Location and landscape
Hatzenport lies on the Lower Moselle at river kilometre 28, between Koblenz and Cochem, in the Terraced Moselle. The municipality is located on an outer bend of the river; between the river and the steep slopes stretch vineyards. The vineyard slopes frequently reach gradients of up to 70 per cent.
Climate and soils
For Hatzenport, an average annual temperature of 10.7 °C, around 1,350 hours of sunshine and approximately 580 millimetres of annual precipitation are given. The Moselle meander, the orientation of the vineyards and local wind conditions shape the viticultural climate. The soils consist, among other things, of weathered slate that develops into loose, fine-grained soils. On the Geisingerfels wall above the Stolzenberg, slate layers, deposits of clay minerals, sandstone layers and white quartz veins are documented.
Viticulture and vineyard sites
Riesling is the most important grape variety in the municipality and grows mainly in the steep vineyards. Hatzenporter Riesling is associated with a mineral character, which is attributed to vines with deep roots in weathered slate soils. The 2024 directory of vineyard sites lists Burg Bischofstein with 4.9 hectares, Kirchberg with 5.4 hectares and Stolzenberg with 1.9 hectares. Together, the three sites comprise 12.2 hectares of vineyard area. Burg Bischofstein is oriented to the south-east, Kirchberg towards the south and Stolzenberg towards the south-south-west. Hatzenport belongs to the Qualitätsweinbaugebiet Mosel, the area of Burg Cochem and the Großlage Weinhex.
History and terraces
The first known documentary mention of Hatzenport dates from the year 1135 and uses the historical form Hattenporcia. Documents from the 13th and 14th centuries provide evidence of vineyards, wineries and mills. The basic vineyard terraces behind St. John’s Church were created, according to local information, during the medieval warm period of around 900 to 1350. The steep sites are cultivated on terraces with dry-stone walls; some of these walls are more than 100 years old. Local initiatives have cleared overgrown, abandoned steep sites and restored historical terraces. In Kirchberg, two weather stations were operated in order to investigate connections between climate data, soil structure and wine taste.
