Uelversheim in Rheinhessen
Uelversheim is a traditional winegrowing community in Rheinhessen and lies in the hilly landscape of Rheinhessen directly on the Rhine plain. The municipality describes the climate as warm, sunny and with low rainfall. The first documented mention dates back to the year 766: Landswinda granted the Abbey of Lorsch a vineyard near the village.
Vineyards and soils
In Uelversheim, more than 200 hectares of vineyard area are cultivated. The municipal area also includes a 30-hectare vineyard exclave on the slopes of the Rhine Graben, with no direct territorial connection to the main settlement. The local vineyard sites include Aulenberg, Schloß and Tafelstein.
The Aulenberg comprises 113 hectares at an elevation of 170 to 215 metres and is oriented to the south as far as south-east. Schloß covers 63 hectares at 170 to 204 metres, with a south-east orientation. Tafelstein comprises 90 hectares, lies at 90 to 170 metres and shows an east to south-east orientation. The soils consist of loess and/or pararendzina. They are described as deep, fertile and calcareous loamy soils with clayey silt, good water storage capacity available to plants, and good rooting conditions.
Grape varieties and winegrowing
White wine predominates in Uelversheim. Riesling and Silvaner are regarded as established regional styles; alongside them, Pinot wines are represented. Dornfelder, Blauer Portugieser and Spätburgunder are also grown; for the increasingly planted international red varieties, Merlot, Acolon and Cabernet Sauvignon are mentioned.
The municipality assigns Aulenberg and Schloß to the Großlage Oppenheimer Krötenbrunnen. Based on the regional vineyard site classification, Aulenberg and Schloß belong to the Großlage Krötenbrunnen, while Tafelstein belongs to the Großlage Güldenmorgen, each in the area of Nierstein. For a winegrowing operation associated with Tafelstein, certified organic, nature-friendly winegrowing, variety-related vinification in small casks, careful processing, self-imposed yield reduction and a focus on dry wines are documented.
Historical development
Archaeological excavations near the sports ground indicate settlement of the municipal area by a mixed Celtic-German population before the beginning of the Christian era. In 1643, the Counts of Leiningen-Guntersblum became the local rulers. In the middle of the 18th century, they converted their residence at the Grafenhof in Uelversheim into a country palace, which was used as a summer residence.
