The steep slopes of the Rhine and Moselle are known for the excellent wines produced there by many winegrowers. Due to its location on both rivers, Koblenz can score with regional wines from both growing regions.
When the Romans settled in the Rhine and Moselle region over 2000 years ago, they brought vines with them. Even then, they took advantage of the sunny steep slopes to promote viticulture and produce their own wines. And this has remained the case to this day. Winegrowers still cultivate wine in the Koblenz cultural landscape on the Rhine and Moselle.
Wine growing areas near Koblenz
With its 3,400 hectares, the Moselle valley is one of the largest steep vineyards in the world. The vineyards are laid out in terraces along the river. The unique microclimate and the heat-retaining slate rock allow the grapes to grow well. The grapes that produce the fruity Riesling are particularly common here.
The Middle Rhine wine-growing region is located on the steep vineyard slopes on the banks of the Rhine. The slopes here are so steep that the vines are cultivated almost exclusively by hand. The vines grow very well on the terraces of slate, volcanic rock, loam and loess.
Around Koblenz, a good half a million vines are cultivated on around 40 hectares of land. Most of the vineyards are located on the Moselle, with only around 10 hectares on the Middle Rhine. If you take a look at the wines offered by the “Koblenz winegrowers”, you will mainly find Pinot Noir, Dornfelder and Riesling. Some of the wineries offer visitors to Koblenz the opportunity to get to know their wines during a wine tasting. It is even possible to take a guided tour of the vineyards and learn about the wine-making process in a wine cellar.
Weingut Göhlen – Wine from Koblenz
The Göhlen winery is located in the Ehrenbreitstein district of Koblenz, directly on the Mühlenbach stream. The Schmidt family has been running the winery in Mühlental for several generations. The vineyards there belong to the Middle Rhine wine-growing region. A variety of red and white grape varieties grow on the steep slopes of the mineral, heat-retaining slate rock.
I had never heard of some of the grape varieties before. A vine with the name Huxel and the Ehrenbreitstein grape variety are certainly not to be found everywhere in the world. The Huxel grape is a white grape that originated from a cross between German and French Muscat grapes. It is the first grape to be harvested each year. However, the Riesling, Müller-Thurgau, Bacchus, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir and Portugieser grape varieties are better known.
We visited the winery and took part in a cellar tour followed by a wine tasting. There are tasting rooms and, if the weather is good, you can also sit outside in the beautifully landscaped grounds. There is a real vacation feeling when you enjoy a well-tempered wine surrounded by flowering plants and sunshine.
A visit to the atmospherically lit wine cellar showed me a wine storage system that I had never seen before. In addition to the familiar wine barrels, they also use large ceramic containers in which the wine matures.
In the wine cellar there were a few more explanations about wine production and I really understood for the first time how the different sugar content – i.e. the sweetness of the wine – comes about.
Wine from Koblenz – let’s taste …
Then it was time to taste the wines. We started with a dry Pinot Blanc from 2022. In the glass, the Pinot Blanc presents itself in a light, straw-yellow color. The first sip reveals a pleasant freshness that is supported by a moderate acidity.
The fine fruity aromas that I perceived on the nose continue on the palate. This delicately fruity and elegant Pinot Blanc is ideal as an aperitif or as an accompaniment to light dishes such as fish or poultry.
Another wine that I found very good was the feinherb Ehrenbreitsteiner from 2022, a feinherb quality wine that falls between the “dry” and “semi-dry” categories. The Ehrenbreitsteiner has a harmonious balance between sweetness and acidity, you can taste a lot of fruit.
The wine goes well with a variety of foods, especially hot or spicy dishes where the sweetness of the wine can balance the spiciness of the food. I liked the wine so much that we bought a case straight away.
The Rotling, my absolute favorite, is a feinherber wine from 2022 and is made from red and white grapes. The winemaker uses around 50% Pinot Noir and Regent and 50% Müller-Thurgau for the wine, which are then matured together in a barrel. The wine is fruity and, despite its 11% alcohol content, is wonderfully light. I simply had to buy a case of this wine too and it tastes just as good at home as it does in Koblenz.
We tasted a total of 5 different wines and there wasn’t one product that I didn’t like. Each wine had its own inimitable taste. We really enjoyed our visit to the winery.
Address:
Weingut Göhlen
Georg Schmidt
Mühlental 33
56077 Koblenz
The visit took place as part of a cooperation with Koblenz-Touristik .
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