Location in Rheinhessen
Udenheim is a municipality in the Alzey-Worms district in Rhineland-Palatinate and is located in the wine-growing region Rheinhessen. The town lies in a sheltered hollow that opens out towards the Selz valley. Rheinhessen is considered a warm and dry wine-growing area, with an average annual rainfall of around 550 millimetres and a mean annual temperature of about 9.9 degrees Celsius.
Vineyard sites and soils
The Udenheim cadastral area includes the vineyard sites Kirchberg, Goldberg and Sonnenberg. The Kirchberg lies at an altitude of 120 to 180 metres and is oriented from south to east; it covers 53 hectares. The Goldberg extends over 125 hectares at 160 to 210 metres and has a southeast to east orientation.
In the vineyard sites, loess pararendzina and marl pararendzina occur. The loess soils are calcareous, deep and fertile loams with good water-retention capacity. The marl soils consist of calcareous loams and sands that originated from tertiary marine deposits.
Wine character
Wines from the loess pararendzina soils are described as fruit-forward, comparatively light to medium-bodied, refreshing and gently acid. Marl pararendzina is associated with dense, powerful and full-bodied wines with balanced acidity. For white wines, exotic fruit aromas are documented; for red wines, dark fruit and smoky spice.
History of winegrowing
Udenheim was first mentioned in 773 as “Otenheim”. The charter from that time records the donation of two vineyards to Lorsch Abbey and shows that winegrowing in the locality has been practised for more than 1,200 years. The hill church stands on a hill surrounded by vineyards; its oldest surviving section of tower dates from around 1100. The Goldberg is recorded at the end of the 15th century under the name “zu goltreyne”, while the name Sonnenberg refers to the vineyard’s southern position.
