Location and wine landscape
Thörnich is a wine-growing community in Rhineland-Palatinate on the right bank of the Mosel, a comparatively flat stretch of riverbank. The vineyards are located mainly on the steep slopes on the opposite side of the river.
Steep vineyard sites and soils
The Thörnicher Ritsch is situated directly above Thörnich. The very steep site, oriented from south to south-west, consists of narrow plots that rise near the Mosel. Crumbling grey slate there sometimes makes road construction and the consolidation of vineyard areas difficult.
Grape varieties and winegrowing
Riesling is the most important grape variety for Thörnich. In the Ritsch, wines are described as light and finely structured; Thörnicher Riesling is associated with slate character and a reductive style. In the steep slate sites, extensive manual work is required; in some cases individual plots are developed separately.
The vineyard register lists Enggaß with 8.4 hectares, Ritsch with 15.4 hectares and Schießlay with 114.9 hectares of planted vineyard area. All three are designated as individual single vineyard sites (Einzellagen) within the cadastral district of Thörnich. Under wine law, the municipality belongs to the Mosel wine-growing region, Bereich Bernkastel, Großlage Sankt Michael.
History
Thörnich is first mentioned in the Prümer Urbar for the year 893 as “Turinge” and “Turnich”; the place-name is probably of Celtic origin. Until the opening of a new bridge in September 1963, a ferry connected the Hunsrück bank with the opposite Eifel side. Winegrowing has shaped the local economy and settlement identity for a long time.
