Fockenberghütte / Steep Slopes

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Look around. Listen in.

Audio guide in German. Read the full English version below.

Read the audio guide

Riesling, steep slopes and the Riesling Lounge

Riesling belongs to the Roter Hang. This slowly ripening variety has time here to develop its fruit aromas, make use of the late autumn sunshine and retain its fresh acidity. It responds to the conditions of its site and asks much of the winegrower’s skill. On the Roter Hang, soil, climate and experience come together.

What makes a steep-slope vineyard?

Rivers, sheltered hillsides and favourable aspects shape many German wine landscapes. The designation Steillage or Steillagenwein is linked to a vineyard gradient of at least 30 per cent. You will encounter such slopes repeatedly on the Roter Hang. Here at Hipping, the recording describes a gradient of around 60 per cent, giving a clear impression of the work involved in steep vineyards.

Wine and music above the Rhine

The Fockenberghütte is a meeting place for more than walkers and winegrowers. During the Wine Showcase, it also hosts the Riesling Lounge. In the audio guide, a visitor explains its appeal: dancing outdoors, discovering interesting Rieslings, meeting old and new friends and enjoying the views. The young winegrowers bring wine and music together for an evening in the heart of the Roter Hang. Dates and programmes are listed on the event page.

Staccato zum Roten Hang – Bernd Kern

The second part of the recording features Bernd Kern’s literary piece, “Staccato zum Roten Hang”. The English rendering below follows its imagery and meaning, while retaining the short, rhythmic lines of the German text.

The Roter Hang.
A wonder. A stroke of great good fortune.
Where, day after day, the sun begins its journey through Rheinhessen.
At this turning point in the Earth’s history.
Where the ancient reptiles’ sunbathing spot
became a thrilling, steep hillside for the vines.
This fabled Riesling hotspot.
A crackling love triangle of Rhine, rock and Riesling.
The very spirit of the place.

The Roter Hang.
Caught in the act with the vine whisperers,
masters of mastering climate change.
Always with an eye on the perfect wine from this perfect slope.
Fashioned from stone and set here for perfectionists.
This union of sacred site and experimental laboratory.
A marketplace of desires.
Taking part is everything.
For newcomers from the hill country too.
Exemplary integration, from vine stake to vine stake.
Creating something great together on this red clay and sandstone.
A Riesling with plenty of heart and a swing all its own.
No resting on your laurels.
The bar is raised higher, year after year.

The Roter Hang.
Worthy of every honour.
The finest vineyard views and a highlight of wine culture.
Lucky Glöck.
Not red, but ancient.

The Roter Hang.
A place of longing for walkers in search of sweeping views.
Following this red ridge from Nackenheim to Schwabsburg.
Right through the treasure chest of world-famous vineyard sites.
The steep ascent.
A déjà vu of Wolfgang Altendorf’s Job and his Sisyphean labour in the vineyard.
But up on the Rhine Terrace Trail, joyful laughter already carries from afar
from Carl Zuckmayer’s “The Merry Vineyard”.
And Goethe’s Faust knocks back a proper Niersteiner.
Whether in Auerbach’s Cellar or anywhere else in the world:

Riesling from the Roter Hang is a phenomenon.
Riesling from the Roter Hang is a myth.
But Riesling from the Roter Hang is also proof of the extraordinary skill of all the people
who work on this wonderful little patch of earth.
And for whose revelation of Riesling we are grateful, without envy.
For Rieslings from the Roter Hang that – to return to “The Merry Vineyard” –
are always a little piece of nature, a little of the elements,
a little of a christening and a little of an ascension to heaven.