Location and landscape
Unkenbach is a municipality in the Donnersberg district in Rhineland-Palatinate. It lies between Obermoschel and Callbach on the Federal Highway 420. The landscape includes the Alsenz uplands as well as sun-exposed valley slopes 60 to 100 metres high in the valleys of the Alsenz, Moschel and Appelbach.
Natural region and soils
The Alsenz uplands around Unkenbach are predominantly made up of sandstone, slate and conglomerate of the Lower Rotliegend. The rocks are locally intersected by melaphyre dykes. The prevailing soils are deep, well-aerated sandy loams that have developed from sandstone and slate and are partly covered by loess-bearing loam. On slopes, shallow, stony rankers occur locally on conglomerate and melaphyre.
Agriculture and viticulture
The municipal area covers around 514 hectares, of which about 270 hectares are used as arable land and grassland. The single-vineyard site Würzhölle is located in the Unkenbach cadastral district and belongs to the wine-growing region Nahe. The Unkenbach cadastral district is assigned to the protected designation of origin area Nahe.
History
In the official municipal portrait, Unkenbach is described as being more than 600 years old. Historically, the place was assigned to the Landsberg office of Veldenz-Zweibrücken.
