Location and classification
The Mandelpfad is a legally registered single-vineyard site in the Qualitätsweinanbaugebiet Pfalz. The winegrowing site extends across Billigheim-Ingenheim and Rohrbach and belongs to the Großlage Kloster Liebfrauenberg. The portion in Billigheim-Ingenheim is assigned to Billigheim, while the other part is Rohrbach.
Area and site
For the 2024 harvest, 26.6 hectares of vineyard area are recorded in Billigheim and 149.4 hectares in Rohrbach. The Mandelpfad thus covers a total of 176.0 hectares. The Rohrbach section lies on the plain of the Südliche Weinstraße; along the documented vineyard route, there are no significant gradients.
Climate and soils
The Mandelpfad is described as a warmer site with sunny conditions. In the Rohrbach part, stony sand, sandy loess and loess clay shape the soils. These are described as able to store water.
Grape varieties and cultivation
In winegrowing operations around the Rohrbach Mandelpfad, among others Dornfelder, Spätburgunder, Grauburgunder, Riesling, Silvaner, Müller-Thurgau, Weißburgunder, Dunkelfelder, Regent, Merlot and Chardonnay are planted. A Mandelpfad plot cultivated by Weingut Martin Bangerth is also documented for Dornfelder. Cultivation in one operation includes a considerable share of manual work, supplemented by machines and newer methods. For the plots cultivated by Bio-Weingut Neuspergerhof, certified organic viticulture is documented. The warmer, sand-influenced site is associated with red wine production; wines from operations in the Rohrbach Mandelpfad are also described as full-bodied and fruity.
