Winegrowing in Rheinhessen
Bodenheim is a winegrowing municipality in Rheinhessen. The vineyards belong to the Nierstein sub-region and to the Großlage Sankt Alban. Winegrowing has been documented since Roman times; an early written mention is considered to be the donation of a vineyard in the Bodenheim area to Fulda Abbey in 754.
Sites and soils
The Bodenheimer Hoch lies as a high plateau near Mainz and has up to 35 percent steep slopes. The Burgweg, which faces east, is at about 90 to 140 metres above sea level and has a slope angle of 10 to 25 percent. Its soils consist of loess from the Ice Age and sandy loam. The Ebersberg also faces east and lies at about 110 to 130 metres above sea level; there, loess and pararendzina shape the soil.
In Heitersbrünnchen, loess and pararendzina soils are found, as well as calcareous limestone and rendzina soils. The Silberberg is characterised by marl and pararendzina in calcareous loams and sands from Tertiary marine deposits. These soil conditions can also be found in the south-facing Reichsritterstift at about 110 metres above sea level.
Grape varieties and wine styles
For the Hoch, Riesling, Weißburgunder and Spätburgunder, as well as other newer red grape varieties, are documented. In the Burgweg, among others, Spätburgunder, Riesling, Silvaner and Scheurebe grow. The Mönchspfad is planted with various grape varieties, including Silvaner.
The wines of the Burgweg are associated with yellow fruits, apple, peach, pear and citrus, along with moderate structure and mild acidity. The Silberberg stands for dense, full-bodied wines with balanced acidity and pronounced fruit; for white wines, mango, honeydew melon and apricot are mentioned. Kühling Gillot cultivates around 50-year-old Spätburgunder vines at the steep foot of the Burgweg for powerful, fruit-driven wines with pronounced fullness.
Historical references
The Burgweg has been documented since 1364 as “Uf dem Burgwege”; the current name may be traced back to a spelling error for “Bergwege”. The Mönchspfad recalls areas of the Mainz monastery of St. Alban, which was dissolved in 1802. The Reichsritterstift received its name through the transformation of the monastery into a Reichsritterstift in 1490. After the land consolidation begun in the 1960s, the vineyards were increasingly planted with individual grape varieties and adapted for mechanised cultivation.
