TERROIR PROFILE
Südliche Weinstraße (Grenze zum Elsass)
Border zone to Alsace — warmest Pfalz spot
Schweigen, Birkweiler, Siebeldingen — Pfalz at Alsace level. Friedrich Becker, Rebholz, Wehrheim.
Climate, site & wine
Buntsandstein, calcareous marl and deep loess give wines with richness and warmth. As in neighbouring Alsace, Burgundian varieties, Gewürztraminer and Riesling thrive; Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot also ripen.
Typical are powerful, soft wines with low to medium acidity and ripe fruit, approachable early. Stylistically the wines sit between the Pfalz and Alsace; Gewürztraminer and Pinot Gris also thrive.
TERROIR PROFILE · Palatinate
Südliche Weinstraße (Grenze zum Elsass) Border zone to Alsace — warmest Pfalz spot
Schweigen, Birkweiler, Siebeldingen — Pfalz at Alsace level. Friedrich Becker, Rebholz, Wehrheim.
SOILS
Loessround, fruity, full
Loess stores water and nutrients. Wines tend to be rounder, juicier and fuller.
Limestoneprecise, mineral
Limestone delivers tension, structure and a cooler, more mineral character.
Sandstonewarm, dry, spicy
Sandstone warms quickly and yields ripe, fragrant wines with yellow fruit and fine spice.
Loambody-rich, velvety
Loamy soils give wines volume and a soft, velvety mouthfeel.
CLIMATE · Warm · Dry · Sunny
Southernmost part of the Pfalz with a very warm, dry climate close to that of Alsace. Mild spring, even ripening; almond and fig trees grow at the edge of the vineyards.
TOPOGRAPHY · gentle
Gently undulating foothills of the Vosges (Wasgau) around Schweigen-Rechtenbach and Oberotterbach, with slopes facing east and southeast. The Weintor in Schweigen marks the border with Alsace.
WHAT IT MEANS IN THE GLASS
Similar terroirs worldwide
Computed from fingerprint similarity
Südliche Weinstraße
Palatinate
96% similar
- Body (slightly): Südliche Weinstraße (Grenze zum Elsass) gives more body → fuller, more powerful wines (8 vs. 7).
Wonnegau
Rheinhessen
96% similar
- Body (slightly): Südliche Weinstraße (Grenze zum Elsass) gives more body → fuller, more powerful wines (8 vs. 7).
Wineries on this terroir
See all 16 →Weingut Friedrich Becker
Schweigen-Rechtenbach
Renown 29/100
Becker's Wein- & Sekthaus
Schweigen-Rechtenbach
Renown 24/100
Weingut Beck
Oberotterbach
Weingut Brunck
Oberotterbach
Weingut Cuntz Sonnenhof
Schweigen-Rechtenbach
Weingut Ebinger GbR
Oberotterbach
Weingut Fischer
Schweighofen
Weingut Gerhard Beck
Schweigen-Rechtenbach
This terroir's soils in the glossary