Location on the Moselle
Sankt Aldegund is a municipality on the Moselle. The river borders the settlement directly; at the edge of the town there is a Moselle lock.
Vineyard sites and landscape
Among the documented vineyard sites are Himmelreich, Klosterkammer and Palmberg-Terraces. The Palmberg-Terraces lie north of Sankt Aldegund and include slopes with more than 60 percent gradient. A comparatively flatter central area is surrounded by steeper western and northern edge areas, with a dense network of dry-stone walls.
Viticulture in Himmelreich
The south-easterly, steep and terraced Himmelreich site comprises about two hectares within the described area. The soil is documented as blue slate. In the named plots, own-root Riesling vines are planted with an average age of around 80 years, trained on individual wooden stakes. The stated yield is low. In addition to Riesling, Spätburgunder, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are documented there. From Riesling, dry and delicately off-dry Kabinett wines are produced with comparatively little alcohol; in addition, red wines from the aforementioned red grape varieties are documented.
Historical references
Sankt Aldegund was first mentioned in 1097 in a document, while the Romanesque Old Church above the town was first mentioned in 1144. Archaeological finds provide evidence of Roman settlement, with the foundations of a villa rustica as well as an early Christian, late Roman women’s grave. Since the late Middle Ages, the place was known as a wine trading hub and served as a mooring point for Moselle shipping to tow-boating until the middle of the 19th century.
