Features

The Wine & Roses of Germany

1 Nov 2008 by intern22

Less than an hour from the skyscrapers of Frankfurt lie the sleepy vineyards of the Rheingau region and a unique hotel. Lucy Fitzgeorge-Parker pays a visit.

Fashions in wine change rapidly, and preferences swing between the new and old world, but one thing’s for sure – German wine just never seems to be trendy. Mention the idea to most people, and the response is likely to be a ribald reference to Blue Nun or Liebfraumilch, or an enquiry as to where they put the sugar in.

This is a shame, because Germany has a history of winemaking that dates back to the Roman Empire, and its light and fruity vintages make a refreshing change from the ubiquitous Chardonnay. It would be fair to say, though, that it can be an acquired taste – and there could be no better place to acquire it than at Schloss Reinhartshausen Kempinski, the only five-star hotel in Europe with its own winery.

Just half an hour west of Frankfurt, the property is situated in the heart of the Rheingau, one of Germany’s best wine-producing areas. The secret to the region’s success is its unique topography – here, the Rhine changes course along its 1,000km journey north from the Swiss Alps to the Netherlands, and flows east to west. This means that the lower slopes of the Taunus Mountains face due south across the river, creating the warm and sheltered conditions needed for vines to flourish.

Wine has been produced at Schloss Reinhartshausen since the 14th century, and today there are more than 80 hectares under cultivation. The estate’s vines currently fill about 600,000 bottles a year, mostly with wine from the famous Riesling grape, which flourishes in the region – its combination of flowery aromas and high acidity makes it ideal for the fermentation of a wide range of white wines.

Schloss Reinhartshausen makes full use of its Riesling crop, producing everything from dry, sparkling Sekt, which it supplies to Kempinski properties all over the world for their house champagne, to heavy, sweet Eiswein, made from grapes which have been frozen on the vine and then picked and pressed before they thaw.

The estate is also able to make wines from grapes usually found in warmer climates, thanks to its ownership of the Mariannenaue, the largest island in the Rhine. When the cold air rolls down off the mountains, it stops at the river – so the 60 hectares of the island can grow grapes like Sauvignon Blanc.

The winery does also produce a small amount of red burgundy, but you’re much better off sticking to the whites, which the locals swear will never give you a headache. All of these are on sale in the Vinothek, a separate building to the east of the hotel, where the staff will initiate you into the complexities of German winemaking.

Parts of the wine cellars date back to the start of wine production in medieval times, when the estate belonged to the Knights of Allendorf, but the main building of the Schloss was begun in 1800, when the Earl of Westphalia bought the property and tore down the fort which stood on the site. In its place, he built an elegant, high-ceilinged residence – now the east wing of the hotel – and a few years later acquired the island and laid out the formal gardens which slope down to the river.

The story of the modern Schloss, however, really begins with Princess Marianne of Prussia, a fascinating and formidable woman. Brought up in Berlin, she married her cousin Albrecht, but sued for divorce when he turned out to be a compulsive womaniser. When this was refused, she packed up and set off on a long voyage round the Mediterranean with her coachman, and in 1849 gave birth to an illegitimate son, Johannes, in Sicily. After that, there was no problem with a divorce, and she bought Schloss Reinhartshausen to house herself, her family and more than 600 paintings, which she had accumulated in Rome.

As there wasn’t room for her collection in the original Schloss, she added a central block and opened it to the public (she also funded the building of the first Protestant church in the small town of Erbach, next to the Schloss, to commemorate the death of her son in 1861). Her descendants sold off many of her artworks, but more than 300 are still displayed in the hotel, while statuary from her villa on Lake Como stands in the grounds.

Schloss Reinhartshausen was reinvented as a hotel in 1991, and became part of the Kempinski stable 10 years later (it is also a member of the Small Leading Hotels of the World group). The main building houses just 54 rooms and suites, all with river views, and a further seven suites and two rooms were added last year with the restoration of the Herrenhaus, a separate structure which was originally part of the winery, and which includes a tiny 16th-century chapel room in one of the ground-floor suites.

The hotel also has an impressive range of function rooms, from the atmospheric low arches of the Schlosskeller and the elegant saloons of the main building to the huge open space and dark wood beams of the Kelterhalle, originally used for wine-pressing and now a popular concert venue.

Locally, the hotel is as famous for its food as its wine, and particularly for its emphasis on homemade produce. On sunny summer afternoons, there are long queues for the privilege of indulging in coffee and freshly made cakes on the spacious terrace, and in the fine-dining Prinzess von Erbach restaurant all the breads are home-baked and even the chocolates are made on the premises. (For those who fancy something less formal, the Schloss Schanke – next to the winery – provides excellent local specialities at astonishingly reasonable prices in a traditional rustic setting.)

The best time to visit is in summer, when the vines are at their most lush, and the rest of the countryside is covered in roses. Eltville, just 20 minutes walk along the river from the hotel, is one of Germany’s officially designated “Rose Cities”, and is one of the main venues for the annual classical music festival, which takes place in June, July and August.

CONTACT: Schloss Reinhartshausen Kempinski, Hauptstrasse 41, Eltville-Erbach, Germany, tel 49 6123 6760, www.kempinski.com


Kloster Eberbach

A couple of hours walking up into the hills behind the Schloss (or a 15-minute drive, if you’re feeling lazy) brings you to Kloster Eberbach, one of Germany’s best-preserved medieval monasteries.

Founded in 1135 by the Cistercian order, the Kloster looks surprisingly modern from the outside, with its sparkling white paint and slate roof, but once inside its ancient stone walls you can quite see why it was chosen as the location for the filming of The Name of the Rose.

The huge church with its austere Norman arches is a welcome relief from the Gothic excesses found elsewhere in Germany. The walls are lined with the tombs of fierce-looking monks and bishops, who must have needed to be fairly tough to live here – in the heat of summer the vaulted rooms are delightfully cool, but in winter the chill gets into your bones.

The monastery was the centre of viticulture in the region from medieval times onwards, as is evidenced by the huge wooden wine-presses, dating back to the 16th century, which are on display in the Lay Brothers’ Refectory (one bears the inscription Vinum delectat et laetificat cor hominum – “Wine delights and uplifts the heart of man”).

The vineyard still produces several pleasant vintages, which can be sampled in the Kloster Schanke. This restaurant, set in a beautiful old dining room with wooden tables, is a favourite with locals at weekends, when crowds arrive to eat excellent homecooked food (both hearty and lighter) served by girls in traditional costume, and drink Riesling by the glass.

CONTACT: www.klostereberbach.com


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