Rheingau Wines
You know and love Mosel Riesling, but Rheingau is from where the truly iconic German Rieslings hail, with prestigious estates including Schloss Johannisberg and Schloss Vollrads. As expected, quality is important here, acheived by low yields, steep sun-catching slopes and a range of soil types to give producers breadth and complexity across their wines.
Riesling covers nearly 80% of total plantings in the region with most wines made in a dry style with lively acidity, strong citrus profiles and a full-body. They also have incredible ageing potential. Sweet wines also have some history here, with Rheingau the first place where 'botrytis’ or ‘noble rot’ was documented as being used for winemaking in the 18th century. If you're looking for reds, good Spatburgunder (Pinot Noir) can be found around Assmannshausen. The steep Höllenberg vineyard is particularly worthy of mention for full-bodied, outstanding quality Pinot that can rival Burgundy.