Location and landscape
Eltville is located in the Rheingau on the Rhine between Rüdesheim and Wiesbaden, at the foot of the Rheingau slopes. The historic town lies on a terrace about 90 metres above sea level. The vineyards are on sunny slopes facing south.
Viticulture and sparkling wine
Viticulture has been carried out around Eltville for centuries and shapes the local economy and culture. The town is associated with quiet Rheingau wines and sparkling wine. Riesling and Spätburgunder are among the most important grape varieties at the Eltville wine tasting stand. A documented wine-growing project links vines with individual trees such as chestnuts and quinces in a Vitiforst agroforestry system.
History
The settlement history of Eltville goes back at least to the fifth century; excavations provide evidence of settlement around 460 to 470. In 1332 the place was granted town rights; afterwards, medieval fortifications were built. In the 14th and 15th centuries, Eltville was for around 150 years a preferred place to stay and the administrative seat of the Archbishops and Electors of Mainz.
Sekt tradition and wine site
In 1837, Matheus Müller began in Eltville with the production of sparkling wine using the méthode champenoise. The facility is considered one of Germany’s early sparkling wine production sites. Eltviller Sonnenberg is documented as an official single-vineyard site within the protected designation system of the Rheingau.
