Location on the edge of the Haard
Weisenheim am Berg is a municipality on the edge of the Palatinate Forest on the Haard edge. Here, forest and viticulture landscapes meet; at the same time, the view opens out over the Upper Rhine plain. The town has direct access to the Palatinate Forest. To the south-west of the village lies the Ungeheuersee in the wooded landscape of the Krumbach valley.
Viticulture and climate
As a wine-growing town, Weisenheim am Berg has around 260 hectares of vineyard area. The location between the Palatinate Forest and the Upper Rhine plain protects against strong winds and shapes a local microclimate used for wine-growing. The town belongs to the legally defined Qualitätsweinbaugebiet Pfalz and to the geographical area for the protected designation Pfälzer Landwein.
Vineyard sites and soils
Documented wine-growing sites include Mandelgarten, Sonnenberg and Vogelsang. In the Mandelgarten, sand, terrace gravel and loess are found with clear differences in small areas. Sonnenberg has south-facing slopes and a varying mixture of loam, sand, limestone and clay. Vogelsang is characterised by loam with sand, sandy loam and frequent additions of sandstone.
History and wine styles
The settlement is documented in 771 as Wizzinheim in connection with ownership held by the Lorsch Abbey. The Protestant church has been documented since the 13th century; in 1566, the Reformation was introduced in the territory of the Counts of Leiningen. The place-name Vogelsang is already documented for 1587; wine-growing there has been documented since the 19th century. From the sites, among others, Riesling Kabinett and Riesling Beerenauslese from Sonnenberg, dry Pinot Noir from Mandelgarten, and dry Manzoni Bianco from Vogelsang are documented.
