Location and climate
Gönnheim is a municipality in the district of Bad Dürkheim in Rhineland-Palatinate and belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Wachenheim an der Weinstraße. The town is located between the Haardt and the Rhine and is described by the municipality as having a mild climate.
Viticulture and terroir
Gönnheim belongs to the wine-growing region Pfalz, and within that to the Mittelhaardt-Deutsche Weinstraße area. On 654 hectares of municipal land, there are 224 hectares of vineyards. Viticulture is characterised by deep, loess soils; some vineyards are situated on Rheinhigh terraces created during the last Ice Age. The Sonnenberg has sandy loam and predominantly calcareous loess soils.
Sites and grape varieties
The Gönnheim wine sites include Klostergarten, Sonnenberg, Martinshöhe and Mandelgarten. The site Kirchenstück is also associated with Gönnheim. White and red grape varieties are grown in the municipality.
History of viticulture
Viticulture in Gönnheim has already been documented in the first recorded mention of the town in the year 771. In addition, there are indications of settlement in Roman times; according to information from the municipality, viticulture in the Gönnheim area also existed during the Roman period. Six local wine-growing businesses press their own wines and market them directly.
