Location on the Nahe
Gutenberg is a local municipality in the Bad Kreuznach district in Rhineland-Palatinate and belongs to the collective municipality of Rüdesheim. The place is located in the Nahe wine region, in a side valley formed by the Gräfenbach at the foot of the Soonwald in the Hunsrück.
Climate and Soils
The Soonwald protects against heavy rainfall and cold winds. For the local site, a vegetation period of one to two months longer is given than in the Hunsrück. The Nahe area has a mild, balanced and comparatively frost-poor climate with mostly low rainfall.
The vineyards reach slopes of up to about 50 percent. In the Gutenburg vineyard, distinctly reddish, sandy-gravelly loam soils can be found. The Römerberg is characterised by old river terrace gravel with loess loam, while the Schloßberg has red Rotliegend sandstone that formed under Permian desert-climate conditions.
Single Vineyards
The Felseneck forms a gently undulating to steeply falling slope facing south to south-west, with a view of the northern Rotenfels ridge and Bad Kreuznach. Its soils consist of weathered red sandstone, which is partly covered by a light loess-loam layer. The Schloßberg lies as a steep south-west slope above the ruins of the Gutenburg and the town of Gutenberg.
Viticulture and Grape Varieties
The Gutenburg vineyard is farmed exclusively by hand. To regulate yields and for cultivation that is gentle on the plants, wild herbs, flowers and grasses are sown; they serve as a habitat for insects and help reduce the use of plant protection products. For older vines, clay and selected plant extracts are used.
There are documented plantings of Blau Portugieser, Spätburgunder, Scheurebe and Riesling. The wines produced include dry Riesling, dry Spätburgunder, and a dry Riesling aged in acacia-wood barrels. For Felseneck and Römerberg, Sauvignon Blanc is mentioned; for the Schloßberg Riesling and Spätburgunder, including Pinot Noir aged in barriques.
