Location and history
Windesheim is a municipality in the Bad Kreuznach district in Rhineland-Palatinate and belongs to the Nahe winegrowing region. The village is located in the Guldenbach valley in the lower Nahe area. The local history records Celtic graves and defensive facilities on the Römerberg, as well as traces of a Roman settlement. Windesheim was first mentioned in 1019, and the current Protestant church in 1147.
Vineyard sites and landscape
The landscape links vineyards, woodland and valley areas. The Römerberg, located to the north-east, is traversed by vineyard paths. The Windesheim sites also include Fels, Rosenberg, Saukopf and Sonnenmorgen. Fels is predominantly steep and oriented towards the south-west, while the Saukopf slopes to the south. Sonnenmorgen is almost level and is also oriented to the south.
Soils and grape varieties
In Fels there are moderately deep sandy loams over loosened, jointed rock; outcrops of red Buntsandstein can be seen. Rosenberg has sand-loam soils with gravel seams, and the Römerberg is characterised by red sandstone, or its weathered soil. At the Saukopf, löess loam and Buntstandstein are found, while Sonnenmorgen consists of deep-rooted terrace gravel with a lime-rich covering of loess. Riesling, Weißburgunder, Grauburgunder, Spätburgunder are documented, and at the Saukopf also Silvaner.
Wine styles and vinification
The site descriptions link Fels with slender, lively Rieslings and white Burgundies, the Römerberg with spicy, mineral Rieslings, the Rosenberg with concentrated white Burgundies and strong Spätburgunder, and Sonnenmorgen with expressive Rieslings and dense Burgundy wines. For Sonnenmorgen, cultivation covering rich in species, organic manuring using straw and compost, yield reduction and selective hand-harvesting have been documented. A Sonnenmorgen Weißburgunder is gently pressed after six to twelve hours of mash maceration time, fermented partly in stainless steel tanks and partly in barriques, and stored for at least six months on full lees. A Römerberg Riesling is selectively hand-harvested, fermented in a stainless steel tank, and stored for five months on full lees.
