Location in the Upper Middle Rhine Valley
Kestert is a municipality in the Rhein-Lahn district in Rhineland-Palatinate and belongs to the collective municipality of Loreley. The place lies on the Rhine at about 70 metres above sea level in the Upper Middle Rhine Valley, in the wine-growing region Mittelrhein and in the UNESCO World Heritage Site Upper Middle Rhine Valley.
Landscape and Geology
The municipal area is situated in a narrow, deeply incised Rhine valley with steep valley sides. Flat areas are found mainly on the river terraces. The subsoil consists of Devonian slate clay, which is locally interspersed with quartzite and greywacke. In addition, younger slope and river deposits occur in the valley floor and on the terraces; quartzite, among other locations, is exposed at the Hindenburghöhe above the town.
Viticulture and Grape Varieties
Viticulture in Kestert has been documented since the eighth century. The historic cultivation was shaped by medieval ecclesiastical vineyard ownership and later developments in winemaking. The single vineyard Liebenstein-Sterrenberg is assigned in the list of wine sites to the municipalities of Kamp-Bornhofen and Kestert. In the Middle Rhine, steep-slope sites dominate, the cultivation of which is comparatively labour-intensive. Riesling is the most important grape variety; in addition, Spätburgunder, Weißburgunder and Müller-Thurgau are documented regionally.
Climate and Wine Region
The Middle Rhine wine-growing region has a mild climate with many days of sunshine. The Rhine acts as a body of water that reflects warmth and stores heat, while the steep valley slopes provide protection from cold winds. Middle Rhine wines are often associated with fresh, mineral expressions, especially for Riesling from slate, greywacke and volcanic sites. After the spread of the phylloxera beetle in the 19th century, many vineyards belonging to Kestert were converted into orchards; afterwards, the municipality became known for cherry cultivation.
