riesling. White wine makes up the majority here, at 80%. Silvaner and Müller-Thurgau are the most commonly grown varieties. Higher-quality Franken wines are bottled in distinctive round, flat bottles with a short neck - the Bocksbeutel is a real speciality of this region.

For winegrowers, the 4,000-hectare Nahe wine-growing region is something of an El Dorado. Due to past volcanic activity, around 180 different soil types can be found here. This diversity is reflected in the wines. Both white wines like Müller-Thurgau and Riesling, and red wines like Dornfelder and Spätburgunder, thrive here.

In the Rheingau wine-growing region, white wine - particularly Riesling - is grown. Riesling accounts for around 80% of the wine produced in this roughly 3,000-hectare region. This is also home to Germany's largest contiguous growing area for Spätburgunder.

The Saale-Unstrut wine region is the larger of the two growing areas located in the former East Germany. It's also the northernmost of Germany's wine regions. Rheingau is around 2,200 hectares larger than Saale-Unstrut, which covers exactly 800 hectares. Silvaner and Müller-Thurgau are early- to mid-ripening varieties that grow well in northern locations, mainly due to the weather conditions. Three-quarters of the total yield consists of wines made from white grapes.

On the small area of just 560 hectares that makes up the Ahr wine-growing region, red wines are produced almost exclusively - more so than in any other German wine region. The slate rock in the soil provides excellent conditions for top-quality wines, which is why Spätburgunder feels perfectly at home here too.

Smaller wine-growing regions

Goldriesling is a fine wine, as it's only grown in the 500-hectare Sachsen wine-growing region. Sachsen is the easternmost region in the country. Alongside the distinctive Goldriesling, Weißburgunder, Grauburgunder and Traminer are the most widely cultivated varieties.

In the Mittelrhein region, cultivation is highly labour-intensive and costly. But the effort pays off for winegrowers, as the sun shines ideally on the steep terraces. Riesling accounts for around two-thirds of the entire harvest, as this white wine variety thrives particularly well here.

Germany's smallest wine region, at just 460 hectares, is the Hessische Bergstraße. Riesling also plays a major role here, accounting for nearly half of the yield. The small amount of red wine produced in this region is also highly regarded everywhere.

That concludes our information on Wiesbaden and Germany's 13 wine-growing regions in general. We hope this article has helped give you an overview of wine taverns and the country's wine-growing regions. Enjoy exploring.