Ahr

Ahr follows the Ahr Valley and, at 535 hectares in 2025, is one of Germany's smallest wine regions. Red grapes cover 79 percent of its vineyards, the highest share in the country. Pinot Noir accounts for 64.9 percent of plantings; its German name is Spätburgunder. Frühburgunder, an early-ripening relative of Pinot Noir, is another local speciality. The lower valley has gentler slopes with loess, a fine windblown soil, while the middle valley is rockier. Spätburgunder wines range from softer examples to more powerful reds. Portugieser generally makes lighter reds, and Riesling is the most common white wine. In 1868, 18 Mayschoss winegrowers founded a cooperative after poor harvests and a collapse in the regional wine trade.