The Flonheimer Estate

The winegrower's association 'Weinkeller Erbach' has long been known as a producer of fruity, spritsy wines in the Rheingau. In 2010 they took to the west, crossed the Rhein-river into Rheinhessen and started looking out for a vineyard that was able to provide high-quality Silvaner grapes. Eventually they found what they were looking for in the 'Flonheimer Adelberg'. Here, under the close cooperation and scrutiny of cellarmaster Jochen Bug a floral and aromatic Silvaner is being produced.

The Flonheimer Vineyard

The soil of the vineyard Flonheimer Adelberg consists of sandy loess and loam. Its total size is 130 hectares (325 acres). Here the annual rainfalls are low, the summers are warm and the winters mild. These are perfect conditions for growing wine. The name 'Adelberg' derives from the nobility of the quality of the wine. Literally it means 'noble hill'.

Silvaner is one of the most important grape varieties of the winegrowing region of Rheinhessen and also one of the oldest. First documented in 1659 it now comprises of almost 2,500 hectares (6250 acres) in Rheinhessen, making Rheinhessen the biggest winegrowing region of this variety not only in Germany, but also in the world. Being one of the oldest grape-varieties that is still being cultivated today, it is assumed, that the Silvaner-grape originally came from the Danube-river region of Romania. The roman writer 'Gaius Plinius Secundus' described in his book 'Naturalis Historia' a grape variety, that it has similar characteristics as the Silvaner.