Location and landscape
Deidesheim lies on the German Wine Route in the Pfalz, at the transition between the Rhine plain and the Haardt escarpment, the eastern edge of the Palatinate Forest. The vineyards stretch over gently sloping hills, plateaus and hillside sites. The Palatinate Forest protects them from strong overnight cooling; the local climate is considered mild and almost Mediterranean.
Soils and winegrowing
On around 540 hectares within the town limits, vines grow. Predominant is weathered red sandstone, supplemented by loam, gravel, limestone, clay and loess. At the Kirchenberg, the boundary between weathered Haardt sandstone and Ice Age loess in the Upper Rhine Graben is revealed. Riesling dominates cultivation with more than 60 per cent of the vineyard area; in addition, among other varieties, Burgundies, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and various red grape varieties are cultivated.
Site profile
The Deidesheim vineyards classified as VDP.GROSSE LAGE include Kalkofen, Hohenmorgen, Langenmorgen, Kieselberg and Grainhübel. Leinhöhle, Herrgottsacker and Mäushöhle are classified as VDP.ERSTE LAGE. Kalkofen lies to the south on around 130 to 150 metres; Hohenmorgen is located on a sheltered plateau, while Langenmorgen lies on the south-east-facing Haardt slope with a clear incline towards the Rhine plain.
History and cultivation
Deidesheim has been documented as a winegrowing location since 770. The grape variety Gänsfüßer was first documented here in 1504; quality-oriented wine production in the modern sense has been documented since the beginning of the 19th century. The terraces on the Kirchenberg are tended by hand because of their structure. Von Buhl has been cultivating its vineyards ecologically since 2006; Geheimer Rat Dr. von Bassermann-Jordan also uses alternative vessels made of clay and ceramics in the cellar.
