Wine and Rhine

Hardly any other town in Germany is predestined to be the secret capital of German wines than Bingen. Here is where the wine-growing areas meet: Rheinhessen, Nahe, Mittelrhein and the Rheingau.

More than 40 full-time vintners work in 685 hectares of vineyards, which means that more wine is grown in Bingen than in other smaller wine-growing areas in Germany.

There are famous wine-growing areas, such as Scharlachberg and Rochusberg, which have made wine from Bingen known beyond the German borders, and are well-known for their excellent quality. That is proven by numerous awards, for example the Staatsehrenpreise (state prize), Kammerpreismünzen (chamber medallions) and finally the Ehrenpreis (honorary prize) from the town of Bingen.

But it is not only the wine produced by vintners in Bingen which are marketed. Large companies in the town supply millions of bottles for the world market.

There is something special about the wine in Bingen. Here the so-called ice wine was invented in the suburb of Dromersheim. This is recorded in an article in the “Rheinischer Volksbote” newspaper, which was issued on Saturday, 21 October 1832.

In 1829 the grapes could often not be picked because they were not ripe enough. The flowing harsh winter, with lots of problems for people and animals, caused many people to take the grapes from the vines and feed them to their cattle. It was then discovered that the grapes, which had survived 22° of frost, still contained liquid. The grapes were pressed through a piece of cloth and the juice was fermented in the usual way. The result was a thoroughly good, sweet wine.

This was documented and officially confirmed by the vintner, Herr Henner, and the Dromersheim mayor Schmitt. The harvest was on 11 February 1830.

But also the health-promoting effect of wine was recognized very early in Bingen. That was established by the abbess Hildegard von Bingen more than 800 years ago.

“Ein Wein von der Rebe, wenn er rein ist,
macht dem Trinker das Blut gut und gesund“
(Wine from the grape, when it is pure, makes the drinker’s blood good and healthy).
She produced more than 30 herbal recipes with wine.

In order to make wine from Bingen known outside the immediate vicinity, the population in Bingen created an association, founded by vintners and other professions, which was committed to the wine culture – the Weinsenat (wine senate) Binger Mäuseturm e.V.

Every year a wine senator is elected who helps market the wine from Bingen and makes it known throughout the world. The illustrious group includes, among others, Heino, Dieter Stollte (the head of the ZDF (the second German TV station), Werner Höfer and Jockel Fuchs.

Where so much wine is produced, the people know how to drink it. Best, of course, at a vintner’s during a wine-tasting.
The huge range can be experienced at the Fest des Weines (Wine Festival) in Bingen, the traditional vintners’ festival. It is no coincidence that the festival lasts 11 days, because so much time is needed to taste all of the wines on offer. But this magnificent product is offered at all other festivals in the town.

Those who gaze into the eyes of the wine queen “Prinzess Schwätzerchen” and her princesses are convinced that Bingen is the capital of wine.

Come and let yourself be convinced! Discover your wine and take a stroll along the wine-instruction path, make friends with Bingen wine in a cosy group at a Straußwirtschaft at a vintner’s or in a wine pub.