Location and history
Guldental is a municipality in the Nahe and lies in the Guldenbach valley. The municipality includes the cadastral districts of Heddesheim and Waldhilbersheim. The municipality was formed on 7 June 1969 through the merger of the previously independent municipalities of Heddesheim and Waldhilbersheim. Heddesheim has been documented since 1163, Waldhilbersheim since about 1200; viticulture in the area has been documented in writing in the Middle Ages.
Vineyards and soils
Along the Guldenbach, vineyard sites extend on the south side for around six kilometres. Guldental has about 377 hectares of vineyard area. The Guldentaler Sonnenberg is a steep site with slopes of up to 60 per cent, red sandstone, rock outcrops and former quarries. The Guldentaler Hipperich faces south-south-west and has a slope of up to 40 per cent, while the Guldentaler Rosenteich, as a sloping site in the valley floor, lies at about 140 to 170 metres above sea level.
Climate and geology
The Nahe conservation area with Guldental has an average annual daytime temperature of 9.3 °C, an average temperature during the growing season of 13.8 °C and around 580 millimetres of annual rainfall. About 60 per cent of the precipitation falls during the growing season. Red sandstone soils are widespread in Guldental. They are mostly composed of calcareous sandy loam over weathered, jointed rock, have a low to medium rooting depth, adequate water retention and good ability to warm up. The geological spectrum of the Nahe includes, among other things, rocks of the Rotliegend, sandstone, slate, quartzite, volcanic rocks, fluvial and near-coastal sands, as well as marine marl.
Grape varieties and wine-making
At the Sonnenberg, Riesling, Spätburgunder and Weißburgunder are documented. In the middle section of the Hipperich, Grauburgunder and Chardonnay grow; at the Rosenteich, Kerner, Scheurebe and Müller-Thurgau. The selection of grape varieties is adapted to the respective structure and soil characteristics of the individual sites. White and rosé wines are made in modern stainless-steel tanks, red wines in traditional wooden casks. The red sandstone soils are matched with Rieslings that can develop aromas of yellow apple, ripe pear and citrus, a lively acidity, a comparatively slender structure, a mineral aftertaste and good potential for ageing. For wines with protected Nahe designations such as Qualitätswein, Prädikatswein, Qualitätsperlwein b.A. and Sekt b.A., official inspections apply and an official inspection number is printed on the label.
