Citizendia
Your Ad Here

Vineyards in Nahe
Vineyards in Nahe

Nahe is a region (Anbaugebiet) for quality wine in Germany[1], and is located around river Nahe in the federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate. German wine is primarily produced in the southwest of Germany, along River Rhine and its tributaries with the oldest plantations going back to the Roman The Nahe is a river in Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland, Germany, a left tributary to the Rhine. Rhineland-Palatinate (Rheinland-Pfalz is one of the 16 federal states (German Bundesländer) of Germany. On the region's 4,124 hectares (over 10,400 acres) of vineyards, white wine grapes dominate with 74% and Riesling is the most common variety with 25. Explanation The hectare is commonly used in most countries around the world especially in domains concerned with land planning and management such as Agriculture, The acre is a unit of Area in a number of different systems including the imperial and U Riesling is a white Grape variety which originates in the Rhine region of Germany. 7%. [2] A characteristic of Nahe is that the soils are very varied due top the region's volcanic origins.

Although the region was populated already in Roman times, and the village of Monzingen was mentioned as a wine village already in the year 778[3], the wine region of Nahe was defined only with the 1971 German wine law. Ancient Rome was a Civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC Monzingen is a municipality in the district of Bad Kreuznach in Rhineland-Palatinate, in western Germany. Wine is an Alcoholic beverage made from the fermentation of Grape juice Before that, the wines were sold as plain "Rhine wine". In recent decades, several Nahe producers have created a name for themselves with Riesling wines that have been rated very highly by international wine critics, and have come to be seen on par with the best wines of Mosel and Rheingau. Mosel is one of 13 German wine regions ( Weinbaugebiete) for quality wines (''QbA'' and ''Prädikatswein'', and takes its name from the Moselle River Rheingau is one of 13 German wine regions ( Weinbaugebiete) for quality wines (''QbA'' and ''Prädikatswein''.

Contents

History

The Nahe river near Bad Kreuznach in 1900.
The Nahe river near Bad Kreuznach in 1900.

The Nahe was one of the last few German wine regions to develop significant plantings, being planted nearly six centuries after the Roman's first cultivated the Mosel region. By the Middle Ages, viticulture was flourishing the region under the care of Church ran vineyards. Viticulture (from the Latin word for Vine) is the Science, production and study of Grapes which deals with the series of Church (disambiguation Christian Church and the word church are used to denote both a Christian association of people and a Place of worship During the 19th century, the Nahe was considered one of Germany's finest wine regions and continued its prosperity till experiencing economic downturns following the world wars of the 20th century. A world war is a War affecting the majority of the world's most powerful and populous nations While other German wine regions became more industrialized, the more rural Nahe fell behind and its presence on the world's wine market was dramatically reduced. Towards the ends of the 20th century, reforms and renewed optimism among the Nahe wine produces would usher in a period of renaissance in the Nahe wine industry. [4]

Climate and geography

The Nahe wine region follows the path of the Nahe river in its northwesterly decent towards the Rhine river. The Rhine (Rhein Rijn Rhin Reno Rain Rhenus is one of the longest and most important Rivers in Europe at 1320 kilometres (820 mi with an average discharge The river helps moderate the temperate climate of the region and the valleys of the Nahe's tributaries help foster diverse microclimates through the region. A tributary is a Stream or River which flows into a mainstem (or parent river A microclimate is a local atmospheric zone where the Climate differs from the surrounding area The Soonwald ranges to the northeast and rocky foothills to the east help retain heat and moderate the amount of rainfall that the region receives. The Hunsrück is a low Mountain range in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Foothills are geographically defined as gradual increases in hilly areas at the base of a Mountain range. Some south facing vineyards have microclimates that are similar to a Mediterranean climate and are being experimented with for red wine grape cultivation. A Mediterranean climate is one that resembles the Climate of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, which includes over half of the area with this climate type world-wide The Nahe river flows parallel to the Mosel river and is located 40 kilometers (25 miles) to the southeast of the Mosel wine region. The Moselle (Moselle Mosel Musel is a River flowing through France, Luxembourg and Germany. The Mittelrhein and Rheingau wine regions are located to the north/north east with the Rheinhessen former the region's eastern border. Mittelrhein (or Middle Rhine) is a region ( Anbaugebiet) for quality wine in Germany, and is located along a 120 km stretch of river Rhine Rheinhessen (in English often Rhine-Hesse or Rhenish Hesse) is the largest of 13 German wine regions ( Anbaugebiete) for quality wines (''QbA'' Vineyards are located on steep, slopes along the Nahe and its tributaries typically at altitudes of 100-300 meters (330-985 feet. Altitude is the Elevation of a point or object from a known level or datum (plural data A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit [4]

Wine regions

Nahe wine regions
Nahe wine regions

The majority of the vineyards in the Nahe wine region are found along the banks of the Nahe river from Martinstein, near the historic village of Monzingen and then down stream to its confluence with the Rhine at Bingen am Rhein. Martinstein is a municipality in the district of Bad Kreuznach in Rhineland-Palatinate, in western Germany. Confluence, in Geography, describes the meeting of two or more Bodies of water. Bingen am Rhein (or Bingen or Bingen on the Rhine) is a city located at the junction of the rivers Rhine and Nahe in the district of Mainz-Bingen The region is broadly sub-divided into 3 three main wine regions, though there are quality wines that carry the "Nahe" designation are produced outside of these regions. The main regions are the Upper Nahe, Bad Kreuznach and Lower Nahe. Bad Kreuznach is the capital of the district of Bad Kreuznach, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The wine producing areas outside of these regions includes the Alsenz river area that meets with the Nahe at Bad Münster am Stein-Ebernburg and the villages of Bockenau, Roxheim, Sommerloch and Wallhausen located several miles northwest of the Nahe. The Alsenz is a river in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, a right tributary to the Nahe. Bad Münster am Stein-Ebernburg is a municipality in Germany in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, district of Bad Kreuznach. Bockenau is a municipality in the district of Bad Kreuznach in Rhineland-Palatinate, in western Germany. Roxheim is a municipality in the district of Bad Kreuznach in Rhineland-Palatinate, in western Germany. Sommerloch is a municipality in the district of Bad Kreuznach in Rhineland-Palatinate, in western Germany. Wallhausen is a municipality in the district of Bad Kreuznach in Rhineland-Palatinate, in western Germany. [3]

The Nahe has one overlapping district Bereich Nahetal that includes 7 Grosslagen (collective sites) and 328 Einzellagen (vineyards). German wine classification consists of several quality categories and is often the source of some confusion especially among non-German speaking wine consumers German wine classification consists of several quality categories and is often the source of some confusion especially among non-German speaking wine consumers The 7 Grosslagen are-[4]

Upper Nahe

Porphyry cobblestones
Porphyry cobblestones

The Upper Nahe region include the westernmost and oldest vineyards in the Nahe. The region begin with the villages of Martinstein, Monzingen and follows the river to Bad Münster am Stein-Ebernburg where it meets with the Alsenz. The area is noted for its vast diversity of vineyard soils, particularly in the area near Oberhausen where a single vineyard can include soils of sandstone, slate, melaphyr and porphyry. The soil composition of vineyards is one of the most important viticultural consideration when planting grape vines Oberhausen (ˈoːbɐhaʊzən is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Sandstone is a Sedimentary rock composed mainly of Sand -size Mineral or rock grains. Slate is a fine-grained foliated homogeneous, Metamorphic rock derived from an original Shale -type Sedimentary rock composed of Clay Porphyry is a variety of Igneous rock consisting of large-grained Crystals such as Feldspar or Quartz, dispersed in a fine-grained This region of the Nahe was modernized during the flurbereinigung reforms of the late 20th century and is now characterized by steep, terraced vineyards along the banks of the Nahe planted mostly with Riesling. Flurbereinigung is the German word used to describe Land reforms in various countries especially Germany and Austria In Agriculture, a terrace is a leveled section of a Hilly cultivated area designed as a method of Soil conservation to slow or prevent the rapid The climate of the region gets progressively warmer downstream with low amounts of annual of rainfall that is favorable for the production of late harvest wines. Rain is Liquid precipitation. On Earth it is the condensation of atmospheric Water vapor into drops heavy enough to fall often making it to Late harvest is a term applied to Wines made from Grapes left on the Vine longer than usual [3]

Wine villages of the Upper Nahe include-(moving downstream)

Bad Kreuznach

The sub-region of Bad Kreuznach include the vineyards north of the city that are dominated with clay and loess based soils. Norheim is a municipality in the district of Bad Kreuznach in Rhineland-Palatinate, in western Germany. Traisen is a municipality in the district of Bad Kreuznach in Rhineland-Palatinate, in western Germany. Clay is a naturally occurring material composed primarily of fine-grained Minerals which show plasticity through a variable range of Water content, and Loess is a homogeneous typically non stratified porous Friable,slightly coherent often calcareous fine-grained Silty pale yellow or buff windblown ( aeolian The area has been traditionally lead by large family own estates, such as those of the Anheuser family (of which the brewer Eberhard Anheuser was a part of) and the Reichsgraf von Plettenbergs that are still producing wine today. The Anheuser family is a German wine family from the Nahe in the Rhineland-Palatinate. Eberhard Anheuser (1805 Bad Kreuznach - May 2, 1880) was a German -born soap and candle maker as well as the father-in-law of Adolphus Graf is a historical German noble title equal in rank to a Count (derived from the Latin Comes, with a history of its own or a British These families were instrumental in the years after World War II in sustaining the reputation of Nahe wine but the Bad Kreuznach region, as a whole, has seen a steady decline since the end of the 20th century with very few vineyards participating in the VDP organization. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Verband Deutscher Prädikats- und Qualitätsweingüter eV or the Association of German Prädikat Wine Estates is an organisation where most (but not all of Germany 's The region still has some quality vineyards with the Kahlenberg and Krötenpfuhl being the most significant. [3]

Lower Nahe

Riesling
Riesling

The Lower Nahe sub-region follows the Nahe past Bad Kreuznach north to the river's confluence with the Rhine at Bingen. Vineyards in the area tend to be planted quartzite and slate. Quartzite (from German Quarzit) not to be confused with the Mineral Quartz, is a hard Metamorphic rock which was originally In addition to Riesling, Scheurebe, Silvaner and Weissburgunder all have significant plantings in this area. Scheurebe is a white Wine Grape variety primarily grown in Germany, Austria, where it often is called Sämling 88, and some parts The wines of the Lower Nahe tend to have more similarities to the wines of the Mittelrhein rather than the wines from other parts of the Nahe. This include characteristic flavors of wet stones and minerals with citrus and stone fruit notes. A mineral is a naturally occurring substance formed through geological processes that has a characteristic chemical composition a highly ordered atomic structure and specific Citrus is a common term and Genus of Flowering plants in the family Rutaceae, originating in tropical and subtropical southeast regions of In Botany, a drupe is a Fruit in which an outer fleshy part ( Exocarp, or skin and Mesocarp, or flesh surrounds a shell (the pit [3]

Wine villages of the Lower Nahe include-moving north

Grapes and wine

VDP auction of Nahe and Ahr wines at Bad Kreuznach.
VDP auction of Nahe and Ahr wines at Bad Kreuznach. Windesheim is a municipality in the district of Bad Kreuznach in Rhineland-Palatinate, in western Germany. Ahr is a region ( Anbaugebiet) for quality wine in Germany, and is located in the valley of the river Ahr, a tributary of Rhine, and is situated

The Nahe is a predominate white wine region with Riesling being the most significant planting. Riesling's prominence is due in part to the reforms of the flurbereinigung and the decline of Müller-Thurgau which was once the Nahe's most widely planted variety but now accounts for around 16% of plantings. In the 1960s, Silvaner occupied more than half of all vineyards in the Nahe but fell in favor to plantings of Müller-Thurgau and Riesling to where it is now accounts for a little less than 10%. Plantings of Weissburgunder, Grauburgunder and the red Spätburgunder have been increasing. Pinot noir ('pino nwar is a red Wine Grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera. Overall, red grape varieties account for around 23% of the Nahe's vineyards with Dornfelder, Blauer Portugieser and Spätburgunder being the most popular plantings. Dornfelder is a dark-skinned variety of Grape of German origin used for red Wine. Blauer Portugieser is a red Austrian and German wine grape found primarily in the Rheinhessen, Pfalz and wine regions of Lower [3] Other varieties found in the Nahe include Bacchus, Faberrebe and Kerner. The Bacchus is a white Wine Grape that was created by viticulturalist Peter Morio at the Geilweilerhof Institute for Grape Breeding Faberrebe or Faber is a Grape variety used for white wine It was created in 1929 by Georg Scheu at the Landesanstalt für Rebenzüchtung The Kerner grape is an aromatic white Grape variety It was bred in 1929 by August Herold by crossing Trollinger (a red variety also known as Schiava [4]

For a large part of the Nahe's history, grapes from the region were blended with other German wine grapes and labeled as "Rhine wine". Today the majority of Nahe wine is consumed domestically with the nine member estates of the VDP having the largest export market of the region. Unlike other German wine regions, co-operatives have a smaller presence that pales in comparison to the influences of the large German supermarket chains that form a large sector of the Nahe wine market. [3]

References

  1. ^ Wein.de (German Agricultural Society): Nahe, read on January 2, 2008
  2. ^ German Wine Institute: German Wine Statistics 2007-2008
  3. ^ a b c d e f g J. Robinson (ed), "The Oxford Companion to Wine", Third Edition, p 468-469, Oxford University Press 2006, ISBN 0198609906
  4. ^ a b c d T. Stevenson "The Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia" pg 362-363 Dorling Kindersley 2005 ISBN 0756613248
  5. ^ H. Johnson & J. Robinson The World Atlas of Wine pg 224-225 Mitchell Beazley Publishing 2005 ISBN 1840003324
© 2009 citizendia.org; parts available under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License, from http://en.wikipedia.org
 Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic