Palatinate

The Palatinate ranks among Germany's sunniest wine regions, with around 23,660 hectares of vineyards and more than 2,000 wine estates. As Germany's second-largest wine appellation, the Palatinate stretches from the southern Kurpfalz to the French border – along the German Wine Route, one of the world's oldest tourism routes.

The centrepiece is the Mittelhaardt, where world-class Rieslings emerge from limestone, basalt and sandstone soils. Estates such as Dr. Bürklin-Wolf, Bassermann-Jordan and von Winning are internationally acclaimed and part of the VDP elite.

The Palatinate's climate is exceptional: the Palatinate Forest to the west blocks rainfall and creates a mild microclimate with over 1,850 hours of sunshine per year. This allows not only Riesling to thrive, but also ripe Burgundy varieties and powerful reds from Pinot Noir and Dornfelder.

Historically the Romans cultivated vines here – traces are visible in archaeological parks near Worms and Neustadt. In the Middle Ages the bishopric of Speyer fostered a refined wine culture, and monasteries like Maulbronn shaped variety selection and winemaking technique.

Today the Palatinate is particularly celebrated for its wine festivals: the Hambacher Fest, the Dürkheimer Wurstmarkt and the Riesling Mile in Bad Dürkheim attract hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. Cycling through the Palatinate along the German Wine Route, you'll find a new winery, a new wine bar or a cosy Straußwirtschaft behind every village.