wines from the Ahr region
The Ahr Back to Top
The Ahr is one of Europe 's northernmost wine regions. It is also the smallest in Germany , with vineyards extending only 25 km along the Ahr River as it flows toward the Rhine just south of Bonn . From Altenahr, in the west, to the spa Bad Neuenahr, the vines are perched on steep, terraced cliffs of volcanic slate. In the eastern end of the valley, the slopes are gentler and the soils are rich in loess. The vines are at the mercy of spring frosts and would not ripen at all so for north without the step slopes to protect and help with ripening with maximum sun exposure. The red grape vines were brought here from Burgundy at the end of the seventeenth century, the Pinot noir grape which is here called the Spätburgunder or late Burgundy accounts for over 50% of the area .Today four out of every five bottles of Ahr wine are red wine, the Spatburgunder wines are velvety to fiery and wines made from the Portugieser are light and charming. There are plantings of Dornfelder which is on the up and up. and there are small pockets of the steely fresh Riesling and Muller-Thurgau. Since the 3rd century AD wine is cultivated at the Ahr. First of all the Romans established the cultivation. This is verified by the excavation of a vineyard in 4 m depth. Wine-growing is for the first time verified by documents in the year 770. Since the 17th century the Ahr is known as a red wine area.
In 2003 the region of Ahr which has 525ha under vine produced 40.793 hectolitres of grape must which gives a yield of 80,9 hectolitres per hectares this was split into 0,0% table wine 26,3% QbA wine and 73,7% QmP wines.
Geographical location: On both sides along the Ahr river. Back to Top
From Mariental on a length of 25 km, to the mouth into the Rhine river near Linz .
The Ahr Valley is on the fringe of the protective Eiffel Hills.
Major town(s): Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler.
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Geology:
Deep, rich loess soils in the lower Ahr Valley with slate, volcanic stone and rocky soils in the middle Ahr Valley .
The region is located in the Rhenish slate mountains. Clay, devon and quartzite slate are often found as primary rock. Especially in the lower Ahr valley partially with loess and loess-clay coating. This special condition of the soil results in a "hot-water bottle" effect. The soil accumulates the sun irradiation during the day and emits the warmth again at night
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Climate:
The climate is quite mild and favourable for vine growth with some greenhouse-like temperatures on some of the steeper sites. The steep slopes also help with frost protection as the cold air falls down the to river valley bottom. The steep valley clefts protect the Ahr valley from cold winds. Full-bodied red wines can develop on the steep southern slopes despite the northern location of the region. The river partially reflects the sun irradiation to the vineyards. But there is still the danger of late and early frosts.
Grape varieties
Geology:
Deep, rich loess soils in the lower Ahr Valley with slate, volcanic stone and rocky soils in the middle Ahr Valley .
The region is located in the Rhenish slate mountains. Clay, devon and quartzite slate are often found as primary rock. Especially in the lower Ahr valley partially with loess and loess-clay coating. This special condition of the soil results in a "hot-water bottle" effect. The soil accumulates the sun irradiation during the day and emits the warmth again at night
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Vineyard area
525 ha 1 district · 1 collective vineyard site · 40+ individual sites (See Below)
The small wine-growing region Ahr has only one area:
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Walporzheim/Ahr. At the lower Ahr the " Green Street " connects 9 well-known wine places: Altenahr, Mayschoß, Dernau, Marienthal, Walporzheim, Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, Heimersheim, and Sinzig.
Spätburgunder 306 ha which is 59, 0 % of total area
Portugieser 66 ha which is 12, 7 % of total area
Riesling 41 ha which is 7, 9 % of total area
grapes for red wine 443,66 ha 85,56%
Blauer Spätburgunder 306 ha 59,01%
Blauer Portugieser 66,43 ha 12,81%
Blauer Frühburgunder 26,41 ha 5,08%
Dornfelder 22,51 ha 4,34%
Domina 7,91 ha 1,53%
Regent 5,94 ha 1,15%
Dunkelfelder 3,26 ha 0,63%
Rotberger 1,07 ha 0,21%
Sonstige 4,13 ha 0,80%
wine wine grapes 74,89 ha 14,44%
Riesling 40,58 ha 7,83%
Müller-Thurgau 22,86 ha 4,41%
Kerner 4,20 ha 0,81%
Ruländer 1,89 ha 0,36%
Ortega 0,93 ha 0,18%
Weißburgunder 0,91 ha 0,17%
Optima 0,48 ha 0,09%
Sonstige 3,04 ha 0,59%
Bereich Walporzheim/Ahrtal
GROSSLAGE: Klosterberg
Daubhaus 35ha Spätburgunder 67%; Portugieser 30% (mainly clay with Grauwacke and slate)
Forstberg 34ha Spätburgunder 55%; Portugieser 27%; Dornfelder 8% (mainly clay with Grauwacke and slate)
Rosenthal 50ha Spätburgunder 70%; Portugieser 15%; Frühburgunder 5%; Dornfelder 5% (From Grauwacke and pendant clay to loess and loess clay)
Silberberg 24 ha Spätburgunder 77%; Portugieser 8%, Dornfelder 8% (Predominantly Grauwacke, isolated slates and loess)
Riegelfeld 19 ha Spätburgunder 79%; Frühburgunder 19% (middle-heavy, partly profound loess and loess clay)
Ursulinengarten 21ha Spätburgunder 70%; Portugieser 10%; Riesling and Müller-Thurgau 20%(Pendant clay, Grauwacke and loess and some basalt)
Eck 22 ha Spätburgunder 70%; Riesling 28% (Grauwacke and weathered slate, partly loess clay)
Übigberg 32 ha Spätburgunder 90%; Riesling 5% (Grauwacke and weathered slate, partly loess clay)
Steinkaul 48 ha Spätburgunder 70%; Dornfelder, Frühburgunder and Portugieser 10% (Loess clay grounds, pendant clay and Grauwacke)
Karlskopf 19 ha Spätburgunder 30%, Frühburgunder 40% (Loess clay and sandy clay)
Sonnenschein 28ha Spätburgunder 73%; Frühburgunder 9%; Riesling 9% ( heavy loess clay and loess grounds.)
click for a pictureBad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler (village)
Dernau (village) click for a picture
Goldkaul 50 ha Spätburgunder 67%; Portugieser 11%; Riesling 11% (weathered Slate , pendant clay, in sandy clay ground)
Burgarten 30 ha Spätburgunder 83%; Portugieser 10%; Riesling 3% (weathered Slate , pendant clay, in sandy clay ground)
Herrenberg
Hardtberg 30 ha Spätburgunder 50%; Portugieser 14%; Müller-Thurgau 14%(Grauwacke and stony, sandy pendant clay)
Pfarrwingert 10 ha Spätburgunder 67%; Portugieser 11% (Grauwacke)
Schieferlay 21 ha Spätburgunder 65%; Portugieser 15% (stony fine-sandy clay with Grauwacke and weathered slate)
click for a picture of BurrgartenHeimersheim (village)
Kappellenberg 22 ha Spätburgunder 42%; Portugieser 55% (weatherd Slate , pendant clay and loess)
Landskrone 23 ha Spätburgunder 56%; Portugieser 19%(Grauwacke , pendant clayand loess.)
Burggarten 21ha Spätburgunder 71% Portugieser und Domina 7% Riesling 7% (Grauwacke , pendant clay and loess,some basalt higher up.)
View Larger MapHeppingen (village)
Burg 5ha Spätburgunder 66%; Portugieser and Domina 17% (Grauwacke just like loess and loess clay)
Rosenberg 12 ha Spätburgunder 8%, Frühburgunder 25%; Dornfelder 17%, Müller-Thurgau 33% (Terrace clay and loess, in the upper part)
Jesuitsgarten 12 ha Spätburgunder 63%; Portugieser 25% (Grauwacke)
Trotzenberg 8 ha Spätburgunder 50%; Riesling 17% (Grauwacke and Loam)
Klostergarten 22ha inc Stiftsberg Spätburgunder 60%; Portugieser 20% (Grauwacke,partial loess and pendant clay.)
Stiftsberg 22 ha inc Klostergarten Spätburgunder 60%; Portugieser 20% (Grauwacke,partial loess and pendant clay.)
Mayschoss
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Mönchberg 71 ha Spätburgunder 41%; Riesling 36%: Müller-Thurgau 9% (stoney with light clay, sandy weathered slate)
Laacherberg 49 ha Spätburgunder 50%; Riesling 21% ( sandy loess)
Burgberg 47 ha Spätburgunder 60%; Dornfelder 7%; Riesling 14% (light clay, sandy weathered slate)
Schieferlay
Silberberg
Lochm u hierlay
Rech (village) Neuenahr (village)
Sonnenberg 47 ha Spätburgunder 65%; Portugieser 12%; Dornfelder 8% (Grauwacke, pendant clay, loess and loess clay,)
Schieferlay 24 ha Spätburgunder 83%, Portugieser 8%, Dornfelder 8% (Grauwacke, pendant clay, loess and loess clay,)
Kirchturmchen 17 ha Spätburgunder 56%, Portugieser 22%; Domina 11% (Pendant clay, Grauwacke, loess , clayey slate )click here to see a pictureclick for a picture
Hardtberg 28 ha Spätburgunder 40%, Riesling 40% ( weathered slate)
Blume 24 ha Spätburgunder 64%, Portugieser 14% (Terrace grit and terrace clay)
Herrenburg 27 ha Spätburgunder 47%, Portugieser 29%, Riesling 18% ( Grauwacke and weathered slate)
Back to Top Walporzheim (village)
Pfaffenberg 20 ha Spätburgunder 28%; Frühburgunder 22%; Portugieser 17% stony clay ,Grauwacke,with lots of stones.)
Alte Lay 5.5 ha Spätburgunder 60%; Portugieser 20% (weathered Slate , predominantly Grauwacke)
Domlay 9ha Spätburgunder 60%; Portugieser 10%; Riesling 5% ( light clay Grauwacke and sand)
Himmelchen 27 ha Spätburgunder 90%; Portugieser 5%; Riesling 5% (Pendant clay and terrace grit)
Kräuterberg 5ha Spätburgunder 90% (stony fine-sandy clay with Grauwacke )
Gaerkammer 0.6 ha Spätburgunder 100% (stony fine-sandy clay with Grauwacke