3 day tour of Germany’s Rheingau wine region
Our suggestions for discovering Rheingau Riesling and the beautiful Rheingau - visit the vineyards, taste the German wines and soak up the beautiful sights and scenery!
Discover Rheingau, the Rhine, the wine towns & the vineyards! Source: Wine Keller
Germany’s famed Rheingau wine region is one of the most distinguished wine regions in the world, rich in history and tradition and home to the German Riesling grape. It’s also home to noble, aristocratic wine estates, many distinguished and highly respected wineries and winemakers and some of the world’s best wines.
Rheingau represents the centre of German wine tourism and is a ‘must-visit' for all wine lovers and wine enthusiasts. There is something for everyone - unbeatable culture, ancient castles, spellbinding scenery, picturesque wine villages and of course the majestic River Rhine.
See our tips for spending 3 days discovering the best of Rheingau, based on a tour we put together for a group of friends back in 2019 - Here’s some of the feedback:
"Provided unique access to superb winemakers and an insider's view of German culture. Made you feel very special!"
"Great way to explore this region of Germany on foot, bike, car, rail and road whilst sampling some of the best of the local food and wine.”
“An experience like nothing else full of stunning surprises”
When to visit Rheingau
From our perspective, try to combine your visit with one of the many wine and cultural events in the beautiful Rheingau wine region, as this will enable you to immerse yourself more fully into the real Rheingau - its people, its traditions, its culture, its wines and its food. These take place mainly from May-September. See here for more advice about the various events that take place in Rheingau.
A base for exploring Germany’s Rheingau
The closest international airport for visiting the Rheingau wine region is Frankfurt-am-Main. We suggest hiring a car from the airport and you can be in the centre of Rheingau in just 45 minutes.
Rheingau is a fairly small wine region and is easily explored from a central base. We chose our base to be the wine village of Hattenheim, centrally located, right on the River Rhine.
We stayed at the fabulous Hotel Kronenschlösschen in Hattenheim, one of Germany’s most magnificent rural hotels, located on the banks of the River Rhine and located in an idyllic setting in the heart of a privately owned park. The restaurant has been rated as one of Germany’s finest, under the leadership of Michelin Star Chef Simon Stirnal. Hotel Kronenschlösschen is a great place not only from which to explore the Rheingau, but to experience the best of the Rheingau and to enjoy lots of ‘R&R’ - rest and relaxation!
Another recommendation in Hattenheim is Hotel zum Krug - There are just 15 rooms in this fabulously comfortable and recently renovated inn, located in the heart of Hattenheim, with parts of the building dating back over 300 years - this is also a great place for a meal or glass of wine or brandy in the traditional bar (and they have a winery so you can sample their wines too!).
Day 1 - Hattenheim and a wine tasting at Weingut Kaufmann
On your first day, we suggest a stroll around Hattenheim and a glass of wine at the wonderful wine tasting booth on the River Rhine, followed by a visit to top Rheingau, biodynamic wine producer, Weingut Kaufmann.
Visit the wine village of Hattenheim
Wander through the small streets and alleyways, with the old, half-timbered houses around the main market square. Hattenheim castle is the oldest monument in the village, dating back to 1400.
Wine tasting by the Rhine
The Weinprobierstand Hattenheim (wine tasting stand) at Hattenheim, after 40 years of providing wine tasting and refreshments by the Rhine, is simply an institution! Open from April to October, it offers you the opportunity to taste local producers’ wines and to relax by the river and watch the world go by! Also, right next door, on the river is Rheinschaenke Hattenheim, a lovely place for a glass of wine, or a beer, some snacks and ‘quick food’
Weingut Kaufmann - visit and wine tasting
Visit Weingut Kaufmann in the centre of Hattenheim, to get an excellent introduction to the Rheingau wine region and Riesling wines!
The Kaufmann winery is one of the best addresses for Rheingau Riesling and their vineyards represent some of the top Rheingau locations - for example the famous ‘Hattenheimer Wisselbrunnen’, the source of their single vineyard grand-cru Rieslings.
Kaufmann wines have been officially certified ‘Biodynamic’ by the Demeter Association since 2017.
In addition to Riesling, Weingut Kaufmann is dedicated to the family of Burgundy grapes, especially Chardonnay, white and grey Burgundy and Pinot noir. Kaufmann also produces some excellent sparkling wines - German Sekt - made with their own grapes and by the traditional Champagne method.
Winemaker Urban Kaufmann and his partner Eva Raps took over the winery in 2013 from Hans Lang, with whom we worked very closely during the times of the former Wine Keller. We have been most impressed with how they have continued and strengthened Hans Lang’s legacy with the quality of their wines and their adoption of biodynamic processes.
Spend a wonderful couple of hours at Weingut Kaufmann sampling their wines and hearing their story - perhaps taste a little cheese and German cold meats to help the wines go down!
Where to eat in Hattenheim
We would recommend booking a table either in the excellent restaurant at Hotel Kronenschlösschen - inside or in fine weather, on the terrace; at the nearby Hotel zum Krug, or at ‘Die Adler Wirtschaft’ in Hattenheim.
We enjoyed a superb 5 course ‘gourmet’ dinner at the Hotel Kronenschlösschen during our stay, with wines paired with each course by the head sommelier. This was an amazing culinary and wine experience and one we would certainly recommend! We were served fresh fish from the Rhine, locally-grown and wagyu beef which were all exceptional.
Day 2 - Visit Kloster Eberbach, Eltville and Weingut J.B. Becker in Walluf
Visit the Rheingau’s famous monastery - Kloster Eberbach
The monastery ‘Kloster Eberbach’ in Eltville, Rheingau is seen as the emblem of German wine history and if you are visiting Rheingau, it is definitely worth a visit! Kloster Eberbach is located about 10 minutes drive from Hattenheim, away from the Rhine.
Read all about Kloster Eberbach here in our article about the Rheingau’s most iconic and historic estates.
Beautiful Kloster Eberbach, Rheingau
Make your way to the lovely town of Eltville am Rhein
Eltville am Rhein is known affectionately as the ‘town of wines, sparkling wine and roses’. The main landmark of Eltville sits proudly next to the river, the Castle of the Sovereigns Elect, dating back to the 14th century. You can wander round the fortifications and enjoy the splendour (in the Summer months), of the stunning and famous walled rose garden, where 20,000 rose bushes fill the castle moat and the Rhine walkway.
Take time to wander round Eltville, with its medieval, half-timbered houses and lovely historic market-place.
Recommended places to eat in Eltville:
If you fancy having some lunch (or dinner one evening) in Eltville, we can personally recommend the following:
Wine tasting at Weingut J.B. Becker
Continue on from Eltville to the town of Walluf and make sure you stop at the wine garden of Weingut J.B. Becker - an institution in Germany’s Rheingau and the perfect location to spend a few hours relaxing by the river, enjoying some wonderful wines!
‘Hajo’ Becker is commonly regarded as the ‘Godfather’ of traditional Rheingau Rieslings and is somewhat of a local celebrity. His approach to winemaking is to allow Nature to be in control, with minimum intervention and he is known for his ‘aged’ wines. We tasted wines from the ‘80s with him which was an amazing experience. In addition to Rheingau Rieslings he also produces excellent, aged Spätburgunder (Pinot noir) wines.
Spending time with Hajo or his wife Eva, tasting incredible wines in their garden on the banks of the River Rhine is very special. You could just drop in for a glass of wine or call ahead to arrange a tasting and book a table. You can also enjoy lovely traditional Rheingau food in the garden - just call ahead!
Day 3 - Visit Rüdesheim, Assmannshausen and Weingut Georg Breuer
Today combines a boat trip with visits to 2 of the main wine towns, Rüdesheim am Rhein and Assmannshausen, on the westerly edge of the Rheingau wine region. Take time also to fit in a visit to top Rheingau wine producer Georg Breuer.
Things to do in Rüdesheim
Millions flock to Rüdesheim each year and it’s a prominent stop on the popular Rhine River cruises, so take care in the Summer as it gets very crowded! There is a lot of the inevitable tourist ‘kitsch’ but you can also enjoy some enjoyable hours here, especially when you include a trip up the Niederwald monument.
Wander through the streets and enjoy the atmosphere and the famous Drosselgasse with its wine taverns and restaurants, live music and general cheerfulness!
Then take the cable car up to the ‘Niederwalddenkmal’ on top of the Rüdesheimer Berg (mountain) and enjoy the fabulous views across the Rheingau. This impressive and famous German national monument stands 38m tall and symbolises the re-establishment of the German Empire after the Franco-Prussian War of 1870/71. It can be seen from miles around and offers incredible views over the Rhine and the vineyards of Rheinhessen on the other side of the river.
After admiring the Niederwald monument and the stunning views, you can enjoy a 30 minute wander through the lovely Niederwald Park on top of the mountain, across to the chairlift which will take you down the other side of the mountain and down to the famous ‘red wine’ town of Assmannshausen.
Visit Assmannshausen - and sample its Pinot noir!
Assmannshausen is the centre of Rheingau red wine production - specifically Spätburgunder or Pinot noir. This red grape variety thrives here on the slopes of the south-facing Höllenberg (Hell Mountain!) dominating over the River Rhine.
Assmannshausen is a small, pretty medieval town, so take time to wander and stop for a glass of its famous red wine and perhaps a snack or a cake. If you fancy a meal here then look no further than Hotel Krone. The restaurant here has an excellent reputation - you can choose to sit inside or on the terrace overlooking the Rhine.
Return to Rüdesheim the leisurely way and enjoy 90 minutes relaxing on one of the Rhine boats. You can have a drink on board and sit back and enjoy the views over the vineyards and castle ruins on the steep mountain sides.
Visit to Weingut Georg Breuer
Weingut Georg Breuer, located in the centre of Rüdesheim, is one of the top Rheingau wineries - known for their elegant Rieslings, their commitment to environmentally-friendly viticulture and winemaking and their artful packaging and labelling, combining wine with culture and lifestyle.
We visited Georg Breuer for a tasting and were really impressed with their wines and their wine philosophy - we also also loved the brand new state of the art visitor area and tasting room and impressive underground wine cellars.
What else to do in the Rheingau
Other Rheingau wine estates and wineries to visit.
See here for our suggestions for visiting Rheingau wineries, but we would like to focus on 3 in particular:
Two stand-out, noble Rheingau wine estates that should also be on all wine lovers’ ‘must-do’ lists, in addition to Kloster Eberbach, are Schloss Vollrads and Schloss Johannisberg. Read all about them both here in our article about the Rheingau’s most iconic and historic estates.
We would also personally recommend visiting:
Weingut Spreitzer in Oestrich, one of the oldest wine estates in Rheingau. Today Andreas and Bernd Spreitzer are known and respected for their fruity, harmonious wines and particularly their outstanding premier cru (erstes gewächs) and grand cru (grosses gewächs) wines
Weingut Diefenhardt in the pretty wine village of Martinsthal. When we used to import wine, Diefenhardt wines were the first wines we added to our list and they were always very popular. You can visit the winery and also take time to enjoy some local, traditional food
Weingut Hamm - a highly respected winery in Oestrich-Winkel, where you can also enjoy great food
Graues Haus - bistro/restaurant in Oestrich-Winkel
Weingut Dr Corvers - Kauter - a winery and excellent restaurant - also in Oestrich-Winkel - where they have an excellent reputation for ‘slow-food’.
Hiking, walking and cycling in the Rheingau:
If you enjoy walking and hiking there are some fabulous routes throughout Rheingau - see here for information.
There are several excellent marked trails around Rüdesheim and Assmannshausen, including the ‘large Rüdesheim loop’ (12.8km), the ‘Germania’ route around the Niederwald park and monument (5.2km), the Assmannshausen ‘red wine trail’ (9.5km).
Cycling is a great way to experience one of Europe’s greatest rivers and most beautiful landscapes! The cycle routes are all well signed, really easy to navigate and along the river, pretty flat! Follow signs for ‘Leinpfad’ which is the Rhine cycle path. If you are hiring bikes, we would recommend Rad’l Mahl in Oestrich-Winkel.
Check out the Rüdesheim tourist office for more information.
Other recommended places to eat in the Rheingau:
In Geisenheim - Johannisberg: Relais & Chateaux Hotel Burg Schwarzenstein
In Rüdesheim: Weinhotel Breuer - Rüdesheimher Schloss
In Wiesbaden: Hotel Schwarzer Bock and Hotel Nassauer Hof
Our lengthy wine tasting at Weingut Spreitzer!
Planning your Rheingau wine tour
Hopefully we have given you lots of suggestions and inspiration for planning your own wine tour of Germany’s Rheingau.
However - If you prefer the convenience of a guided tour, we are delighted to recommend German regional boutique wine tour operator ‘BottleStops’ , who runs a great one day tour called ‘Castles & Abbeys - a visit of Rheingau Vineyards’.
Contact Bottlestops to find out more!
Conclusion - our personal highlights
Germany’s Rheingau is very special - there is so much wine history here, it’s the spiritual home of the famous and world-acclaimed German Riesling - and the scenery and landscapes are just stunning. If you haven’t visited Germany before and you love your wine, then try to plan a trip to the Rheingau - you won’t be disappointed!
Our best bits? That’s hard to say. Juergen is from the Wiesbaden area so perhaps we are biased, but everyone we have taken there has been bowled over by the scenery, the wines, the traditions and the people. It’s an incredibly relaxing place. Take a boat ride, cycle along the Rhine and go up to the Niederwalddenkmal for the incredible views!
If you love Rheingau or are inspired to visit, also look at Germany’s Mosel wine region!
