Braunweiler

Braunweiler is a municipality on the Nahe wine route in the Soonwald-Nahe area in Rhineland-Palatinate, near Bad Kreuznach. The municipality lies in front of the Soonwald and is assigned to the landscape of the Vorhunsrück.

Braunweiler is a winegrowing municipality with the officially registered vineyard sites Hellenpfad, Michaeliskapelle, Schloßberg and Wetterkreuz. In the vineyard register 2024, Hellenpfad covers 2.1 hectares, Michaeliskapelle 6.5 hectares and Wetterkreuz 6.5 hectares in the Braunweiler cadastral area. Schloßberg is registered as a single vineyard site extending beyond the municipality, with reference to Braunweiler, Mandel and Sponheim.

For Hellenpfad, Riesling is documented. Wines from the Michaeliskapelle include documented wines from Chardonnay, Kerner, Riesling and Merlot; for Wetterkreuz, Silvaner, Rivaner and Müller-Thurgau respectively, Weißer Burgunder, Blauer Spätburgunder and Rotling are documented. The wines from Braunweiler’s vineyard sites include dry, fine-dry, semi-sweet and sweet quality wines as well as Kabinett and Spätlese. For Wetterkreuz, Blanc de Noir, dry red wine and ice wine are also documented. The mild climate in the Soonwald-Nahe region, according to a description by a local producer, supports the ripening of the grapes.

Archaeological finds in the Braunweiler cadastral area include prehistoric tools, fifteen early Celtic burial mounds between Braunweiler and Sankt Katharinen, and indications of Roman settlement. In 1271, the place was mentioned as “Praumweil”. In the late Middle Ages, Braunweiler belonged to the vicinity of the Counts of Sponheim and remained in their possession until the end of their line in 1437. After the French occupation of the left bank of the Rhine, the place belonged to the canton of Kreuznach. In 1816, the area became Prussian; since the administrative reform of 1970, Braunweiler has belonged to the Verbandsgemeinde Rüdesheim.