3 Wine Regions in Germany You Need to Try ASAP

Spätburgunder, Sekt, and Riesling, oh my!

Please note that is a this is a sponsored article for Wines of Germany.
All reviews and opinions expressed in this article are based on our own personal views.

To kick off our partnership with Wines of Germany, we’re excited to introduce 3 wine regions in Germany that you need to explore ASAP!

Germany is known for many things – beer, sausages, festivals, cars. It’s also well known for WINE. We made it to Oktoberfest when we were 20, and now we need to go back to attend one of their countless wine festivals.

Below are our favorite three wine regions in Germany to drink from – and ones we want to visit in person someday. These areas are known to produce some of the best, highest quality wines out of Germany.

They also produce the most wine out of Germany’s 13 winegrowing regions, so you’re most likely to see these regions on bottles at your local wine shop. You can get a range of styles and varieties – everything from the country’s iconic and diverse Rieslings to sparkling wine (also known as Sekt) to Spätburgunder, which is also known as… Pinot Noir!

Mosel

Ahhh the Mosel. This region is on our bucket list FO SHO. The valley is home to the steepest vineyards in the world, making for pretty stunning sights. Sloping, terraced vineyards make their way down to the winding Mosel River that cuts through the whole region. Because of these winemaking conditions, a lot of grapes are picked by hand.

Mosel produces some of the finest Rieslings in the world. Over 60% of the vines planted are Riesling. The wines are beautifully fresh and high in acidity and can range from dry (look for “Trocken” on the label) to slightly sweet (look for “Kabinett” or “Spatlese”) and very sweet (look for Auslese on the label) . We *love* Rieslings from this area paired with Thai food because the spice of the food works well with residual sugar, which intensifies the fruity notes in the wine.

Wine to try from this region: Heinz Eifel Riesling Kabinett

Off dry (slightly sweet) Riesling that pairs amazingly with Hunan cuisine or sweet and spicy chicken.

Pfalz

A landscape shot of the Pflaz wine regions of Germany — Credit: Wines of Germany

Because of the Pfalz’s location, it’s seen almost as a continuation of the famed Alsace region in France. It’s one of Germany’s warmest regions and is beautifully sunny and full of innovative winemaking techniques and makers.

Riesling is the most widely planted grape and has the longest reputation for high quality winemaking, similar to the Mosel, but these Rieslings tend to be a bit fuller-bodied due to the warmer climate. Many other grapes are also grown in Pflaz, including white grapes like Müller-Thurgau, Grauburgunder, and Weissburgunder (Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc respectively). Red grapes like Spätburgunder and Dornfelder account for about 40% of production. Some of the more well-established vineyards are found in the Forst and Deidesheim villages, an area often referred to as Mittelhaardt.

Like many regions in Germany, the Pfalz also produces Sekt, the German word for sparkling wine! Sekt is as diverse as any sparkling wine partially because of the many grape varieties that can be used for its production. Most often it is produced using Riesling which makes for another style with high food pairing affinity!

Wine to try from this area: Von Winning Riesling Extra Brut Sekt

German sparkling wine that pairs excellent with either spicy or savory foods and is a great replacement for Champagne on NYE.

Rheinhessen

Rheinhessen has long been known as one of the top wine regions in Germany that produces high quality wines, so if you find a wine from this area, you’re probably in store for something tasty. Vines have been grown here alongside the Rhine River since Roman times, and it is the largest vine-growing region in Germany today. Producers are able to grow a lot of different types of grapes in this region – Riesling, Silvaner, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc. In particular, red wine from this region has been booming in popularity as of late.

Wine to try from this area: Weingut Fritz Windisch Westhofener Bergkloster Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir (aka Spätburgunder in Germany) that would pair nicely with some yummy German sausage and spaetzle. For non traditional we’d definitely suggest a juicy bacon & mushroom burger, or Szechuan Beef.