With 26,500 ha, the Rheinhessen winegrowing region accounts for a quarter of the planted vineyards and is thus the largest wine-growing region in Germany.
Contrary to its name, it is not located in Hessen, but in Rhineland-Palatinate; it forms a kind of triangle that runs from Bingen to Mainz in the north and ends at Worms in the south. It is also known as the land of a thousand gentle hills. It is not a region of extremes - even climatically moderate temperatures prevail - but of diversity: both in the soil, especially various loess formations, but also sand, marl, limestone, clay, red-lying, as well as in the grape varieties. About two-thirds of the vines are white: Riesling has become the most important grape variety in Rheinhessen and has just surpassed the previously dominant Müller-Thurgau. Traditionally the Silvaner plays an important role, also the white Burgundy varieties are on the advance. The increase in Riesling is not the slightest sign of a strengthening of quality cultivation in an area that has long had the reputation of placing too much emphasis on mass prduction. There is also a great variety of red varieties: in addition to the predominant Dornfelder, Portugieser and increasingly Spätburgunder are cultivated.