Pfalz

Forst, Deidesheim, Ruppertsberg, Wachenheim: the Pfalz's ripe, dry Riesling heartland.

A short run of villages in the middle of the region makes its best-known wines: ripe peach and apricot Riesling with firm acidity and a stony finish, nearly always dry. Fuller and warmer than a Mosel, and the estate-level bottles are among Germany's better dry Riesling buys.

A short run of villages in the middle of the region makes its best-known wines: ripe peach and apricot Riesling with firm acidity and a stony finish, nearly always dry. Fuller and warmer than a Mosel, and the estate-level bottles are among Germany's better dry Riesling buys.

Riesling: the Pfalz's lead grape, ripe and dry - peach, apricot, stone and sharp acid.

The leading grape and the one the region is known for. Here it ripens fully, so it is fuller and riper than a Mosel and usually dry. Estate wines are fresh and fruity; top vineyards are dense and stony.

The leading grape and the one the region is known for. Here it ripens fully, so it is fuller and riper than a Mosel and usually dry. Estate wines are fresh and fruity; top vineyards are dense and stony.

Saumagen with dry Pfalz Riesling or Weissburgunder.

The region's famous stuffed pork, potato and sausage-meat dish is rich and filling. A dry, high-acid Riesling cuts the fat; Weissburgunder is the softer option.

The region's famous stuffed pork, potato and sausage-meat dish is rich and filling. A dry, high-acid Riesling cuts the fat; Weissburgunder is the softer option.

Spätburgunder: Pfalz Pinot Noir - red cherry, silky, often excellent value.

The region's quality red and one of its best-kept secrets. Warm summers give ripe cherry fruit and gentle tannin; the best come from single sites in the south and the northern Mittelhaardt.

The region's quality red and one of its best-kept secrets. Warm summers give ripe cherry fruit and gentle tannin; the best come from single sites in the south and the northern Mittelhaardt.

The other colour: a Pfalz Spätburgunder.

German Pinot Noir at this level surprises most people. Knipser, Becker and Rings are reliable names; the village-level bottle is the better buy.

German Pinot Noir at this level surprises most people. Knipser, Becker and Rings are reliable names; the village-level bottle is the better buy.

Off the beaten path: an organic, wild-yeast Riesling or orange cuvée from Benzinger.

A small organic estate in Kirchheim an der Weinstrasse making unfiltered, low-sulphur wines. The Kalkmergel Riesling is a good first bottle.

A small organic estate in Kirchheim an der Weinstrasse making unfiltered, low-sulphur wines. The Kalkmergel Riesling is a good first bottle.

Dr. Bürklin-Wolf: Wachenheim's big biodynamic estate; the Estate Riesling is the easy way in.

A large family estate certified biodynamic, with vineyards in Wachenheim, Forst and Ruppertsberg. The Estate Riesling Trocken is dry, food-friendly and a benchmark entry wine; village and single-site bottlings climb from there.

A large family estate certified biodynamic, with vineyards in Wachenheim, Forst and Ruppertsberg. The Estate Riesling Trocken is dry, food-friendly and a benchmark entry wine; village and single-site bottlings climb from there.

Southern Pfalz: Riesling and Pinots from higher, cooler sites down to the French border.

South of the Mittelhaardt the wine road passes Siebeldingen, Birkweiler and Schweigen, where limestone, sandstone and slate give leaner, more mineral Riesling, fine Weissburgunder and some of Germany's best Spätburgunder.

South of the Mittelhaardt the wine road passes Siebeldingen, Birkweiler and Schweigen, where limestone, sandstone and slate give leaner, more mineral Riesling, fine Weissburgunder and some of Germany's best Spätburgunder.

A southern white: Rebholz Weissburgunder vom Muschelkalk.

A shell-limestone village wine with creamy fruit and a mineral finish. Not cheap, but a great-value way to taste what the south does best.

A shell-limestone village wine with creamy fruit and a mineral finish. Not cheap, but a great-value way to taste what the south does best.

Pfalz Spätburgunder: silky red-cherry Pinot Noir with real top-end Grosse Lage wines.

The Pfalz is Germany's biggest red-wine region and Pinot Noir is its quality red: red cherry, silky texture, light-to-medium body. Choose from simple estate bottles up to GGs from single sites like Kallstadt Saumagen and Laumersheim Kirschgarten.

The Pfalz is Germany's biggest red-wine region and Pinot Noir is its quality red: red cherry, silky texture, light-to-medium body. Choose from simple estate bottles up to GGs from single sites like Kallstadt Saumagen and Laumersheim Kirschgarten.

In the Pfalz, GG is also made from Weissburgunder and Spätburgunder, not only Riesling.

The VDP allows its dry top-site wines in the Pfalz from Riesling, Weissburgunder and Spätburgunder, so a GG on a Pfalz label can be a white Pinot or a red. Read the grape before the price.

The VDP allows its dry top-site wines in the Pfalz from Riesling, Weissburgunder and Spätburgunder, so a GG on a Pfalz label can be a white Pinot or a red. Read the grape before the price.

Big old casks and wild yeast: von Winning and Bürklin-Wolf ferment Riesling in wood.

Instead of cool steel, these estates ferment spontaneously in large old oak casks and leave the wine on its lees. The result is savoury, textured and food-friendly rather than fruity and zippy.

Instead of cool steel, these estates ferment spontaneously in large old oak casks and leave the wine on its lees. The result is savoury, textured and food-friendly rather than fruity and zippy.

Scheurebe and Rieslaner from Haardt: aromatic local specialities, dry and noble sweet.

Two Riesling-family crossings that only a few Pfalz growers make well. Scheurebe is grapefruit and blackcurrant leaf; Rieslaner is high in acid and best as noble sweet wine. Müller-Catoir is the reference house.

Two Riesling-family crossings that only a few Pfalz growers make well. Scheurebe is grapefruit and blackcurrant leaf; Rieslaner is high in acid and best as noble sweet wine. Müller-Catoir is the reference house.

Several top estates are biodynamic: Bürklin-Wolf, Rebholz, Christmann.

Organic and biodynamic farming is unusually common among the Pfalz's top houses. Often lower yields and wines with more tension and individuality.

Organic and biodynamic farming is unusually common among the Pfalz's top houses. Often lower yields and wines with more tension and individuality.

The new-wave estates: low-yield, single-site dry Riesling from Gimmeldingen, Königsbach, Kallstadt and Freinsheim.

A generation of family estates, many biodynamic, bottles one vineyard at a time with a focus on dry wine. Christmann in Gimmeldingen is the name to know; Rings in Freinsheim is the rising one.

A generation of family estates, many biodynamic, bottles one vineyard at a time with a focus on dry wine. Christmann in Gimmeldingen is the name to know; Rings in Freinsheim is the rising one.

An 1828 Bavarian survey ranked the vineyards; today's top sites follow it.

The Pfalz was once among the world's most prized wine regions, then slid into bulk wine. From the mid-1990s growers revived site-by-site bottling, guided by an old vineyard ranking.

In the 19th century the Pfalz belonged to Bavaria, whose land survey of 1828 graded the vineyards by quality. Forster Kirchenstück earned the top marks. After decades in which the region was known for cheap, blended village wine, a group of growers rediscovered that map in 1994. Dr. Bürklin-Wolf began classifying its vineyards that year, Christmann and others followed, and the VDP later built its Erste and Grosse Lage ladder on the same idea. That is why a handful of Mittelhaardt names carry real weight on a label today, and why the Pfalz is again a place you buy by vineyard as well as by producer.

Müller-Catoir: Haardt family estate that made Scheurebe and Rieslaner serious wines.

Lifted, razor-fine, low on oak. MC Scheurebe trocken is the easy buy; Rieslaner Auslese from Mußbacher Eselshaut is the collector's wine.

Müller-Catoir has been in the Catoir family since 1744, based in Haardt in Neustadt an der Weinstrasse, and farms roughly 22-25 hectares across Haardt, Gimmeldingen, Mußbach and Königsbach. The house style is lifted aromatics and razor-fine acidity with little oak and no pursuit of richness. Single sites each have a voice: Haardter Bürgergarten ripe yellow apple, white peach and a salty-stone finish; Mußbacher Eselshaut dried herbs and a spicy mineral edge; Gimmeldinger Mandelgarten more floral and citrusy. The estate is credited with proving Scheurebe and Rieslaner as serious wines, dry and noble sweet. Eselshaut Rieslaner Auslese, Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese are cited as the benchmarks. For visitors, the MC Riesling and MC Scheurebe trocken are the accessible bottles; the Eselshaut sweet wines are the ones to save for a special evening.

Forst's Grosse Lagen: the Pfalz's grand-cru-level dry Riesling GGs.

Dense, layered dry Riesling from Kirchenstück, Jesuitengarten, Pechstein and its neighbours. Pechstein is smoky and tense, Jesuitengarten floral and peachy, Kirchenstück the refined, long-lived one.

These are the wines the Pfalz is judged by. Forst's vineyards lie on a warm, wind-sheltered slope under the Haardt hills, with basalt in Pechstein, sandstone in Kirchenstück and a mix in Jesuitengarten, Ungeheuer and Freundstück. Each site has a recognisable voice, and dry GG bottlings from them are released later than other wines and need time. Young, they can be tight; give them four to six years and decant if you open one early. Several estates share these sites, so the producer matters as much as the vineyard: Bürklin-Wolf, von Winning, Bassermann-Jordan, Mosbacher and von Buhl are the names to know. For a sample of the village without a GG price, ask for a Forst Ortswein or Erste Lage from the same estate.

Bürklin-Wolf Kirchenstück GG: the Pfalz's most celebrated site from the estate that led the revival.

Wachenheim's biodynamic flagship estate bottles Kirchenstück, Pechstein and Jesuitengarten GGs, with Gaisböhl from its own Ruppertsberg monopole.

Dr. Bürklin-Wolf is the estate most closely tied to the Pfalz revival. From 1994 it classified its vineyards and moved to low yields and full, dry Riesling. Owned by Bettina Bürklin-von Guradze since 1990, it was the first German estate certified biodynamic by Biodyvin, in 2005, and ferments naturally in large wooden casks with long time on the lees. At the top sit the Forst sites: Kirchenstück GG, the flagship and the most collectable; Pechstein GG, with basalt tension and great ageing potential; Jesuitengarten GG, aromatic and floral with citrus blossom and white peach. Gaisböhl GG, from an estate-owned Ruppertsberg vineyard on gravelly limestone-loam, is the more elegant, citrus-driven alternative. If the GG price is too high, the Wachenheim and Ruppertsberg village wines carry the same stamp.

Von Winning: Deidesheim estate fermenting Riesling in big old casks; holds four Forst sites.

Relaunched in 2007, von Winning makes textural, savoury dry Riesling with wild yeasts in large oak. The Win Win is the way in; Jesuitengarten and Pechstein GGs are the stars.

Von Winning in Deidesheim is the Pfalz's most distinctive traditional-style house. The Niederberger family relaunched it in 2007 from the old Deinhard estate, whose roots go back to 1849, and installed Stephan Attmann as winemaker. It owns parcels in four of Forst's five top sites (Kirchenstück, Jesuitengarten, Pechstein, Ungeheuer) plus Deidesheim's Kalkofen. Dry Riesling is fermented spontaneously and aged in large old oak fuder on full lees rather than in steel; Attmann calls the approach 'controlled neglect'. The result is a textural, savoury style closer to white Burgundy than to fruit-driven Riesling. The ladder runs from the Win Win (estate) through Ortswein and Erste Lage (including the Riesling 500) to the GGs. The Sauvignon Blanc 500, also aged in fuder, is the estate's oddity and worth trying.

Rieslaner: rare Silvaner-Riesling crossing, famous as Müller-Catoir's noble sweet wine.

Planted in tiny amounts and rarely seen outside the Pfalz. High in acidity and at its best as Auslese and above; treat it as a once-in-a-while bottle.

Rieslaner is a 1921 crossing of Silvaner and Riesling and one of the Pfalz's true oddities: a few hectares at most, found in the hands of a handful of growers. The reference is Müller-Catoir, whose Mußbacher Eselshaut Rieslaner Auslese, Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese are cited as the benchmark bottlings. It keeps Riesling's fierce acidity, which is what lets the sweet wines stay fresh and age for decades. Because production is tiny, ask the estate which vintage is drinking now rather than choosing by label alone. If you see a dry Rieslaner on a list, it is worth trying precisely because few outside the region have.

A. Christmann: biodynamic Gimmeldingen estate; Idig, Mandelgarten and Reiterpfad Rieslings.

Run by Steffen Christmann with his daughter Sophie, biodynamic for about twenty years. Idig, from chalky loam, gives the densest wines; sandstone sites give lighter, earlier ones.

Christmann has been bottling estate wine since 1798 and today is led by Steffen Christmann with his daughter Sophie, who joined in 2018. Around 15 hectares, mostly Riesling with some Pinot Noir, are farmed biodynamically (Respekt association) and the estate is a VDP member. Steffen joined the Pfalz revival in the mid-1990s and has since been one of its most visible voices. Sites show clear differences: sandstone around Gimmeldingen and Ruppertsberg gives lighter, earlier-drinking wines, while the chalky loam of Königsbach, especially the Idig vineyard (shared with von Winning), gives denser, slower wines that need time. The estate is also associated with Christmann-Kauffmann Sekt. A visit often pairs a tasting with food at the cellar door.

The Haardt hills shield the vines, giving a sunny, dry, warm climate.

The Haardt hills block Atlantic weather, so the Mittelhaardt in the middle is one of Germany's sunniest and driest corners. Grapes ripen fully, which is why Pfalz Riesling tastes of ripe peach and apricot and is so often made dry.

The Haardt hills block Atlantic weather, so the Mittelhaardt in the middle is one of Germany's sunniest and driest corners. Grapes ripen fully, which is why Pfalz Riesling tastes of ripe peach and apricot and is so often made dry.

In the glass: Full ripeness, ripe stone fruit and body; dry is the normal style

Vineyard names hint at soil: basalt, sandstone, limestone, loam.

Within a few kilometres the soil flips between volcanic basalt (Pechstein in Forst), weathered sandstone (Kirchenstück), limestone (Kalkofen in Deidesheim) and loam or loess. It is why one village makes wines of different shapes and why top growers bottle site by site.

Within a few kilometres the soil flips between volcanic basalt (Pechstein in Forst), weathered sandstone (Kirchenstück), limestone (Kalkofen in Deidesheim) and loam or loess. It is why one village makes wines of different shapes and why top growers bottle site by site.

In the glass: Basalt: smoky, tense; sandstone: elegant; limestone: firm and chalky; loam: broader and softer

An 1828 Bavarian survey ranked the vineyards; today's top sites follow it.

The Pfalz was once among the world's most prized wine regions, then slid into bulk wine. From the mid-1990s growers revived site-by-site bottling, guided by an old vineyard ranking.

In the 19th century the Pfalz belonged to Bavaria, whose land survey of 1828 graded the vineyards by quality. Forster Kirchenstück earned the top marks. After decades in which the region was known for cheap, blended village wine, a group of growers rediscovered that map in 1994. Dr. Bürklin-Wolf began classifying its vineyards that year, Christmann and others followed, and the VDP later built its Erste and Grosse Lage ladder on the same idea. That is why a handful of Mittelhaardt names carry real weight on a label today, and why the Pfalz is again a place you buy by vineyard as well as by producer.

In the glass: Site-focused dry Riesling with clear differences between named vineyards

The southern vineyards sit higher on shell limestone and sandstone, giving fine, cool-toned wines.

Estates around Siebeldingen and Birkweiler farm slopes at roughly 220-320 metres on shell limestone, coloured sandstone, red slate and granite. The wines are leaner and more mineral than the sun-soaked Mittelhaardt, and the Pinots gain a fine, cool edge.

Estates around Siebeldingen and Birkweiler farm slopes at roughly 220-320 metres on shell limestone, coloured sandstone, red slate and granite. The wines are leaner and more mineral than the sun-soaked Mittelhaardt, and the Pinots gain a fine, cool edge.

In the glass: Precise acidity, restrained fruit, mineral finish

Pfalz Riesling is mostly fermented fully dry, with ripe fruit for body.

Sunshine delivers ripe grapes, and the regional habit is to ferment them dry, so a Pfalz Riesling tastes full and peachy rather than sweet. Look for trocken; expect a little more weight than a Mosel.

Sunshine delivers ripe grapes, and the regional habit is to ferment them dry, so a Pfalz Riesling tastes full and peachy rather than sweet. Look for trocken; expect a little more weight than a Mosel.

In the glass: Fuller body, ripe stone fruit, no sweetness

Big old casks and wild yeast: von Winning and Bürklin-Wolf ferment Riesling in wood.

Instead of cool steel, these estates ferment spontaneously in large old oak casks and leave the wine on its lees. The result is savoury, textured and food-friendly rather than fruity and zippy.

Instead of cool steel, these estates ferment spontaneously in large old oak casks and leave the wine on its lees. The result is savoury, textured and food-friendly rather than fruity and zippy.

In the glass: Savoury, textured, less obviously fruity; ages well

Several top estates are biodynamic: Bürklin-Wolf, Rebholz, Christmann.

Organic and biodynamic farming is unusually common among the Pfalz's top houses. Often lower yields and wines with more tension and individuality.

Organic and biodynamic farming is unusually common among the Pfalz's top houses. Often lower yields and wines with more tension and individuality.

In the glass: Concentration, precision and a more vineyard-specific voice

Long lees ageing gives top village wines extra depth: Bürklin-Wolf's Wachenheim 'R'.

Some estates keep single wines on their lees for up to three years before bottling. The wines turn savoury and mineral, and can be less fruity young.

Some estates keep single wines on their lees for up to three years before bottling. The wines turn savoury and mineral, and can be less fruity young.

In the glass: Savoury, mineral, creamy texture

Pinot Noir ages in larger or older oak to keep it fresh and red-fruited.

Becker uses big 2,400-litre casks for its Estate Spätburgunder; Rebholz oaks some of its Pinots in barriques. Either way the aim is silky cherry fruit with oak in the background.

Becker uses big 2,400-litre casks for its Estate Spätburgunder; Rebholz oaks some of its Pinots in barriques. Either way the aim is silky cherry fruit with oak in the background.

In the glass: Silky red fruit, soft tannin, subtle spice