Location and landscape
Nieder-Hilbersheim is a municipality in the Mainz-Bingen district in Rhineland-Palatinate and belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Gau-Algesheim. The town lies in the Welzbachtal valley, surrounded by wooded hills, vineyards and orchards. The municipality also includes a protected forest area of around 16 hectares.
Agriculture and wine-growing sites
The municipality is shaped by agriculture. Among other things, white and red wine, fruit and asparagus are grown. The wine-growing sites associated with Nieder-Hilbersheim include Honigberg, Mönchspforte and Steinacker.
Soils and wine profiles
Mönchspforte covers 24 hectares and lies at an altitude of around 220 to 255 metres, with exposures from south-east to north-west. Its deep, calcareous loess-pararendzinas are rich in nutrients and store water well. Honigberg features marl-pelosol as well as calcareous clay and Terra fusca; a documented, 1.76-hectare plot is planted with Riesling. Steinacker lies as the higher terrace at the edge of the forest and is characterised by loess-pararendzina, calcareous clay and Terra fusca. The wines described there range from lean and refreshing to full-bodied and complex.
History
Nieder-Hilbersheim was first mentioned in 933. The historical forms “Hibridesheim” and “Helbridisheim” are recorded for 1108 and 1128 respectively. Archaeological finds from a cleared vineyard area point to settlement in the Bronze Age. Honigberg has been documented since 1740 under the name “zu hönnigen”, while Mönchspforte in the same year is recorded as “an der Porth”; an estate belonging to a Mainz city monastery was located there. Steinacker was first documented in 1362.
