Saturdays in Mainz are all about wine. Young and old alike gather in droves at the market square, at the foot of the 1,000-year-old cathedral. People chat, they eat, but above all, they indulge in the wines of Mainz, the wine capital. Twenty years ago, a small group of Mainz winemakers came up with the idea of the Marktfrühstück; today, it has grown into a major event, a cult gathering spot, and a major attraction for the entire region—one that’s being emulated across Germany.

“We were pioneers and ahead of our time,” says Sigrid Lemb-Becker, “we created a unique piece of wine culture.” Lemb-Becker is the chairwoman of the Mainz Winemakers; twenty years ago, two winemakers from their ranks invented the Marktfrühstück. Originally, it was a breakfast gathering for market visitors, where bakers and butchers offered food for sale. The beginnings were simple: meat sausage, pea soup, and beer were the main staples.

In 1999, the Mainz Winemakers took over the organization of the Marktfrühstück and decided to change things up a bit: From then on, Mainz wine was also served here. “At first, it was a tough battle against the beer stand,” recalls winemaker Hans Willi Fleischer with a smile, “but the breakthrough came very quickly.” Today, the Marktfrühstück attracts several hundred or even several thousand visitors every Saturday who want to enjoy a glass or two in the shadow of the cathedral.

"The people here are open, full of life, and hospitable," says Lemb-Becker, "they are cheerful and have a great sense of humor." Mainz’s traditional dish, “Weck, Worscht, and Woi,” became world-famous thanks to the Mainz Carnival; Mainz is the third-largest carnival hub in Germany. Every year, 500,000 visitors come to Mainz for the big Rose Monday parade—at the head of the parade, “Weck, Worscht, and Woi” are proudly carried as the city’s trademark.

It was the Romans who brought large-scale winemaking to the Rhine; around 13 B.C., they built a fort right here on the Rhine, across from the mouth of the Main. Since then, wine has played an important role in Mainz’s history; vineyards stretched along the slopes into the surrounding Rheinhessen countryside—the small “Prominentenweinberg” (Celebrity Vineyard) at the foot of the citadel is just as much a reminder of this ancient tradition as the many wine taverns in the city center.

A vineyard in Mainz-Bretzenheim is the oldest recorded vineyard site; 26 wineries are currently listed in Mainz, all located in the southern part of the city. In 2004, they founded the “Mainzer Winzer” association, marking the beginning of modern wine tourism in Mainz. The “Best of Mainzer Wein” wine tastings brought the wines into the city and opened people’s eyes and palates to the new leaps in quality of these products.

In 2008, Mainz became a member of the global network of Great Wine Capitals; this title greatly strengthened ties with the surrounding wine region of Rheinhessen—wine became ubiquitous in Mainz. A visible symbol of this is the wine stand on the banks of the Rhine; at the foot of Mainz City Hall, local winemakers take turns serving their wines here on weekends—the new wine hotspot. “Tourists love it, too,” says Lemb-Becker, “they’re amazed at how much wine-related activity there is in the city.”

Of course, there are wine festivals throughout the year, the Mainz Wine Market, and even a wine marathon: Three years ago, Mainz winemakers created a wine tour through the city center that takes in the most important sights. And of course, wine is a must at the soccer stadium as well: Wine is served at home games of the Bundesliga club Mainz 05. No wonder the 2019 Best of Wine Tourism Award for innovative wine tourism went to Mainz’s winemakers.