Winery Eckehart Gröhl

Kranz family or wrath around the village? 

Is the single vineyard placed like a wreath (German: “Kranz”) around Dalheim? That would be a nice explanation, but unfortunately no. The site does, however, lie around one side of the village, from east to south to west. It was mentioned in a document in 1418 with the name "off dem Crausberge". It is assumed that a personal name was decisive. The various vines thrive on clay marl and loess. Incidentally, the fossil-rich sands in this area belong to the Stadecken Formation and were deposited in the Mainz Basin area about 30 million years ago. Hikers are recommended to visit the Graunsberg hut near the site: an approximately 150-year-old earth-covered building with barrel vaults. The "Amiche" cycle route runs close to the village of Dalheim.

• There is another single vineyard with the name Kranzberg in Rheinhessen: the Niersteiner Kranzberg

Boy's name? Toad migration? Rieslings of world fame!

A vineyard of world fame! As the name "Thal" (old German word for valley) suggests, this single vineyard site begins in the valley, directly by the river Rhein, and then climbs steeply up the "Roter Hang". This single vineyard site is the steepest section on "Roter Hang" - very valuable and extremely sought after by winegrowers. The cadastral name has existed since 1753. Where does the name come from? There are several interpretations. The most common variant would be the boy or family name Peter. It could also be derived from Pater, meaning monk. The vineyards were owned by the church for a long time. Or - as they say in Nierstein: "Petten" refers to toads that migrate to the springs and sump holes that emerge above. An indication of this is that an adjacent area is called "Stumpe Loch", which is probably derived from Sumpfloch. Whether ordinary boy's name or ordinary toad: the Rieslings, on the other hand, are not ordinary at all. They are mineral, expressive and capable of ageing. They grow on bare red clay sandstone and get plenty of sun all day long.

> Discover the single vineyard site by bike: https://www.rheinhessen.de/amiche-radweg
> More information about the vineyards of the "Roter Hang": https://roter-hang.de/roter-hang/weinlagen/

Wonderful vineyard site

Above Oppenheim, beginning at Landskron Castle, this single vineyard site runs along the slope to the south-southeast. The name actually refers to gentlemen, not meaning fine men, but actual rulers. It is unknown whether ecclesiastical or secular lords are meant, but it is suspected, that the lords of Dalberg gave the vineyard its name. They were one of the most important noble families in medieval Oppenheim. The Herrenberg is interspersed with limestone, a deep and poor soil, especially for white grape varieties such as Riesling, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and Silvaner. The grapes ripen slowly and show great ripening potential. The wines are very mineral. A visit to the Landskron ruins, the magnificent Katharinenkirche (the local church) and the town centre is recommended. Oppenheim is home to the German Museum of viticulture.

By the way: the single vineyard "Am Krötenbrunnen" once made the town of Oppenheim very famous. Today, this vineyard name no longer exists due to land consolidation. Yet, the Toad Fountain originally was not a vineyard, but an old water system. The gallery, which leads 30 metres into the mountain, has been shut down for many years. But until today, it is still there, in the center of the "Oppenheimer Herrenberg" site.

> Overview of the sights in and around Oppenheim: https://www.stadt-oppenheim.de/sehen/ 
> Link to the German Wine Museum: https://www.dwm-content.de/ 
> The Rheinterrassenweg leads through the middle of the single vineyard site https://www.rheinhessen.de/etappenvorschlaege/rheinterrassenweg-etappe-guntersblum-ludwigshoehe-dienheim-oppenheim 
> On the development of the field name "Am Krötenbrunnen": https://www.regionalgeschichte.net/rheinhessen/oppenheim/einzelaspekte/flurnamen.html 
> Rheinhessen blog: https://blog.rheinhessen.de/kirchenfuehrung-katharinenkirche-oppenheim-magdalena-schaeffer/

Carrying goods from the river to the town

Guilds and associations of craftsmen or merchants were very important in the Middle Ages. In Oppenheim there was a guild of sack bearers. Today they would be called transporters or logisticians. They once carried the ship's goods from the river Rhein to Oppenheim, as the town is located on an elevated site. Certainly a lot of goods were stored in the cellar labyrinths afterwards. These can still be visited today. The single vineyard was mentioned in 1475 as "hinder dem sacktreger thorne". Heavily weathered limestone lies in the subsoil. Vines such as Riesling, Silvaner or Gewürztraminer, but also Pinot Noir feel at home in the warm, wind-protected location.

> Discover the underground city of Oppenheim: https://www.rheinhessen.de/a-oppenheimer-kellerlabyrinth 
> Regional history of the town of Oppenheim: https://www.regionalgeschichte.net/rheinhessen/oppenheim.html 
> On the development of field names: https://www.regionalgeschichte.net/rheinhessen/oppenheim/einzelaspekte/flurnamen.html 
> The next generation of winegrowers is trained directly at the site: Dienstleistungszentrum Ländlicher Raum. 

Biblical reference, oil mill or oily Rieslings?

Is the single vineyard named “Ölberg” because an oil mill once stood here? Or did the Ölberg get its name because of the oily consistency of the wines produced here? Does the site maybe have biblical references, named after a monastery? Anything is possible. The single vineyard is part of the "Roter Hang" but turns away from the river Rhein and faces south-southeast, situated above Nierstein. Partly very steep with a gradient of up to 60 percent. Like it is tpical for Roter Hang, the soil here is Rotliegendes, the iron oxide-containing, and landscape-defining red shining clay slate. The dominant grape variety is Riesling. In the middle of the vineyard: the Wartturm, a Nierstein landmark. Once a medieval signal tower from the 12th century.

> Discover the single vineyard by bike: https://www.rheinhessen.de/amiche-radweg

> Info about the Nierstein Wartturm: https://www.rheinhessen.de/a-wartturm-von-nierstein
> Wine events, winemakers and more: https://roter-hang.de/