Looking to do some wine tasting on your next trip to Germany? There’s so many great regions to choose from, including Baden, Franken, Rheingau, Mosel, I could go on! Luckily, almost all of the wine regions are within driving distance from Frankfurt. So as long as you get yourself to Frankfurt, you can decide which regions you most want to visit and then stay in some fun towns along the way.
Baden
About 1.5-2 hours South of Frankfurt, Baden-Baden is a beautiful place also well known for it’s world class spas. So if a relaxing spa and wine tasting vacation is what you are looking for, look no further! Baden is one of the warmest wine regions in Germany so they also have a variety of different varietals planted like Pinot Noir and Chardonnay if you need a little break from Riesling.
We visited Weingut Kopp on our trip and I cannot recommend it enough! It’s a brand new building with incredible architecture and views, and not to mention adorable Highland Cows! They also have an highly rated restaurant called “Ebanat” if you are looking for a top notch dinner in the area. I had sparkling Riesling for my first time at this winery and it was absolutely delicious! Be sure not to miss a taste of that if you go!
Pfalz
The Pfalz region is a little over an hour from Frankfurt and it also has a sunnier, warmer climate than the other regions. Because of this, the region specializes in Pinot Noir and Dornfelder, as well as Riesling. Bad Dürkheim is the local spa and wine town of the region where every September they host a Wurstmarkt which is a sausage and wine festival that draws some 600,000 visitors every year. I would so love to come back to experience that!
I visited Weingut Pfluger while we were there and it was a fantastic experience. We got to walk through the vineyards and were treated to a delicious BBQ using fresh meat from the local butcher. This winery was also the first to experiment with organic and biodynamic wine-growing in the area and has really helped spread the importance of organic farming in the industry.
Mosel
If you are a true lover of Riesling, or even if you are not, but are open to discovering what really is so magical about this grape, then I think a trip to the Mosel region of Germany is a must on your wine tasting trip. This is the oldest and coldest wine region of Germany with some of the steepest slopes in the world. It creates world class Riesling that will make you re-think any pre-conceptions you may have had about the grape. We got to visit two iconic wineries in this area, one located on the Saar river named Schloss Saarstein, where we tasted in a breath-taking glass room overlooking the vineyards, one of my favorite experiences of the trip.
We then drove an hour to the Mosel River where we tasted at Joh. Jos. Prum, maybe one of the most famous wineries in Germany. Driving up to the top of those vineyards really gives you a sense of how steep and dangerous these slopes are, you literally feel as if you could fall off a cliff if you go one step too far. I have incredible respect for the the people that harvest these grapes every year!
Rheingau/Nahe/Rheinhessen
These 3 regions all butt up right next to each other so you can easily do multiple in one day. We started our morning in the Nahe at Prinz Salm, the oldest family-owned estate in Germany, going back 32 generations! We had an incredible lunch at the property and got a tour through the ancient cellars. Riesling is the speciality here as well and so delicious!
We then drove an hour to Weingut Johanisshof in the Rheingau, getting to take a fun ferry across the Rhine River to get there. Johannes treated us to a very special 1975 Riesling Auslese, maybe the oldest wine I have ever tried! So special!
Franken
This region is such a special stop on any German wine tasting trip as it is really like stepping back in time, exploring estates that have been owned since the middle ages, like the one we got the honor of visiting at Schloss Castell. Franken is the spiritual home of the Silvaner grape where it was first planted in 1659, often recognized by it’s unique squat bottle shape, the Bocksbeutel. We went to the town of Castell, named after the Castell family that has the winery, a bank and even the Faber-Castell pencils you might remember using when you were young! It was so incredible to learn the history of the area and see what they are doing to continue the long tradition of Silvaner in this area.
I had such an incredible time on this German wine tour and highly recommend adding it to your list! Many of the regions can be reached in a day trip from Frankfurt, but I also recommend staying in some of the adorable towns along the way like Bad Kreuznach and Saarbrücken. Definitely make appointments before-hand as many wineries do not take walk-ins. I didn’t make it to all 13 wine regions this time so let me know if you have been to the others and any recs you have!
(At Karl May winery in Rheinhessen)
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