Location and landscape
Offenbach an der Queich lies in the Queich Valley in the Upper Rhine Plain, near Landau in the Palatinate, and south of the hilly foothills of the Palatinate wine-growing region. The municipality is situated on a flat Queich valley terrace; the surrounding area is predominantly level and has only minor local elevations.
Climate and soils
The average annual rainfall is 600 to 650 millimetres, and the average annual air temperature is about 9 °C. South-westerly winds prevail. In the subsoil of the floodplains and low terraces, there are above all alluvial-fan deposits from the Quaternary and Pleistocene, loess, loess clay, floodplain clay and sandy loess. Outside the historic town centre, clay, loamy sand and clay predominate.
Viticulture
The municipality includes vineyard areas under the wine-growing designation Trappenberg. The vineyards lie in the areas Kapelle, Bierkeller and Bremmeberg. For the Offenbach Trappenberg, deep loess soils and a north-facing orientation are described, which are associated with water supply and freshness in hot years. The wines described there are considered clear and fruit-forward, with a fine acidity; Spätburgunder is documented for a wine designated Offenbach Trappenberg. Wine from the municipality’s vineyard areas may carry the protected geographical indication “Pfälzer Landwein”.
History
Offenbach has been documented since 784. In that year, Warandus granted property there to the newly founded monastery of Lorsch. Archaeological finds also point to prehistoric and Roman settlement activity. After the Second World War, the town’s agricultural character declined; the number of agricultural holdings fell from about 250 to fewer than 50.
