Photo: Thomas Pusch, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Hessische Bergstraße · Sub-regions
Bensheim
Bergstraße's capital, with Hessische Staatsweingüter Domäne Bergstraße as flagship estate.
Grape Varieties
Riesling, Spätburgunder
Grauburgunder
Most Famous Site
Bensheimer Kalkgasse, Streichling
Vineyard Area
130 ha
Harvest
September – October
TERROIR PROFILE · Hessische Bergstraße
Bensheim Capital of the Bergstraße
Bensheim — home of Hessische Staatsweingüter Domäne Bergstraße, the region's flagship.
SOILS
Graniteelegant, lightly spicy
Weathered granite produces elegant, slender wines with fine, lightly spicy profile.
Loessround, fruity, full
Loess stores water and nutrients. Wines tend to be rounder, juicier and fuller.
Loambody-rich, velvety
Loamy soils give wines volume and a soft, velvety mouthfeel.
Sandstonewarm, dry, spicy
Sandstone warms quickly and yields ripe, fragrant wines with yellow fruit and fine spice.
CLIMATE · Warm · Dry · Sunny
Mild and sunny on the western slope of the Odenwald, which shields from cold east winds while the Rhine plain supplies warmth. Rainfall is low and budbreak early.
TOPOGRAPHY · moderate
Gentle to moderately steep slopes at the foot of the Melibokus, inclined west towards the Rhine plain. Sites include Kalkgasse, Streichling, Hemsberg and Paulus; Schönberg forms a wine village of its own.
WHAT IT MEANS IN THE GLASS
Typical Flavours of the Region
Riesling
WhiteSpätburgunder
RedGrauburgunder
WhiteRegion aroma cloud
Hessische Bergstraße overview
This sub-region is part of Hessische Bergstraße. The map shows all 5 sub-regions — Bensheim is highlighted.
Overview
Typical Varieties
Terroir & Climate
Wine Character
Bensheim is a wine town on the Hessische Bergstraße at the foot of the Odenwald and home to the Hessian State Wineries Domäne Bergstraße, founded in 1904 by the Grand Duke of Hesse-Darmstadt and farming about 38 hectares. The town lies at the edge of the Rhine plain; behind it rises the Melibokus, the highest mountain of the Bergstraße.
The slopes face south and southwest, and the Odenwald holds off westerly weather. The Kalkgasse site owes its name to its limestone-rich soil; other sites have loess loam and weathered granite.
Riesling is the most important variety on the Hessische Bergstraße, with about 53 percent of the area, complemented by Spätburgunder, Grauburgunder and Weissburgunder. Bensheim sites include Fürstenlager, Hemsberg, Kalkgasse, Kirchberg, Paulus and Streichling. Besides Domäne Bergstraße, the Weingut der Stadt Bensheim also farms vines.
Soil Type
Loess loam, sandstone, weathered granite
Climate
Mediterranean-mild, very sunny; over 1,700 sunshine hours
Top profiles
13 detailed profiles — all filterable in the list belowHessische Staatsweingüter Domäne Bergstraße
Hessische Bergstraße · Bensheim · Bensheim
Riesling, Spätburgunder, Weißburgunder
Weingut Griesel & Compagnie
Hessische Bergstraße · Bensheim · Bensheim
Riesling, Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc
Weingut Schloss Schönberg
Hessische Bergstraße · Bensheim · Bensheim
Riesling, Spätburgunder, Weißburgunder
Weingut Rothweiler
Hessische Bergstraße · Bensheim · Bensheim
Riesling, Spätburgunder, Weißburgunder
Weingut der Stadt Bensheim
Hessische Bergstraße · Bensheim · Bensheim
Riesling, Spätburgunder, Weißburgunder
Weingut Zerback
Hessische Bergstraße · Bensheim · Bensheim-Auerbach
Riesling, Spätburgunder, Weißburgunder
All Wineries
13 resultsHessische Staatsweingüter Domäne Bergstraße
Hessische Bergstraße · Bensheim · Bensheim
Riesling, Spätburgunder, Weißburgunder
Weingut Griesel & Compagnie
Hessische Bergstraße · Bensheim · Bensheim
Riesling, Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc
Weingut Schloss Schönberg
Hessische Bergstraße · Bensheim · Bensheim
Riesling, Spätburgunder, Weißburgunder
Weingut Rothweiler
Hessische Bergstraße · Bensheim · Bensheim
Riesling, Spätburgunder, Weißburgunder
Weingut der Stadt Bensheim
Hessische Bergstraße · Bensheim · Bensheim
Riesling, Spätburgunder, Weißburgunder
Weingut Bauer
Hessische Bergstraße · Bensheim · Bensheim
Riesling, Spätburgunder, Weißburgunder
Weingut Jäger
Hessische Bergstraße · Bensheim · Bensheim-Auerbach
Riesling, Spätburgunder, Weißburgunder
Weingut Mohr
Hessische Bergstraße · Bensheim · Bensheim
Riesling, Spätburgunder, Weißburgunder
Weingut Zerback
Hessische Bergstraße · Bensheim · Bensheim-Auerbach
Riesling, Spätburgunder, Weißburgunder
Weingut Gehrig
Hessische Bergstraße · Bensheim · Bensheim
Riesling, Spätburgunder, Weißburgunder
Weingut Volker Dingeldey
Hessische Bergstraße · Bensheim · Bensheim-Gronau
Riesling, Spätburgunder, Weißburgunder
Weinbau Straußwirtschaft Dingeldey
Hessische Bergstraße · Bensheim · Bensheim
Grauburgunder, Müller-Thurgau, Dornfelder
Weingut Götzinger
Hessische Bergstraße · Bensheim · Bensheim-Zell
Riesling, Spätburgunder
Events in Hessische Bergstraße
All events in Hessische Bergstraße →25 Apr – Mon, 26 April 2027
VDP.Weinbörse Mainz
Tasting · Mainz
Sat, 1 May 2027
Hessische Bergstraße Open Cellar Day
Open cellar · Heppenheim / Bensheim
25 Jun – Sun, 4 July 2027
Bergstraße Wine Market Heppenheim
Wine festival · Heppenheim
3 Sept – Sun, 12 September 2027
Bensheim Winegrowers' Festival
Wine festival · Bensheim
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Hessische Staatsweingüter Domäne Bergstraße in Bensheim?
The Domäne Bergstraße is based in Bensheim, was founded in 1904 by the Grand Duke of Hesse-Darmstadt and farms about 38 hectares. The Bensheim municipal estate also farms vines.
Which vineyard sites are there in Bensheim?
Bensheim's sites include Fürstenlager, Hemsberg, Kalkgasse, Kirchberg, Paulus and Streichling. The Kalkgasse owes its name to its lime-rich soil.
Which grape varieties dominate the Hessische Bergstraße around Bensheim?
Riesling is the most important grape variety of the Hessische Bergstraße with around 53 percent of the area, complemented by Spätburgunder, Grauburgunder and Weißburgunder. The slopes open to the south and southwest.
When is the best time to visit Bensheim for wine?
The harvest in Bensheim takes place September – October – when vineyards and cellars are busiest. May to July suits tastings without harvest bustle; many estates open their tasting rooms off-season by appointment.
What does the terroir of Bensheim taste like?
Soils: Loess loam, sandstone, weathered granite. Climate: Mediterranean-mild, very sunny; over 1,700 sunshine hours. Together they shape structure, acidity and aromatics – see the terroir profile above.
How many wineries are there in Bensheim?
Cellarmap lists 13 wineries in Bensheim across roughly 130 hectares of vines. Every profile shows location, contact, grape varieties and, where available, vineyards, classification and visitor information.
All wineries in Bensheim, A to Z
- Hessische Staatsweingüter Domäne Bergstraße · Bensheim
- Weinbau Straußwirtschaft Dingeldey · Bensheim
- Weingut Bauer · Bensheim
- Weingut der Stadt Bensheim · Bensheim
- Weingut Gehrig · Bensheim
- Weingut Götzinger · Bensheim-Zell
- Weingut Griesel & Compagnie · Bensheim
- Weingut Jäger · Bensheim-Auerbach
- Weingut Mohr · Bensheim
- Weingut Rothweiler · Bensheim
- Weingut Schloss Schönberg · Bensheim
- Weingut Volker Dingeldey · Bensheim-Gronau
- Weingut Zerback · Bensheim-Auerbach
📖 Look up in glossary
All terms →Related wine terms — clearly explained in the Cellarmap glossary.