Location on the Nahe
Münster-Sarmsheim is a municipality in the Nahe winegrowing region on the Nahe, at the foot of the Hunsrück and near Bingen am Rhein. The municipality lies around two kilometres upstream from the Nahe’s confluence with the Rhine.
Vineyards and soils
The documented vineyard sites show predominantly southerly or south-easterly aspects, with slope gradients of 20 to 60 percent. For Pittersberg, Rheinberg and Kapellenberg, elevation levels of around 100 to 200, 120 to 180 and 130 to 190 metres above sea level have been documented respectively. The soils include quartzite, red slate, slate, phyllite, loess and loess-derived material.
Sites and grape varieties
The Dautenpflänzer covers around 4.5 hectares and is oriented south-south-east; its soils consist of loess and weathered slate. The Kapellenberg is designated with 37 hectares of classified area; in the Rheinberg, in 2013 two hectares of vineyard terraces were laid out. Kapellenberg, Pittersberg and Rheinberg are classified as VDP.ERSTE LAGE, and Dautenpflänzer as VDP.GROSSE LAGE. The classified grape variety documented there is Riesling; in addition, Scheurebe in Dautenpflänzer and Spätburgunder are attested for wines from Münster-Sarmsheim. Dry as well as fruity-sweet Rieslings are documented.
History
Münster-Sarmsheim was formed on 1 October 1928 by the merger of the previously independent municipalities of Münster and Sarmsheim. Historical sources show winegrowing in the region dating back at least to the Middle Ages; a document from 1158 mentions a vineyard in Münster. In addition, Roman settlement with a villa rustica excavated in 1895 is documented.
