Location and landscape
Dorsheim is a municipality in the Bad Kreuznach district in Rhineland-Palatinate. It lies in the Trollbachtal within the Nahe wine-growing region and covers 2.22 square kilometres. On 31 March 2026, Dorsheim had 737 inhabitants. The municipality stretches along slopes above the Trollbachtal; vineyards and viewpoints look out over the Rhenish-Hessian plain and the surrounding uplands.
Vineyard sites and winegrowing
The official directory of vineyard sites lists six single sites in Dorsheim: Burgberg, Goldloch, Jungbrunnen, Klosterpfad, Pittermännchen and Trollberg. Their planted areas range from about 3.8 hectares at Burgberg to 21.4 hectares at Trollberg. The Nahe is considered a comparatively cool winegrowing region, although protected and favourably oriented slopes can develop warmer local conditions.
Slopes and soils
The Burgberg is a steep slope facing south to south-east with a gradient of 20 to 60 per cent at an elevation of around 130 to 190 metres. Its iron-rich loam contains Taunus quartzite, slate and rubble. The south-facing Goldloch, partly terraced, extends from about 140 to 210 metres in elevation and has a gradient of 15 to 55 per cent; there, stony-gravelly slope loam lies over conglomerate of the Upper Rotliegend. Pittermännchen is a south-facing slope above the Trollbach, warms up quickly during the day and cools down again at night. Its soils are shaped by grey Devon and red Permian slate, rubble, quartzite and an overlying layer of loam.
History and wine styles
Dorsheim is first documented in a document dated 30 March 1349; archaeological finds range from prehistory through the Iron Age and the Roman period to the Merovingian period. The name Burgberg has been attested since the 14th century, Goldloch appears in 1756 as “Am Loch” and in 1819 in the cadastral records. Pittermännchen refers to a historical silver coin. For Burgberg, Goldloch and Pittermännchen, Riesling is listed as the classified main grape variety. Documented wines from these vineyard sites include VDP.GROSSE LAGE Rieslings as Großes Gewächs, Kabinett, Spätlese and Trockenbeerenauslese.
