Location and landscape
Gerolsheim is a local municipality in the district of Bad Dürkheim in Rhineland-Palatinate. It lies around eight kilometres east of Grünstadt on the edge of the Palmberg and covers 4.81 square kilometres. Gerolsheim belongs to the Pfalz.
Climate and soils
The municipal area is assigned to the climate of the Rhine graben. It has hot summers, mild winters, a mean annual temperature of about 9 to 9.5 °C and annual precipitation of about 490 to 610 millimetres. Relatively high summer air humidity, winter fog and prevailing south-westerly winds are also part of the conditions described.
In the planning area, loess deposits occur, which allow for slow groundwater recharge and have a comparatively high buffering capacity. The landscape on the Eckbach between Dirmstein and Gerolsheim is predominantly shaped by sands and smaller areas of loess.
Viticulture
Viticulture in Gerolsheim has been documented since 1229. The single vineyard Klosterweg lies in the eastern part of the Palmberg and comprises, according to the vineyard register, 44.1 hectares of planted vineyard area. The single vineyard Lerchenspiel comprises 49.3 hectares. In the growing region of Pfalz, both sites belong to the area Mittelhaardt/Deutsche Weinstraße and to the grand site Schwarzerde.
From Lerchenspiel, dry red wines made from Spätburgunder and St. Laurent are documented. A described Spätburgunder from the 2019 vintage was fermented spontaneously and aged briefly in a large wooden cask.
History
Gerolsheim is first documented around 915 as a settlement of the Weißenburg monastery. A more detailed mention dates from the year 991 and names the place Geroltesheim. During the Thirty Years’ War, the number of inhabitants fell due to plundering, destruction and the plague to 13 people; immigration contributed to recovery until the second half of the 17th century.
