Nahe (wine region)

Nahe is a region (Anbaugebiet) for quality wine in Germany, along the River Nahe in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate. On the region's 4,155 hectares (10,270 acres) of vineyards in 2008, white wine grapes dominate with 75% and Riesling is the most common variety with 27.2%. A characteristic of the Nahe region is that the soils are very varied owing to the region's volcanic origins.

Although the region was populated already in Roman times, and the village of Monzingen was mentioned as a wine village as early as 778, the Nahe wine region was defined only with the 1971 German wine law. Before that, the wines were sold as plain "Rhine wine". In recent decades, several Nahe producers have made a name for themselves with Riesling wines that have been rated very highly by international wine critics, and have come to be seen as being on par with the best wines of Moselle and Rheingau wines.

The Nahe was one of the last few German wine regions to develop significant plantings, being planted nearly six centuries after the Romans first cultivated the Mosel region. By the Middle Ages, viticulture was flourishing in the region under the care of Church-run vineyards. During the 19th century, the Nahe was considered one of Germany's finest wine regions and continued its prosperity till experiencing economic downturns following the world wars of the 20th century. While other German wine regions became more industrialized, the more rural Nahe fell behind and its resence on the world's wine market was dramatically reduced. Towards the end of the 20th century, reforms and renewed optimism among the Nahe winemakers would usher in a period of renaissance in the Nahe wine industry.

The Nahe wine region follows the path of the Nahe river in its northeasterly descent towards the Rhine. The river helps moderate the temperate climate of the region and the valleys of the Nahe's tributaries help foster diverse microclimates through the region. The Soonwald ranges to the northeast and rocky foothills to the east help retain heat and moderate the amount of rainfall that the region receives. Some south-facing vineyards have microclimates that are similar to a Mediterranean climate and are being experimented with for red wine grape cultivation. The Nahe flows parallel to the Moselle and lies 40 kilometers (25 mi) to the southeast of the Mosel wine region. The Mittelrhein and Rheingau wine regions lie to the north/northeast with the Rheinhessen forming the region's eastern border. Vineyards are located on steep slopes along the Nahe and its tributaries typically at elevations of 100–300 meters (330–985 ft).

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