Wine has been produced in Hochheim am Main for over 1200 years. The wines enjoy global recognition, not least because of Queen Victoria’s preference for noble wines from Hochheim. 

The Hochheimer - “knighted Magnates“

Although Hochheim is located on the river Main, this wine-growing community belongs to the “Rheingau“ wine-growing region. The vineyards on the sunny south and south-west slopes are dominated by Riesling (80%) and Pinot noir (15%). Hochheim is one of the most important wine-growing communities of the Rheingau – not only because of the total size of the vineyards, which cover an area of around 200 ha. J. W. Goethe had already ranked “the Hochheimers“ among the very best vineyards, the so-called “magnates”.

Name and vineyard – then and now

Naming a vineyard is an ancient linguistic and legal tradition. During the Middle Ages, monks began describing the provenance of their wines, thereby creating lot names and vineyard descriptors. These indicate a deep knowledge of the relationship between provenance, wine character and quality.

The Abbey of Eberbach first introduced the concept of “wines from special vineyards” in their cellars in 1498. By the beginning of the 20^th century, only a very few wines from the Rheingau were sold without the name of the vineyard on the label. There were about 1500 vineyard names in the 42 wine-growing communities of the Rheingau. The German Wine Law of 1971, specified the vineyard names as binding and narrowed the numbers down to 118 individual vineyards. 

The vineyards of Hochheim

The collective vineyard Hochheimer Daubhaus comprises 10 individual vineyards. The most famous of these are the vineyards Domdechaney and Kirchenstück as well as Victoriaberg, located below the historical town centre. You will find interesting information about the history and the terroir of these vineyards on the panels along the Wine Experience Trail.

First class wines grow on first class soils – this is the message behind the “ERSTES GEWÄCHS” (first class growth). A quality certificate issued by the Geisenheim Research Centre and the German Meteorological Service takes into account climatic conditions and soil properties of the vineyard.

But this alone does not make a first class wine. This requires very high quality standards. A sensory examination by professionals is the guarantee that the ERSTES GEWÄCHS rank among the best wines produced in the Rheingau. Only Riesling and Pinot noir are eligible to be marketed as ERSTES GEWÄCHS.