Germany's largest wine-growing region (26,500 hectares) was a wallflower for a long time, considered more a provenance of nameless branded wines (Liebfrauenmilch, Blue Nun, Black Tower) than a provenance of individualistic top wines. However, a young generation of winemakers has been digging up the treasure that lies dormant in Rheinhessen's soils for about 20 years. Whether limestone (as around Westhofen and Flörsheim-Dalsheim), red clay slate from the Rotliegende (as around Nierstein and Nackenheim), slate (Bingen) or porphyry (Siefersheim) - Rheinhessen is a land full of varied terroir and wines worth discovering.
Qualitatively, Riesling clearly plays the most important role, even though only slightly more than 16 percent of the vineyards are planted with it.