Cruise on the Rhein River in the Mittelrhein Valley, an UNESCO World Heritage Region – Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Picture:  Cruise on the Rhein River in the Mittelrhein Valley, an UNESCO World Heritage Region 

The Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (organized by Annette Schiller) took place from September 6 – 12, 2015. The group was small - there were 7 of us, including Annette and Christian Schiller. We visited a total of 14 wineries in 5 different wine regions: Rheingau, Mittelrhein, Ahr, Mosel and Nahe.

I already provided a summary of the tour: Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), Germany

This posting covers our cruise on the Rhine following the tasting with Cecilia Jost, Weingut Toni Jost in Bacharach to Boppard, passing the famous Loreley Rock and the slopes of the Mittelrhein wine region. Time to indulge in the breathtakingly beautiful view of the Rhine River and its banks dotted with castles, fortresses, and ruins dating from the middle ages. The Middle-Rhine valley is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Upon arrival in Boppard, we had lunch at the beautiful Belle Epoque restaurant Le Bristol in the Hotel Bellevue right at the Rhine river.

Pictures: Lunch at the Beautiful Belle Epoque Restaurant Le Bristol in the Hotel Bellevue right at the Rhine River

Boat Trip on the Rhine River

Time to indulge in the breathtakingly beautiful view of the Rhine River and its banks dotted with castles, forts, and ruins dating from the Middle Ages, passing the famous Loreley Rock and the slopes of the Mittelrhein wine region.

Beginning just below Bonn and extending about 100 km south along the banks of the Rhine, the Mittelrhein is a beautiful region of steep, terraced vineyards and some of the wine world's most splendid scenery, medieval castles and ruins clinging to rocky peaks, sites of ancient legends where Siegfried, Hagen and the Loreley seem to spring to life.

Pictures: Cruise on the Rhein River in the Mittelrhein Valley, an UNESCO World Heritage Region

Nearly three quarters of the vineyards are planted with Riesling. Viticulture was established in the region by the Romans, once they had established the cities of Cologne (Colonia) and Bonn (Bonna). The region saw its heyday in medieval times, at a time when the Cistercian order built the Kloster Heisterbach abbey above Oberdollendorf. The small town of Bacharach is an ancient centre of the wine trade. The name of the town of Bacharach comes from the Roman "Baccara" = "Altar of Bacchus".

The Mittlerhein below St. Goarshausen is one of the few vineyards in the world where phylloxera has not yet struck. Small, family-run wineries are typical of the region. But winemaking in the Mittelrhein is shrinking at a rapid pace. Today, with 500 hectares vineyard area, it is less than 25% of what it was 100 years ago. The slopes are extremely steep, discouraging young winemakers to continue with the tradition of their fathers, while consumers are flooded with reasonably priced and good quality wines from all over the world. However, increasingly young and dynamic winemakers, such as Cecilia Jost, are successfully trying to reverse this trend.

Postings on the Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015) (Posted and Forthcoming)

4 Wine Tours by ombiasy coming up in 2015: Germany-East, Germany-South. Germany-Nord and Bordeaux

Fall Tours by ombiasy WineTours 2015 - A Very Special Treat: Experience Harvest Time !

Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), Germany

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Baron Knyphausen in Erbach, Rheingau - Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Wine and Music at Eberbach Abbey in the Rheingau - Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Tour and Wine Tasting with Lunch, with Mark Barth at Wein- und Sektgut Barth in Hattenheim, Rheingau – Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Spreitzer in Oestrich, Rheingau, with Bernd Spreitzer – Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), Germany

Wine Tasting at Weingut Toni Jost in Bacharach, Mittelrhein, with Cecilia Jost – Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours, Germany

Cruise on the Rhine River from Bacharach to Boppard, Mittelrhein

Wine Tasting at Weingut J.J.Adeneuer in Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, Ahr

Vineyard Walk and Tasting at Weingut Meyer-Näkel in Dernau, Ahr

Wine Tasting at Weingut Dr. Loosen in Bernkastel-Kues, Mosel

Wine Tasting at Weingut St. Urbans-Hof in Leiwen, Mosel

Vineyard Tour, Tasting and Lunch at Weingut Van Volxem in Wiltingen, Saar, Mosel

Wine Tasting at Weingut Hexamer, in Monzingen, Nahe

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Gut Hermannsberg, in Niederhausen, Nahe

Tour and Wine Dinner at Weingut Kruger-Rumpf in Münster-Sarmsheim, Nahe

Tour and Tasting at Sektmanufaktur Bardong in Geisenheim, Rheingau

Tour, Tasting and Lunch at Domaine Schloss Johannisberg in Geisenheim, Rheingau