Wine Tours in Germany | Not just Riesling!
When you think about wine from Germany you most likely think of Riesling, right? Of course, this particular grape is the main event in German winemaking, showcasing wines which can be bone dry to very sweet. A great thing about Riesling is that it expresses its terroir, something that our wine tours in Germany will show you. But this country is much more than just one fantastic grape so please keep reading!
Another great map from Wine Folly | The wine regions we can show you on our German
We suggest our clients base themselves in the historic city of Mainz, (follow the Rheinhessen arrow above) where there a number of great lodging options, and from where visits to several of the wine regions are easily made. You are most likely to arrive in the area via the city of Frankfurt, and we can arrange to pick you up from the airport or the train station and transfer you to Mainz. Your time of arrival in Mainz will determine what we can do on your arrival day.
Arrival in Mainz.
Let us assume you arrive at your hotel in Mainz in the early afternoon, after being transferred from Frankfurt. In such a case we will be able to take you out for a walking tour of this historic wine capital, showing you the monuments and sights that subsequent layers of civilizations have left over the last 2000 years. After a walk around the old city, we will end up at an old-fashioned wine bar, for example, the Beichtstuhl Weinstube or Weinstube Hottum where we will enjoy a tasting of local wines with some hearty local food. Your local wine guide will ease you into the differences that you will get to know very well over the next few days.
Day 1: Out into the vineyards | Rheingau
Remember: Everything we do is tailor-made to your wishes so if you want to change, interchange, drop or include anything in particular just let us know. If you don’t have a particular wish then trust us to deliver the perfect German wine experience.
After a leisurely breakfast, we will head off to our first visit, which will be a look back through wine history. The Kloster Eberbach is one of the best-preserved Cistercian Monasteries in all of Europe. This ancient abbey is often called the “cradle of Riesling” and is a must-do in order to understand how winemaking in this region has developed over time. Then it’s off to the Weingüter Wegeler winery to learn a little more about how the slope and aspect of the vineyard sites, maturation techniques, and desired sweetness levels affect the taste of Riesling.
Wine Folly showing us the standard profile of Riesling
The Wegeler estate has around 45 hectares of wineries in the Rheingau stretching along 20 km of the valley slopes, this means a wide range of terroir for the winery to choose grapes from, a perfect scenario for Riesling which loves to show us where it has grown in the glass. You will enjoy a tour and extensive tasting here before heading off for something to eat.
We will enjoy a spot of lunch now, probably at the excellent Rheinweinwelt restaurant and wine bar. This place is designed to allow guests to try wine by the glass from all over the Rhein region and learn much more about different areas. We will combine enjoying tasty plowman’s platters with tastings.
After lunch, you will have the chance to stretch your legs and wander around the capital of the Rheingau, the lovely town of Rüdesheim. We will take a cable car ride to the top of the mountain for fantastic views of the curve of the Rhein and the steep sloping vineyards that line this important river. On the way back to Mainz we will have a look at the Johannisberg Castle, the birthplace of the German late harvest style of wine called “Spätlese” way back in 1775. In the evening we will leave you free to choose where to eat in Mainz, with some of our suggestions of course.
Day 2: Mosel | Steep slopes and historic villages
After breakfast, we will pick you up to drive around 90 minutes into the heart of the Mosel wine region. Along the way, there will be some scenic views of some of the Nahe vineyards. Upon arrival in the Bernkastel area, you will enjoy tasting stops at some high-quality producers such as the world-famous estate of Dr. Loosen and also Selbach-Oster, both of these wineries have pioneered the production of premium dry and sweet Rieslings.
We will have lunch somewhere along the way, after the tastings, or between them depending on how we are for time. We can give you some options for lunch which could be a high-end Michelin star rated establishment or a local, rustic place, this tour is private so you can choose of course. After lunch, there should be time to wander around and let your lunch find its way south. Wherever we look today we will see ancient villages, medieval castles, and very steep vineyards. Along our route today we will see the steepest vineyard in Europe at Bremmer Calmont. This ridiculously steep site on a sharp bend of the river is set at 68 degrees, it is quite a sight.
Steep, steeper and steepest! 
Jaw dropping beautiful Germany
Day 3: Rheinhessen | Beyond Riesling!
On your third day of private wine tours in Germany, you will be shown around the Rheinhessen wine region and some of the treats that it offers. Around one in every four bottles of German wine comes from this area, and you can see from the map at the top of the page that is indeed a large region. But today it is not all about quantity, the emphasis is changing to quality. We will travel along the Roter Hang, or “Red Slope”, which is a very particular terroir enjoying an iron-rich, slatey soil.
Our first winery stop will probably be Gunderloch. Carl Gunderloch, a banker, purchased the Gunderloch manor house in 1890. Legend has it that he used to travel from Gundersblum to his bank in Mainz and on each journey he observed how the sun fell across the Rhein terrace. He then purchased vineyard property that he had calculated to collect the most sunlight and founded the Gunderloch Estate. We will enjoy a production area and cellar visit and of course a premium tasting.
On our way to a lunch venue, we will stop to view the oldest documented vineyard in Germany. There is official proof that the “Niersteiner Glöck” vineyard is the oldest named cru. In 742 the site was a gift from the Diocese of Würzburg to Mayor Karlmann, who was the uncle of Charlemagne, King of the Franks. Quite a heritage to boast, I am sure you agree!
Lunch can be enjoyed at any number of venues, from a luxury hotel and spa complex with a premium paring lunch to a more rustic, inn-style meal with a bottle or two. After lunch, we will enjoy a visit and tasting of German varietals at the 100-year-old estate on St Antony or another historic and impressive winery in or around Nierstein. After a very enjoyable tour and premium tasting, we will pour you back into your hotel reception for a snooze, with any instructions you will need for onward travel in Germany or beyond. Remember we can connect any of our countries together in a wine combo, France, Spain, Turkey, Greece etc…the list goes on and on.
