Prinz Salm winery
The Prinz Salm winery , formerly Prinz zu Salm-Dalberg'sches winery , is Germany's oldest family-owned winery . It cultivates around 18 hectares of vineyards in Wallhausen in the Nahe growing area and in Bingen am Rhein in the Rheinhessen growing area with a focus on Riesling and Burgundy varieties . The ecologically managed winery is a member of the Association of German Prädikats- und Qualitätweingüter eV (VDP) .
history
The winery looks back on 800 years and 32 generations of uninterrupted winemaking tradition. The Celts and Romans had already discovered the valley of the Graefenbach , a side valley of the Nahe , for viticulture . The oldest known document about a vineyard property of the Dalberg family , which at that time was still called Weierbach, comes from a list of goods from the year 1200 ("Wingert in Summelachen", today Sommerloch ) and from May 1, 1219 (vineyard on "Breitwiesen", today Felseneck ). The first precise mention of the individual vineyard sites by name dates back to 1501. In this document, the Wallhausen vineyards Johannisberg, Pastorenberg, Kirschheck and others are already listed. They are still among the top locations in Wallhausen today. The family initially lived on the Dalburg, built in 1150 above Dalberg . After the castle lost its protective significance, the valley castle in Wallhausen, two kilometers away, was expanded into a residence from 1756. Previously, Wallhausen Castle was the administrative seat of the rule and the location of the so-called Amtskeller , the dominal administration . The archives there contain the “cellar bills” from the last few centuries.
winery
Today's owner is Michael Prinz zu Salm-Salm , who runs the winery in the 32nd generation. As an oenologist, his son Felix zu Salm-Salm is responsible for the vineyards and cellars and the company's strategy. Commercial and private rooms are located in the castle building.
The winery has 27 hectares of vineyards, 12 of them in Wallhausen and 15 in Bingen am Rhein . The vineyards are classified according to the VDP system and are marketed accordingly as “VDP.Grosse Lage”, “VDP.Orts- or Terroirwein” and “VDP.Gutswein”.
The winery was converted to ecological farming in 1988 , making it a pioneer on the Nahe. The ecological management is checked annually and certified by the Naturland Association .
Michael zu Salm-Salm was President of the VDP from 1990 to 2007. His great-grandfather was a co-founder of the Association of Natural Wine Auctioneers on the Nahe eV Bad Kreuznach (today: the first auction ring for the Nahe wine estates in the Association of German Prädikats- und Qualitätstweingüter).
Vineyards in the growing area
Near
The valley between Wallhausen and Dalberg lies in the foothills of the Rhenish Slate Mountains , on the edge of the Soonwald and in the rain shadow of the Hunsrück . Due to its varied geological past, the region has a wide variety of different soils. Towards the mountains, near Dalberg, a green slate colored by chlorite lies exposed. Around Wallhausen there are fluvial and aeolian sediments (sand, gravel, clay and loess) as well as quartzite and red slate from the Rotliegend , a quantity of different rocks colored red to brownish-red by hematite . The south-facing steep slopes have an excellent microclimate for viticulture . Are known as "VDP.Grosse documents" reported Felseneck with green slate and Johannisberg and mountain with red slate as a floor .
Rheinhessen
The Binger ridge lies at the beginning of the Upper Middle Rhine Valley on the southwestern edge of the Rhenish Slate Mountains and runs in a southeastern direction. It is based on the typical quartzite of the slate mountains on the left bank of the Rhine, which has metamorphosed into a red weathered slate . The winery - formerly Weingut Villa Sachsen - has vineyards in two locations, the Kirchberg in the east and the famous Scharlachberg on the western edge , both of which are among the best vineyards in Germany. The Scharlachberg is part of the Rochusberg and takes its name from the coloration ( scarlet ) that causes the mineral hematite and can be seen from afar. The Kirchberg has a higher proportion of lime in the soil.
Web links
- Website of the Prinz Salm winery
- Aerial photo / demarcation of the Johannisberg location
- Aerial photo / demarcation of the Felseneck location
- Aerial photo / demarcation of the Kirchberg location
- Aerial photo / demarcation of the Scharlachberg location
Individual evidence
Coordinates: 49 ° 53 ′ 20.3 " N , 7 ° 45 ′ 48.4" E
- ↑ Wallhäuser Felseneck , website in the riesling.de portal , accessed on July 9, 2019
- ^ Norbert Krupp: 800 years of Salm-Dalbergscher viticulture in the Felseneck Wallhausen . Article from May 3, 2019 in the portal Allgemeine-zeitung.de , accessed on July 9, 2019
- ↑ Christine Tscherner: Lord of two wineries. Allgemeine Zeitung, May 23, 2013, accessed September 26, 2013 .
- ↑ Rainer Gräff: Prinz Bio: Salm is a traditional estate based entirely on organic wine from the Nahe and Bingen. Rhein-Zeitung, April 18, 2013, accessed on September 26, 2013 .