Location and landscape
Bechenheim is a municipality in the district of Alzey-Worms in Rhineland-Palatinate and lies in the wine-growing region Rheinhessen. At around 300 metres above sea level, the town is described as the highest-altitude wine-growing municipality in Rheinhessen. The region is warm and distinctly dry; less than 500 millimetres of precipitation fall each year, and the average July temperature is between 17 and 19 °C.
Wine-growing and the Fröhlich site
The wine site Fröhlich is officially designated as Bechenheimer Fröhlich. It belongs to the Großlage Sybillenstein in the Wonnegau wine-growing region and lies within the municipal cadastral area of Bechenheim. Geologically, the single site is assigned to Rotliegend and Rigosol. The shallow to medium-depth soils are calcareous, stony and clayey-loamy, and they show a low level of water storage available to plants.
Terroir and wine style
The terroir description links the site with herbal, delicately spicy and almost floral notes, as well as mineral components. In addition, there are pronounced aromas of peach, apricot and honeydew melon, a lively acidity and potential for ripening.
Historical development
Bechenheim is first documented in the year 824; for 855, a manorial estate with a court is documented there. Historically, wine-growing initially played no significant role and established itself after the land consolidation in the 1960s. Under German wine law, Rheinhessen is designated as a specific wine-growing region; Bechenheim is listed in the EU documentation for products with the protected geographical indication Rheinhessen.
