Location and winegrowing
Essenheim is a municipality in the winegrowing region Rheinhessen in Rhineland-Palatinate. The vineyard area covers around 200 hectares. Both described vineyard sites belong in the winegrowing area Rheinhessen to the area Nierstein and to the Domherr region.
Vineyard sites and soils
The Essenheimer Römerberg extends at an altitude of around 206 to 230 metres and is oriented to the south. The 38-hectare site has deep, calcareous loess and pararendzina soils with good water storage that is available for plants.
The Essenheimer Teufelspfad lies towards Ober-Olm and Stadecken-Elsheim, with a view over the Selz valley. The 130-hectare site extends from around 120 to 240 metres above sea level and is oriented to the south-southeast. There, among other things, marl and pelosoil soils as well as calcareous loams and Terra fusca are found.
Climate and wine style
The Teufelspfad has a mild-warm, dry continental climate with around 500 to 600 millimetres of annual rainfall and a long duration of sunshine. With this site, Riesling, Weissburgunder, Grauburgunder and Spätburgunder as well as Chardonnay and occasionally Silvaner are associated. The calcareous soils are linked to fruit-forward, full-bodied wines with moderate acidity, a creamy texture and notes of stone fruit or tropical fruit.
The Römerberg is described as producing fresh, finely fruity wines with moderate structure and mild acidity, whose aromas are reminiscent of apple, peach, pear and citrus.
History and vineyard landscape
Essenheim is documented for the first time in 1023 under the name Hesinesheim. The name Römerberg refers to archaeological finds from Roman times; in the Teufelspfad area, winegrowing was already carried out then. The Essenheimer Teufelspfade biodiversity project includes, among other things, nesting boxes and nesting tubes, dry-stone walls, biodiversity towers and raptor perches, which are voluntarily built and maintained by the farming and winemaking community.
