“Hochheim's most precious vineyard“

The vineyard Domdechaney lies just below the historical centre of Hochheim and is considered to be one of the prime vineyards of the Rheingau. The famous vineyard is not very old. Today the  Domdechaney has even, dry slopes allowing modern machines to drive between the rows.

This has not always been so. Long ago, this was a marshy meadow where groundwater seeped out onto the surface. In 1685, the dean of the cathedral chapter, Christof Rudolf von Stadion, realized that this wet, but sunny slope could be turned into a “most excellent vineyard”.  Forced labourers drained, cleared and filled the marsh. The terrain was levelled and the water sources were laid dry.  The reward for all this arduous work was a vineyard that produced a wine that was soon to rise to the top of the Hochheim wines and become famous beyond the Rheingau region.

Hochheimer Domdechaney, is 10 ha of best premium vineyard area classified as “Erstes Gewächs Rheingau” (first class growth Rheingau). The name of the vineyard recalls the former owners, the deans of the cathedral chapter in Mainz. Until the 13^th century the land was owned by the cathedral chapter in Cologne, who sold Hochheim, including “land and people” to the archbishopric of Mainz in 1273. The cathedral chapter in Mainz ruled over the villages Flörsheim and Hochheim for over 500 years. The dean of the chapter was responsible for governing the diocese. His office was located in the Chapter House in Hochheim. He was also “Herbstherr” or “Master of Autumn” who determined when the wine harvest should begin.

The vineyard Domdechaney is classified as a “first class growth Rheingau” vineyard because of the  beneficial climate. The vineyard is located on the upper slope, where it receives the highest solar radiation. The result is an exceedingly warm site (pink colours on the climatic map). The vineyard is also located near the edge of the town where the buildings heat up more quickly than their surroundings. Thus the vineyard benefits from the warm air produced at the edge of the town. At night, cold air is formed on the plains. However, the settlement prevents this cold air from reaching the vineyard and therefore reduces the frost risk.