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Germany

Nahe

4 200 ha under vine

Soils
Extraordinarily varied — volcanic porphyry, slate, quartzite, sandstone and loam
Climate
Mild and relatively dry, sheltered by surrounding hills

On the map

Nahe — 4 200 haLanguedoc — 220 000 haBordeaux — 110 000 haSicily — 98 000 haVeneto — 96 000 haPuglia — 87 000 haSouthern Rhône — 66 000 haRioja — 66 000 haTuscany — 60 000 haLoire Valley — 57 000 haEmilia-Romagna — 50 000 haKakheti — 48 000 haSouth-West France — 45 000 haPiedmont — 43 000 haDouro — 43 000 haChampagne — 34 000 haAbruzzo — 33 000 haUtiel-Requena — 32 000 haBurgundy — 29 500 haRheinhessen — 27 000 haProvence — 27 000 haSardinia — 27 000 haFriuli — 25 000 haRibera del Duero — 25 000 haPenedès — 25 000 haPfalz — 23 000 haCampania — 23 000 haLombardy — 22 000 haAlentejo — 22 000 haJumilla — 22 000 haMinho — 21 000 haRoussillon — 20 000 haRueda — 20 000 haDão — 20 000 haMarche — 16 000 haBaden — 15 800 haAlsace — 15 600 haBeaujolais — 13 500 haBurgenland — 13 000 haUmbria — 12 000 haBairrada — 12 000 haNavarra — 11 000 haTrentino — 10 000 haŠtajerska — 9 000 haCalabria — 9 000 haMosel — 8 800 haDalmatia — 8 000 haJerez — 7 000 haCyprus — 7 000 haAttica — 6 500 haFranken — 6 100 haCorsica — 6 000 haTokaj — 5 800 haAlto Adige — 5 600 haToro — 5 600 haEger — 5 000 haImereti — 5 000 haBasilicata — 5 000 haValais — 4 800 haNorthern Rhône — 4 400 haRías Baixas — 4 300 haSussex & Kent — 4 000 haRheingau — 3 200 haBierzo — 3 000 haNemea — 3 000 haMantinia — 2 400 haSavoie — 2 200 haJura — 2 000 haPriorat — 2 000 haBekaa Valley — 2 000 haWachau — 1 350 haValdeorras — 1 300 haVayots Dzor — 1 300 haSantorini — 1 100 haRacha-Lechkhumi — 700 haNaoussa — 700 haMadeira — 450 haRapsani — 400 haColares — 20 haNaheLanguedocBordeauxSicilyVenetoPugliaSouthern RhôneRiojaTuscanyLoire ValleyEmilia-RomagnaKakhetiSouth-West FrancePiedmontDouroChampagneAbruzzoUtiel-RequenaBurgundyRheinhessenProvenceSardiniaFriuliRibera del DueroPenedèsPfalzCampaniaLombardyAlentejoJumillaMinhoRoussillonRuedaDãoMarcheBadenAlsaceBeaujolaisBurgenlandUmbriaBairradaNavarraTrentinoŠtajerskaCalabriaMoselDalmatiaJerezCyprusAtticaFrankenCorsicaTokajAlto AdigeToroEgerImeretiBasilicataValaisNorthern RhôneRías BaixasSussex & KentRheingauBierzoNemeaMantiniaSavoieJuraPrioratBekaa ValleyWachauValdeorrasVayots DzorSantoriniRacha-LechkhumiNaoussaMadeiraRapsaniColares
Blob size ≈ vineyard area · approximate locations · coastlines from Natural Earth

Named for the little river that joins the Rhine at Bingen, the Nahe is a small region with a geologist's dream of soils — porphyry, slate, quartzite and sandstone all within a few kilometres. That patchwork gives its Rieslings an unusual range of expression, from the smoky and mineral to the peachy and pure, and often a filigree delicacy all their own.

Long overshadowed by its famous neighbours the Mosel and Rheingau, the Nahe has quietly become a connoisseur's region, home to some of Germany's most precise and transparent Rieslings. It is the country's finest wine region that most drinkers have never heard of.

The vineyard

Indicative share of plantings

The wines

Nahe Riesling Dry white

Through time

Indicative presence index, 0–100Origins & Antiquity — 5The Monastic Middle Ages — 25Exploration & the Fortified Age — 30Classifications & the Golden Age — 40Phylloxera & the World Crises — 35The Modern & New World Era — 65Antiquity5500150017001875195065
Origins & Antiquity Antiquity The Monastic Middle Ages 500 Exploration & the Fortified Age 1500 Classifications & the Golden Age 1700 Phylloxera & the World Crises 1875 The Modern & New World Era 1950