Location and Climate
Partenheim is a winegrowing village in the Selz valley in Rheinhessen. The town lies in a valley floor that slopes gently towards the northeast at around 200 to 250 metres above sea level. The sheltered winegrowing area of Rheinhessen has a mean annual temperature of about 9.9 °C, an average temperature during the growing season of 14.6 °C, around 550 millimetres of annual precipitation, and approximately 650,000 Wh/m² of direct sunshine during the growing season.
Vineyard Sites and Soils
The single vineyard Sankt Georgen covers around 55 hectares and lies at 185 to 240 metres above sea level, with exposures from east to south. Its soils consist of loess-pararendzina and calcareous rendzina. The deep, calcareous and nutrient-rich loess soils store a great deal of water available to plants, whereas the calcareous rendzina is shallow to medium-depth, very calcareous and stony.
The Steinberg covers around 102 hectares, lies at 130 to 240 metres above sea level and has exposures from north to east. There you can find marl-pelosol and calcareous rendzina. The marl-pelosol is a deep, calcareous clay soil with limited permeability and aeration.
Wine Style and Grape Varieties
The soil profiles of Sankt Georgen are associated with lighter, fresh wines with mild acidity and early drinking ripeness. The proportion of limestone stands for distinct acidity, a mineral character and ageing potential. In the Steinberg, full-bodied, fruit-accented wines with moderate acidity are expected from the marl-pelosol; the proportion of limestone is linked with mineral, well-balanced wines and development potential.
In Partenheim, among others, Riesling, Silvaner, White Burgundy, Grey Burgundy, Regent, Bacchus, Portugieser, Ortega, Würzer and Rubinet are documented.
History of Winegrowing
A document dated 1 August 771 records a gift of a vineyard in the Partenheim area and proves the continuation of winegrowing after Roman times. Sankt Georgen is mentioned in 1419 under the name “an Sant Georgen phade”; in the middle of the 14th century, a chapel dedicated to Saint George stood at this location. In the Partenheim municipal district area, a land consolidation project began in 2003 with a new plot arrangement, newly established vineyards and planting of trees and shrubs in spring 2009.
