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Culinary Wanderings through the Rhine Valley

Excellent Wine ...
The 120+ km Central Rhine Valley's main attractions don't just consist of its fortresses, castles and sightseeing locations; its culinary delights also make any journey of discovery in this region worthwhile.

The Central Rhine, or "Mittelrhein" district is one of Germany's smallest winegrowing regions, with only 495 hectares. The Romans brought winegrowing into the Central Rhine Valley almost 2,000 years ago, but it was only in the 6th Century that residents started to cultivate the grapevine. Since the 12th Century, the wine terraces so typical for this valley have characterised the landscape of the Central Rhine. The most important vine variety is the Riesling grape, the King of the Grapes occupying some 75% of the growing area.

Today's centres of Central Rhine winegrowing are Bacharach and Boppard. The natural conditions and steep slate slopes provide for a very high quality of wine, elevating the fine, elegant, medium-rich Central Rhine Riesling wine to Germany's most important white wine. The exception to the rule in the "Rieslingtal", or 'Riesling Valley', is Assmannshausen, the 'red wine island', famous for it devilishly good Late Burgundy from the "Höllenberg", or 'Hell's Mountain'.

Take a wagon tour with the winegrowers or set off on your own to explore numerous wine tour paths, such as the "Rhein-Wein Wanderpfad" ('Rhine Wine Hiking Path') along the Loreley-Burgenstrasse, or the wine tour route in Boppard's Hamm. Interesting wine museums in many locations on the left and right banks of the Rhine bring the winegrowing history of the Central Rhine to life. Select wine tasting sessions, open wine cellars and tradition-rich wine festivals - Wine Culture in Rhine Culture!

... in Combination with Culinary Delights!

Gastronomic entrepreneurs have also discovered the benefits of the local wine culture, combining wine and culinary delicacies with a variety of interesting theme events. Worthy of mention here are the "Mittelrhein Momente" ('Central Rhine Moments'), making a year-round impression with a vivid mixture of interesting events. An additional series of culinary events is the "Tafelfreuden Rhein-Westerwald" in the Rhine sector between Bendorf and Unkel, with over 30 events annually between October and May. Every year has an interesting thematic focus with a culinary undercurrent.

Many businesses offer a fine selection of regional dishes, extending from hearty meals to light dishes for between meals. Take some time to dine in several of the local restaurants! A regional "World Heritage Menu" ('Weltkulturerbemenu'), changing on a monthly basis, has been offered since 2002 by the "Weltkulturerbewirten" restaurant operators, an association of Central Rhine restaurateurs. The price for this menu is the same in all participating businesses, and the meals are of course accompanied by premium regional wines coordinated with the dishes.