I'm am American and came here on a whim. Wonderful experience with Hans Josef, the third generation…read morewinemaker. The tastings are by appointment, but there is a wine garden that opens at 5 during the week. We showed up not knowing the hours, and Hans came up to our car and asked if we needed help. Next thing we know he's opening up his tasting room. Excellent Riesling and Pinot noir wines. The place is right on Rhein and has a relaxing garden atmosphere.

From the owner: 125 Jahre Echtes Rheingauer Traditionsunternehmen in Walluf…read moreseit 1893 1893 gründete Weinküfermeister Jean Baptist Becker das Rheingauer Traditionsunternehmen in Walluf. Die Familie Becker führte es durch die Wirren der Zeit, meisterte das Auf und Ab zweier Weltkriege und gelangte schließlich mit Erfolg ins Heute, wo die größte Herausforderung inzwischen die Schnelllebigkeit zu sein scheint. Diesem Phänomen begegnet das Weingut mit seiner ganz eigenen, überaus erfolgreichen Strategie: Dem Wein seine Zeit lassen. Trockene und gereifte Rieslinge sind heute das Aushängeschild von J.B. Becker. Aber auch beeindruckende Spätburgunder gehören ebenso zum Portfolio wie Rieslinge mit traditionell leichter Restsüße, die auch hervorragende Speisebegleiter sind. Heute, nach 125 Jahren Tradition, in denen man immer konsequent der eigenen Überzeugung treu geblieben ist, begeistern sich darum gerade viel junge Sommeliers und Kenner der Weinszene für jene Tropfen, die oft erst nach Jahren der Reife die Keller des Weinguts verlassen und vor allem aufgrund ihrer Eigenständigkeit überzeugen. Was kaum verwundert, denn mit jedem Jahr (oder besser: Jahrzehnt) der Reife schlägt sich eine weitere bemerkenswerte Facette nieder.

From the owner: In der Vinothek Trautwein im Mainz-Gonsenheim biete ich neben meinem eigenen Wein und Sekt auch…read moreverschiedene Liköre und Brände aus der Region an. Leckereien rund um den Wein runden das Angebot ab. Ob für den eigenen Genuss oder zum Verschenken, hier findet jeder etwas.

I have been drinking wine from Kloster Eberbach since about 1979, and have never had a bottle that…read moredisappointed. On a visit there in 2005, I was fortunate enough to get a case of their abbey beer, which they no longer produce. It came in a wooden crate! I still have the empty bottles, which close with swing-top closures - nice! In the month of 9/11 friends were visiting Germany for a wedding, and brought home three special bottles of wine for me, from Kloster Eberbach. They even had to drive it back from Montreal to Chicago, because when their plane got back to North America, the United States was shut down for air travel! It is some really special wine, and is still in my cellar, waiting to be old enough to drink. They also have some very lovely wine glasses which are engraved with an image of the Kloster, and their name. The place is well worth a trip up from Rüdesheim, if you're traveling along the Rhine in the Rheingau region. It is right above the river, about one third of the way to Rüdesheim when coming from Wiesbaden/Mainz. There is a restaurant serving fine authentic German food, and a museum.

When in Rome .... You know the rest…read more When visiting the Region of Rheingau, a region on the middle Rhine river best known for home to countless American military installations and Europe's second largest airport, one can not miss out on visiting the numerous wineries as the Rheingau is also known for the best Riesling wines in the world. The Ernst Rußler Weingut is a bit off the beaten path in a narrow valley, just a 15min drive from the Rhein at Eltville. But the time spent is rewarded richly! Sitting on the patio catching the rays of a gleaming late afternoon June sun, I. Ranches out and tried the Rosé wines. Particularly the Rosenmuskateller which the vintner is experimenting with was sensational: it is a level of refinement to Rosé what Gewürztraminer is to the white wines. With this climate change thing well under way we should not be surprised to see great Rosé and eventually decent Reds coming out of the Rheingau. Hey, the world is going to hell, but we surely have great wine on the way there!