Landeshauptstadt Mainz Direkt zum Inhalt
Landeshauptstadt Mainz Direkt zum Inhalt
Mainz is Germany‘s wine capital. Directly situated in the heart of the Rheinhessen appellation or growing area, Germany’s largest, it is within an hour’s drive of seven of Germany’s other prime growing areas: the Rheingau, Mittel Rhein, Ahr, Nahe, Mosel, Pfalz and Hessische Bergstrasse, and 90 minutes away from Franken, Baden, and Wuerttemberg.Mainz is the seat of the German Wine Institute which oversees the industry and sets standards for the nation’s 14,500 commercial vintners. The Institute also conducts instruction for the gastronomy and hotel industries teaching and certifying aspiring vintners, sommeliers, restauranteurs, wait-staff and enthusiasts about viticulture,wine-making,wine evaluation and service, marketing and sales. The VDP or Association of German Premium Wine Producers, 204 leading growers devoted to the highest quality, is likewise headquartered in Mainz.
Wine Bars and Restaurants
No fewer than 33 restaurants and wine bars are officially listed in the Mainz Wine Lovers‘ Guide of which 10 are definitely upscale. All are user friendly featuring local, regional, German and international taste treats.Even the smallest will make you feel at home.
This does not include the countless Strausswirtschaften or small „garage“ wineries who offer homecooking four months a year so that they may show their wines in best light. They are located in the suburbs or rural areas directly adjacent to Mainz City, often right where the vines grow.
The „Strauss“ or „bouquet“ is a small bunch of sticks, sometimes forming a straw broom or „Besen“ hung at the gate. Prices are dirt cheap , the wines simple, and the food „deftig“ – stick-to the-ribs, down-home good. The Guide recommends nine. The tradition goes back 1,200 years to Charlemagne!
Three Wine Museums, Two Major Sparkling Wine Producers
The Mainz Landesmuseum, the Kupferberg Wine and Sparkling Wine Museum, both in Mainz, and the German Vineyard Museum in nearby Oppenheim,offer in-depth insights into viticulture, German wine production in general,in the past and now.
Germans enjoy sparkling wine, both as whites and rosés. Mainz hosts two of Germany’s premiere producers, Goldhand in Walpodenstrasse 3; and, the highly ornate, fin-du-siècle Kupferberg Cellars on the Kupferbergterrasse. Both are open to visitors for tours and tastings. Call ahead for reservations.
Notes
Place: The House of German Wines
The House of German Wines boasting the most comprehensive list of German growths is situated in the heart of the City, adjacent the Opera House beneath of the Institute.
Gutenbergplatz 3, 55116 Mainz
Open Daily
Phone: 06131/22 13 00
Place: The Weinhaus Wilhemi
Mainz's oldest Wine Bar - and one of its most beautiful. A famed meeting place for all wine enthusiasts, Weinhaus Wilhelmi´s wonderful jolly spirit is contagious resulting in packed surroundings. Too crowded, so what! Make room for one more!
Rheinstrasse 51, 55116 Mainz
Open Daily
Phone: 06131/22 49 49
Venues: Schloss Johannisberg, Schloss Reinhardtshausen and Eberbach Monastery Wineries,
Just a few minutes away from Mainz across the Rhine in the Rheingau growing area, these three famous wineries, among others, are of extreme historical and cultural importance and have been for centuries. Their history, inseparable from that of Mainz, and every step along these scenic pathways is embedded in a landscape which is undoubtedly one of Germany's most beautiful.
Venue: M. Sterk Winery
What to do with the kids when the grow-ups want to sit back and enjoy the wine? The M Sterk Winery north of Mainz has a good solution! This Strausswirtschaft offers a large meadow where children can play, romp and rollick, swing, kick a soccer ball, or stroke the baby animals in the petting zoo while adults enjoy their wine with a beautiful view of Rheinhessen´s hills and vales during warm weather. Sterk´s wine bar also comfortable and inviting when the weather is cool or inclement.
Laurenziberg 32, 55435 Gau-Algesheim
Hours: Fridays from 7 p.m.,
Sat. from 5 p.m. Sundays and Holidays from 4 p.m.
Phone: 06725/26 66
"The Pleasures of Wine" - Brochure
Wine history, wine taverns and wine related culinary treats in and around the Mainz region. This brochure is free of charge and can be obtained from the Mainz Central Tourism office in the City hall or by calling 06131 / 28 62 10
