The Best German Wines You Need to Try At Least Once!

If you happen to visit Berlin in Germany, there are plenty of fantastic places you can see. However, very few places rival the wine tasting at Berlin Mitte. Mitte or the middle of Berlin is one of the best places to visit during a Berlin wine tour. Other than attending wine tastings, you can chill in the cool bars or try something delicious to eat at the many eateries you will come across in this amazing city.

Whenever you think of wine tasting at Berlin Mitte or about German wines, it’s natural to think of Riesling. Of course, Riesling is, no doubt, the queen of German wines! However, the country’s 13 other wine-producing regions prepare a host of white and red wines ranging from dry to sweet, fruity to spicy and after-dinner specialties to versatile beauties. We’ve compiled a list of German wine varieties you should try, probably during your wine tours in Germany. (You are welcome!) 

 

‘Must-Try’ German Wine Varieties

 

Riesling

This is the flagship wine of Germany. Riesling is more than one-fifth of all wine varieties grown in Germany. This beauty has a long history that goes back to the 15th century that begins from the Rhine Valley in Germany. Riesling is fruity, highly aromatic, or flowery in taste and has high acidity levels. This is usually balanced by adding sugar. Riesling goes well with a wide range of dishes, especially pork and fish and also spicy Asian cuisine. You can find around 60 clones of white Riesling as well as the Red or Roter Riesling. 

 

Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir)

Spätburgunder is the most popular red wine variety in Germany. This wine has won various Decanter awards. Spätburgunder is grown in all 13 wine regions of Germany. The difference in soil and climate across all 13 regions results in varying tastes. However, there is a common elegant and savory taste. Traditional German Spätburgunder looks light in color and has a lower level of tannic acidity. You can also find dark red and full-bodied Spätburgunder that contains higher levels of tannin acidity.

 

 Müller-Thurgau

This wine is a cross between Madeleine Royale grapes and Riesling and is one of the newer breeds from 19th-century German wines. Many of the wine connoisseurs find this wine too sweet and bland while the other few enjoy the fruity and peachy aroma and sweet taste with low acidity.

 

Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris)

Grauburgunder is a white wine variety. However, the grapes look reddish-gray. This white wine has a bright golden-yellow color and mild to medium acidity and is full-bodied. You will find it has a mild nutty, spicy, and fruity aroma. The wine is dry and elegant and goes well with various kinds of foods. The strong and rich flavored variety of Grauburgunder is called Ruländer.

 

Silvaner

This wine has been a major part of Germany’s wine culture for around four centuries. It also constitutes around 7% of Germany’s wine production. This white wine variety is jokingly referred to as Dracula Wine as it is too old and pale. This wine also gets ruined if it is exposed to direct and bright sunlight for a long time. The wine has a mild acidity level and is full-bodied.

 

Eiswein

Some might think that icy cold weather might not be right for grape production. But Eiswein wine is produced from grapes that are naturally frozen in the vineyards. Most Eiswein wines are sweetish, light, and honey fresh. It has a distinct flowery or fruity flavor. The ABV (alcohol by volume) of this wine is low and is somewhere around 7% and 12%, making it a perfect after-dinner or dessert wine. However, this wine is more expensive than the other wine varieties in Germany. 

 

Frühburgunder (Pinot Noir Précoce)

Frühburgunder is another version of Spätburgunder. This wine is made out of grapes that are ripened earlier than the ones used to make Spätburgunder. Therefore, this wine has a different personality from Spätburgunder. It is darker in color, has a fuller body and a mild level of acidity in comparison to Spätburgunder. This wine is a specialty from the Ahr Valley.

 

Wine Tour Options You can go for in Germany 

Mosel Wine Tours among Remarkable Slopes and Spellbinding Rieslings

This wine region is one of the most beautiful in all of Germany. Mosel wines as well as the entire wine-growing area can be very compelling. You can find the steepest slopes, river loops, historic villages, and castles here. Visiting the Mosel wine region is one of the best parts of a wine tour in Germany. The Romans had developed viticulture in this region. Mosel wines have a history of enticing wine lovers with their floral, lean and honeyed finesse. Mosel has the most enormous and steepest vineyards in the world! The wine tasting stops during a wine tour are around the beautiful townships of Cochem, Traben-Trarbach, and Bernkastel. Some of the Mosel winemakers you can visit are Selbach Oster, Markus Molitor, Clemens Busch, and Immich-Batterieberg. 

The wine tours to Mosel are private tours that take place on demand.

 Date, Duration, and Time: The tours are scheduled on request and leave from Mainz at 9.30 AM with a return at around 5.00 PM. You can count around 90 minutes of travel time from Mainz to the target area in the Mosel river valley.

Pickup and Drop-off: Private wine tours include pickup and drop at the accommodation in the Mainz region. You can also be taken to different locations for surcharges.

Program: There will be two wine tasting stops at Mosel wineries and a stop for lunch. Depending on the pace and progress, there will be more stops for village sightseeing and stops for photographs.

Group Size: The group size can be a total of 6 people.

Price: The pricing for private tours in general begins from around 790 Euro for a 6-7 hours tour. Surcharges might be applicable in case of overtime and extra distance.  

 

Rheinhessen Wine Tours among Rolling Hills and Next-Gen Vintners

You can explore Rheinhessen by starting from the Great Wine Capital Mainz! This tour takes you on a 6 hours day trip for tastings at the leading wineries in the region. Rheinhessen was an ocean floor millions of years ago. Today, this place has an ocean of opportunities for young winemakers to keenly show off their skills! You can pick up the fossilized shells while enjoying the wines from around 20 varieties growing in the region. Taste wines from the fragrant and complex to medium-bodied, soft, and mild in acidity to a great class with elegance, and second to none. You will get all of this in Rheinhessen! If you prefer to stay in Mainz, you can even opt for a wine tasting and walking tour and explore the region. 

The wine tours are private tours that take place on request.

Date, Duration, and Time: Rheinhessen wine tours in Germany are usually scheduled as public small group tours on selected working days. The tour leaves from Mainz at 10 AM with a return at approximately 4 PM.

Pickup and Drop-off: Unless there is a personal pick-up request, the meeting point would be the short-term parking lot at the backside of Mainz Hauptbahnhof (Central Train Station).

The Plan: There will be around two to three wine tasting stops at wine estates in Rheinhessen and a stop for lunch. Depending on the progress and pace, there would be stops for village sightseeing and photographs as well. 

Group Size: The group size can be a total of 6 people. The public tours to Rheinhessen need a minimum of 4 people. However, individual travelers are also welcome. 

 Price: The pricing for this tour starts from Euro 145 per participant on a public tour.

 

Wine Tours to MittelRhein – A Region of Remarkable Rhine River Gorges

You will see the steepest vineyards and come across plenty of castles during the MittelRhein wine tour. The Mittelrhein wine region consists of the world-heritage-listed stretch of the Rhine. It is between Rüdesheim and Bonn. One need not be a wine lover to enjoy a tour of this spectacular area! The river has a carved bed that flows through the stone hills, forming a narrow valley with marvelous sites that boast of castles and steep slopes and vineyards. There are no robber barons around anymore and you can find plenty of amazing Riesling wines here. Mittelrhein wines are rare to get hold of, outside Germany, yet the steely Rieslings can make it a fantastic experience. Both off-dry and in-dry styles are sometimes accompanied by a little ‘Spritzigkeit’ – a refreshing and light effervescence.

When you are taking a tour of this area, you can take steps at the historic townships of Oberwesel and Bacharach as they are must-see places. Wines from the best-known wineries make a fantastic value for money. Do look out for wines from Weingut Mattias Müller, Weingart, Jost or Bastian.

The wine tours can be booked as private tours to Mittelrhein on demand.  

Date, Duration, and Time: Mittelrhein wine tours can be scheduled on request and leave from Mainz at 10 AM with a planned return at approximately 4 PM. 

Pickup and Drop-off: Private wine tours to Mittelrhein include pickup and drop-off at your accommodation in the Mainz area. Various locations are possible but are subject to surcharges. For public tours, pick up would be from the short-term parking lot on the back of Mainz Central Station.

The Plan: There will be around two wine tasting stops at wineries and a stop for lunch. Depending on the progress and pace, there would be stops for sightseeing and photographs as well. 

Group Size: The group size can be a total of 6 people. 

Price: The pricing for a private tour starts at 790 Euro for a 6-7 hours tour. Surcharges might be applicable in case of overtime and extra distance. The public tours begin at 145 Euro per person. 

 

Pfalz Wine Tours – Enjoy the Sight of Charming villages and Wines

This wine tour can take you to historic villages, vineyards, and century-old estates over rolling hills connected by a wine highway, the ‘Weinstrasse’. You can visit Pfalz and the wineries with the help of a private wine tour. From Sauvignon Blanc to Syrah, from Riesling to Pinot Noir, accompanied by lemons, chestnuts, almonds, and figs, the wine region of Pfalz is known as the Garden of Eden. 

If you are not convinced, add a sunny and dry climate coupled with splendid food, warm hospitality on cobbled streets, and inside vine-clad houses of historic villages… This is just the paradise you may be seeking amidst your wine tours in Germany!

During your tour, you will go through the famous ‘Weinstrasse’ which is the wine highway that connects some of the major villages and wineries, to Deidesheim, Neustadt, and Wachenheim for visiting some of the most iconic and historic estates of the Pfalz. 

The wine tours can be booked as private tours to Pfalz on demand.  

Date, Duration, and Time: Pfalz wine tours can be scheduled on request and leave from Mainz at 9.30 AM with a planned return at approximately 5 PM. 

Pickup and Drop-off: Private wine tours to Pflaz include pickup and drop-off at your accommodation in the Mainz area. Different locations are possible but are subject to surcharges. 

The Plan: There will be around two or three wine tasting stops at Pfalz winemakers and a stop for lunch. Depending on the progress and pace, there would be stops for sightseeing and photographs as well. 

Group Size: The group size can be a total of 6 people. 

Price: The pricing for a private tour starts at 790 Euro for a 6-7 hours’ tour. Surcharges might be applicable in case of overtime and extra distance. 

 

Wine Tours to Nahe – The Enchanted, Gorgeous and Hidden Land

Nested between Rhine valley and Mosel, the Nahe area attracts people with its quaint beauty and high-end wineries. The wines produced in Nahe are the first cousins to the Mosel wines, even if the geographic position of the Nahe River is in the middle of the Rhine and Mosel Rivers. The wine-producing region of River Nahe is little known as less traveled even among the German wine drinkers given its charming banks offer an incredible view. 

From the rolling hills to steep slopes, this region is proud of its huge variety of soils and minerals for its vineyards. It is said that wines from Nahe are a gem. This refers to the region’s precious stone business as well. The main variety of wine you can get here is the Riesling. However, they also grow Grauburgunder, Sylvaner, Spätburgunder and Weissburgunder successfully. Popular wineries in Nahe include Dönnhof, Weingut Emmerich-Schönleber, Schlossgut Diel, Hermannsberg and Crusius. You can enquire for a private wine tour or lookout for Special day out tours to visit this region.

 The wine tours can be booked as private tours to Nahe on demand.  

Date, Duration, and Time: Nahe wine tours can be scheduled on request and leave from Mainz at 10 AM with a planned return at approximately 5 PM. 

Pickup and Drop-off: Private wine tours to Nahe include pickup and drop-off at your accommodation in the Greater Mainz area. Different locations are possible but are subject to surcharges, based on the distance. 

The Plan: There will be around two or three wine tasting stops at Nahe winemakers and a stop for lunch. Depending on the progress and pace, there would be stops for sightseeing and photographs as well. 

Group Size: The group size can be a total of 6 people. 

Price: The pricing for a private tour starts at 790 Euro for a 6-7 hours tour. Surcharges might be applicable in case of overtime and extra distance. 

 

German Wine Tasting in Berlin with an Expert

There are different wine tours in Germany and you can do wine tasting at Berlin Mitte, as you walk along with the other people in your group. In this tour, you would get an introduction to Germany’s wine culture with guided 90-minute Berlin wine tours. Discover the wide range of grapes that are cultivated in 13 various vineyard regions. It features the popular Riesling, Pinot Noir, and many more wines! 

Children can drink soft drinks while others can enjoy the wine. This can be a customized private wine tasting tour and would be available only on request. The guests would have options to taste various wines and can opt for the ones they would like to try out. 

Visitors can also opt for an exclusive private wine tasting tour in Berlin. You will get the opportunity to taste 4-6 different German wines and traditional appetizers too. An expert guide who speaks foreign languages will help you learn about the history of German wine and other German traditions. This wine tasting tour includes a visit to the local cellars too, and the duration is 2-4 hours. 

So, when are you hopping on a plane and visiting Germany for your wine tasting tour?