| Wine region | |
 | |
| Years of wine industry | c. AD 893 |
|---|---|
| Country | Germany |
| Part of | Rhineland-Palatinate |
| Size of planted vineyards | 539 ha (2010) |
| Varietals produced | Riesling,Silvaner, Ruländer (Pinot gris),Kerner, Weißer Burgunder (Pinot blanc),Chardonnay,Ortega,Dornfelder,Spätburgunder (Pinot noir),Portugieser,Regent,Merlot,Dunkelfelder,Cabernet Sauvignon,Frühburgunder,Acolon,Cabernet Mitos[1] |
| Wine produced | 33,624 hl, 62.4 hl/ha |
Ahr is a wine region (Anbaugebiet) for qualitywine in Germany,[2] and is located in the valley of the riverAhr, a tributary ofRhine, and is situated in the federal state ofRhineland-Palatinate. With only 558 hectares (1,380 acres) of vines as of 2008,[3] it is one of smaller ofGermany's 13 regions. Despite its northern location (it is for example situated north ofMosel region) it primarily produces red wines, and red grape varieties account for 86% of the vineyard area, which is more than in any other German wine region.[4]
It is believed that vines were cultivated in theAhr valley already in Roman times, as is the case with nearby Mosel, although definite documentary evidence to this effect seems to be lacking.[5] However, a property list of theBenedictinePrüm Abbey drawn up in the year 893 AD, called thePrümer Urbar, lists vineyards in eight Ahr locations, so at least at this time, winemaking in the Ahr region was established.
During the2021 European floods, about 10 % of the vineyards were destroyed. The flood hit viticulture on the Ahr with unimaginable force. The damage was even more severe in the wineries, cellars and cooperatives located in the lower-lying areas of the Ahr.[6][7]
Situated between50° and51° north, Ahr is the world's most northern region dominated by red wine grapes. So far north, very good sites with a warmmicroclimate are needed to properly ripen red wine grapes, and the Ahr vineyards are said to have a "Mediterranean"microclimate.[2] Most vineyards are located on terraced slopes facing southwest to southeast along the middle and lower portions of river Ahr, over a stretch of 25 kilometers, fromAltenahr to the Rhine.[4] The wine-growing parts of the Ahr valley enjoy protection from theEifel mountains resulting in a favouredmesoclimate.
Soils vary betweenslate,basalt andgreywackeclay ofvolcanic origin.[4]
Ahr consists of a single district (Bereich) called Walporzheim-Ahrtal, only one collective vineyard site (Großlage) called Klosterberg, and 43 single vineyard sites.[5]
Ahr grows a higher proportion of the much-appreciatedSpätburgunder (Pinot noir) than any other German wine region.
| Leading grape varieties Ahr(update 2022)[8] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Variety | Colour | Synonym | Area (%) | Area (ha) |
| 1.Spätburgunder | red | Pinot Noir | 64,3 | 340 |
| 2.Riesling | white | 8,7 | 46 | |
| 3.Frühburgunder | red | Pinot Madeleine, Klevner | 5,9 | 31 |
| 4.Weißer Burgunder | white | Klevner, Pinot Blanc | 4,0 | 21 |
| 5.Regent | red | 2,8 | 15 | |
While Ahr primarily grew red wine before the current red wine trend in Germany, until the 1980s the wines were almost invariably very light-colored, bordering on rosé, and often were significantly sweet. While this style of wine was perhaps rather unimpressive by international standards, Ahr could rely on its vicinity to the populousRuhr Area to sell its small production to weekend tourists. In the 1980s,Werner Näkel ofWeingut Meyer-Näkel started to experiment with extendedmaceration and a significant influence ofoak, which then was a style of red wine which hardly existed in Germany.[9] After his wines won their first award in 1989, his style was followed by many other Ahr wineries as well as in other German regions. This style is now firmly established as the style of the best wines of the top Ahr producers: dry, fairly tannic and with a heavy oak influence.[4][10] In comparison with Pinot noir wines ofBurgundy, Ahr wines tend to have a paler red color and being more oak-dominated.
The top red wines used to be classified as dry (trocken)Auslese, but nowadays they are either calledGrosses Gewächs or are classified as plainQualitätswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete and are sold under estate-specific wine names.
The best red wines of Ahr are quite expensive, and are routinely priced significantly higher than Germany's top dry Rieslings. Prices in excess of 50 euro are not uncommon for the top of the range at more well-known producers, although cheaper entry wines also are produced. Due to the limited production, and the high domestic demand for red wines in Germany, Ahr wines have only limited international (export) availability.
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