Mittelrhein follows about 120 kilometres of the Rhine and is Germany's smallest wine-growing region. Its vineyards climb steep terraced slopes, some of them extremely steep. The valley sides have been terraced for vines for more than 1,000 years, and working these sites remains complex because of their exposure and the labour they require.
Riesling leads the region, with Pinot-family wines also important. Müller-Thurgau, Kerner and Pinot Noir are among the principal varieties. Slate and weathered greywacke are the main soils. VDP describes Mittelrhein as one of Germany's warmest wine-growing regions, with vineyard temperatures above 25 degrees Celsius on as many as 50 days a year.
Terraces, castles and palaces rise above the river. The Upper Middle Rhine Valley became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2002, recognised as a cultural landscape shaped by terracing. This traditional steep-slope land use faces present-day socioeconomic pressures. Mittelrhein means "Middle Rhine" and is pronounced approximately mittel-RINE.
Inside the region
1 named area
Each guide keeps its place within Mittelrhein clear, with a direct route back to the map.