Monastery Vineyard

Rule of Saint Benedict, Chap. 48,8

“Only then are they true monks,
when they live from the work of their hands, like our fathers and the apostles.”

The historical roots of the monastery vineyard date back to the Middle Ages, to the time of the founding abbess of this monastery, Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179). The sisters were already engaged in viticulture back then. This tradition is continued by today's monastery vineyard.

Vineyard area: 7.5 ha
Grape varieties: 83% Riesling, 17% Pinot Noir
Sites: Rüdesheimer Klosterberg, Klosterlay, Kirchenpfad, Bischofsberg, Magdalenenkreuz, Drachenstein, Geisenheimer Mönchspfad, and Assmannshäuser Hinterkirch
Qualities: QbA, Kabinett, Spätlesen, Auslese
Flavor profiles: 50% dry, 35% semi-dry, 15% full-bodied – fruity
Barrel storage capacity: 70,000 liters
Vinification: 80%: Riesling in stainless steel; 20%: red wines in oak barrels
Average yield: 65 hl/hectare
Head Winemaker: Arnulf Steinheimer (from Oestrich – Winkel)
“Winemaker Sister”: Sister Thekla Baumgart

Our monastery vineyard is jointly managed by Sister Thekla and our cellar master Arnulf Steinheimer. Good wine is and remains the fruit of shared work. Therefore, as many sisters from our community as possible participate in the grape harvest, which takes place annually in October. We are supported by numerous volunteer helpers who come to us each year specifically for the harvest season and have already formed a “Grape Harvest Helper – Friends Circle.”