Middle Rhine wine and food: Riesling, taverns and what to eat

The Middle Rhine is one of Germany’s smallest wine regions, but one of its most beautiful. Vines grow on terraces so steep that most of the work is still done by hand, and the dark slate soil soaks up the sun and gives the wines a fresh, mineral taste. Most of it is Riesling.

The wine

• Riesling: the main grape, made dry (trocken), off-dry (feinherb) or sweet. Middle Rhine Rieslings are known for their crisp acidity.
• Pinot Noir: called Spätburgunder in Germany, grown in smaller amounts for light red wines.
• Sekt: local sparkling wine, often made from Riesling.

Famous wine towns include Bacharach, Oberwesel, Kaub and Boppard, where the Bopparder Hamm, a great loop of vineyards, faces the river. Across the valley’s southern gate, the Rheingau around Rüdesheim is a separate region with its own famous Rieslings.

Where to taste

Many family wine estates welcome visitors for tastings in their cellars; look for signs saying “Weinprobe” or “Weinverkauf”. Wine taverns serve their own wines by the glass with simple food. In Bacharach and Oberwesel you can hop between several in an evening.

What to eat

• Zwiebelkuchen and Federweißer: onion tart with cloudy, fizzy new wine, an autumn treat at harvest time.
• Sauerbraten: marinated pot roast, the Rhineland version often with a sweet-and-sour raisin sauce.
• Rieslingsuppe: a creamy wine soup served in some taverns.
• Flammkuchen: a thin, crispy tart topped with crème fraîche, onion and bacon, a favourite at wine festivals.
• Spundekäs: a soft cheese dip with pretzels, popular in the wine taverns of the region.

Wine festivals

From late summer into October, towns along the valley hold wine festivals, with stalls, music and new wine. The harvest season is also the time of the Rhine in Flames at the Loreley.

Tips

• Ask for a small tasting glass (“eine Probe”) before you commit to a full glass.
• Many estates close on Sundays or in winter; call ahead.
• Walk off lunch on the Rheinsteig through the vineyards.