Location and affiliation
Mettenheim is a local municipality in the district of Alzey-Worms in Rhineland-Palatinate and belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde Eich. The municipality is located on the Rhine terrace in the wine-growing region Rheinhessen and within its wine-growing area of Nierstein.
History
Mettenheim was first mentioned in writing in 765 in connection with the Lorsch Abbey. The Michelsberg is documented in 1586 as „hinder sannt Michels Berg“; the name refers to the patronage of Saint Michael documented for 1496. The name Schloßberg refers to a residential manor house, the foundation stone of which was laid in 1726 following a major village fire in 1725.
Vineyard sites and soils
The documented vineyard sites in the Nierstein area include Michelsberg, Schloßberg and Goldberg. The Michelsberg lies at an altitude of about 100 to 170 metres and has an eastern exposure. The Schloßberg extends at an altitude of about 90 to 170 metres and is predominantly oriented to the east, partly to the north-west. For Michelsberg and Schloßberg, loess-pararendzina soils have been documented. They consist of deep-seated, calcareous and nutrient-rich loams with high plant-available water storage capacity and good rooting depth.
Climate
The Rheinhessen wine-growing region has a mean annual average temperature of about 9.9 °C and an average temperature during the growing season of about 14.6 °C. Annual rainfall is approximately 500 millimetres. During the growing season, around 650,000 Wh/m² of direct solar radiation is reached.
