Nahe

The Nahe wine region, a hidden jewel situated between the Mosel and the Rhine, boasts diverse soils, high-end Rieslings and a history dating back to the Romans. It has a character all of its own and is one of Germany’s most exciting viticultural areas.

Unique soils and world-class white wines

The Nahe covers a vineyard area of 4,200 hectares along the eponymous river and its tributary valleys. It boasts an impressive geological patchwork consisting of over 180 different soils, including quartzite, slate, porphyry and sandstone. This uniquely diverse terrain gives the wines their distinctive character. An overwhelming 75% of the wines produced in the Nahe are white, with Riesling the dominant variety known for its vibrant acidity and mineral finesse, both dry and sweet. Other prominent grapes include German classics like Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc), Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris), Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir), and Müller-Thurgau.

A world-class region with a long history

Viticulture on and around the River Nahe dates back almost 2,000 years to Roman times, but it was only in 1971 that the region gained its official status as a winegrowing area. Before then, most of the local crop was bottled and sold as Rhine wine, which prevented the Nahe from forging its own identity. Nowadays, names like Dönnhoff and Emrich-Schönleber belong to the very top echelon of wine estates around the world, with steep vineyards like Dellchen, Kupfergrube and Frühlingsplätzchen famous for highly sought-after wines both at home and abroad. Mineral-driven soils and a mild, sunny climate, sheltered to the north-west by the Hunsrück hills, offer perfect conditions for outstanding white wine.

Diverse and exciting

The Nahe is a vivid example of how diverse German wine is, with 310 named single vineyards producing complex, multidimensional wines rich in fruit and mineral expression. From electrifying Riesling to finely balanced Pinot Noir – a confident new generation of winemakers is now cementing the Nahe’s position as one of the world’s best and most exciting wine regions.