Rheingau

[RINE-gow] The wines of this German anbaugebiet (quality-wine region) are considered by many to be some of the finest in Germany and among the world's great wines. Over 80 percent of the 8,000 vineyard acres are planted with riesling Germany's premier variety. The Rheingau, whose vineyards cover the right (northerly) bank of the Rhine River, starts just east of Hochheim and extends north to Lorch, with the principal portion situated between the villages of rauenthal and rüdesheim. The climate and soil of this stretch of vineyards is ideal for Riesling. It's from this area that the Rheingau gets its reputation for wines that are generally rich, fruity and full-bodied (see body) with a steely character. The better vintages can produce auslese, beerenauslese and occasionally trockenbeerenauslese wines of remarkable quality. Even though these wines are very rich they're balanced with good acidity and are capable of very long aging. The Rheingau's only bereich is johannisberg which covers the entire region and includes ten grosslagen-Burgweg, Daubhaus, Deutelsberg, Erntebringer, Gottesthal, Heiligensotck, Honigberg, Mehrhölzchen, Steil, and Steinmächer. Some of Germany's best-known wine estates are located here, including Schloss Johannisberg, Schloss Schönborn, Schloss Rheinhartshausen, and Schloss Vollrads. See also erstes gewachs.

For the wine region, see Rheingau (wine region).

Grafschaft der Rheingau, Rheingrafschaft County of the Rhine district, The Rhinegraviate State of the Frankish Empire State of the Holy Roman Empire ← 937–1866 → The Rheingau shown on a 1905 map of Hesse-Nassau Capital Rheingrafenstein in Kreuznach; later Eltville Government Principality Historical era Middle Ages  - Established ca 937 937  - Donation of Verona:    given to Abp Mainz   983  - Archbishopric dissolved;    to Duchy of Nassau   1806  - Prussia annexes Nassau    into Hesse-Nassau   1866 1866

The Rheingau (English: Rhine District) is the hill country on the north side of the Rhine River between Wiesbaden and Lorch near Frankfurt, reaching from the western Taunus to the Rhine. It lies in the state of Hesse and is part of the Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis administrative district. It is famous for Rheingau wines, especially the "Rheingauer Riesling," and its many wine taverns.

Contents 1 History 2 Gallery 3 Event 4 References 5 External links

History

The Rheingau was as a Gau or county of the Frankish Empire, bordered by the Niddagau, the Maingau, the Oberrheingau, and the Lahngau; the counts of the Rheingau were known as Rhinegraves. The first Rhinegrave on record is Hato VI (937–960).^[1]

In 983, Otto II, Holy Roman Emperor, gave the Rheingau, together with other territories, to the Archbishopric of Mainz during the Diet of Verona. When the Archbishopric was dissolved in 1806, the Rheingau was given to the Duchy of Nassau.

As a result of the marriage of John III (1383–1428) to Adelheid, scion of the Wildgraves of Kyrburg, John V (1476–95) inherited territories in the Obersalm Wasgau, to the left of the Rhine (from the Nahegau, on the River Nahe and in the Alsace) from the Wildgraves and the counts of Salm, so that these territories also came to be linked to their name, with the counts using the title "Wild- and Rhinegraves of Salm".^[1]

Gallery

Rheingau valley with the River Rhine	Rheinberg castle keep ruins, near Lorch	View from the Niederwald-Monument into the Rheingau	Schloss Vollrads near Oestrich-Winkel
The Drosselgasse in Ruedesheim

Event

The Rheingau Wine Festival takes place every year in August.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} (German) Rheingraf at Meyers Konversationslexikon, 1888

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis

• German wine regions: Rheingau
• Rheingau/Wiesbaden Area English & French Speaking community

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