When to visit Rheingau: harvest, en primeur and the calendar that shapes a cellar visit.

Spring

  • Bud break on the south slopes, April (April): As April warms the south-facing slopes, the first green shoots break along the Rheingau terraces and the steep walls of Schloss Johannisberg, the Steinberg and the Hattenheim hills turn from grey to fresh leaf, with growers tying down canes for the long season ahead. What to taste: ['Fresh dry Rheingau Riesling', 'Rheingau Weissburgunder', 'Rheingau Riesling Sekt']

Summer

  • Rheingau Musik Festival, late June to early September (July): From late June through early September the Rheingau Musik Festival fills Kloster Eberbach, Schloss Johannisberg, Schloss Vollrads and other estates with classical, jazz and crossover concerts, many pairing the music with estate Riesling and Spaetburgunder. What to taste: ['Rheingau Riesling GG', 'Spaetburgunder from Assmannshausen', 'Riesling Sekt brut']
  • Rheingauer Weinwoche in Wiesbaden, August (August): For ten days every August the Schlossplatz and Dern'sches Gelaende in Wiesbaden host the Rheingauer Weinwoche, with around 100 stands pouring Rheingau Riesling, Spaetburgunder and Sekt directly from growers across the region. What to taste: ['Rheingau Riesling trocken', 'Spaetburgunder Rose', 'Riesling Sekt brut']

Autumn

  • Riesling harvest in the Rheingau, late September to November (October): The cornerstone Rheingau season. From late September pickers make multiple passes up the south-facing slopes to sort grapes for everything from bone-dry GG to nobly sweet Auslese, choosing each bunch by ripeness and botrytis as Riesling hangs into November. What to taste: ['Just-pressed Federweisser', 'Rheingau Riesling Kabinett', 'Rheingau Auslese']
  • Federweisser and Zwiebelkuchen, autumn (October): As the first must ferments, cloudy fizzy Federweisser appears in Rheingau taverns and at the autumn village fests, traditionally drunk with warm Zwiebelkuchen onion tart. What to taste: ['Riesling Federweisser', 'Roter Federweisser from Spaetburgunder', 'Zwiebelkuchen pairing']
  • VDP Grosses Gewaechs release, early September (September): Every September the VDP releases its dry Grosses Gewaechs Rieslings from the previous vintage at a national pre-release tasting, a fixed point on the German calendar that drops Rheingau GGs from Robert Weil, Kuenstler, Leitz, Spreitzer and others onto the market. What to taste: ['Rheingau Riesling Grosses Gewaechs', 'Rheingau Erste Lage Riesling', 'VDP Ortswein trocken']
  • Kloster Eberbach autumn tastings, late autumn (November): From late October the Hessische Staatsweingueter at Kloster Eberbach runs an autumn programme of vintage tastings, vertical Spaetburgunder dinners and Steinberg single-site flights in the cellars and refectory of the 12th-century abbey. What to taste: ['Steinberg Riesling GG', 'Assmannshaeuser Spaetburgunder', 'Library Kloster Eberbach Spaetlese']

Winter

  • Winter pruning on the south-facing slopes, January to February (January): Through the coldest weeks, growers prune the bare south-facing slopes between Hochheim and Lorch by hand, shaping next year's canopy. Cellars are quiet, with the young vintage settling on its lees and the steep terraces stripped back to vine and stone. What to taste: ['Library Rheingau Riesling Spaetlese', 'Rheingau Sekt brut', 'Aged dry Riesling']
  • Eiswein harvest window, December to January (December): When the temperature drops below minus seven, the few Rheingau growers who left grapes hanging rush to pick frozen bunches before dawn for Eiswein, pressing concentrated juice while the water stays as ice. What to taste: ['Rheingau Riesling Eiswein', 'Rheingau Trockenbeerenauslese', 'Rheingau Beerenauslese']
  • Christmas markets and Gluehwein season, December (December): From late November Rheingau towns from Eltville to Ruedesheim and Wiesbaden open Christmas markets, with stalls pouring Gluehwein made from local Riesling and Spaetburgunder spiced with cinnamon, cloves and citrus zest under the half-timbered facades. What to taste: ['Riesling-based Gluehwein', 'Spaetburgunder Gluehwein', 'Estate Riesling Sekt']

Book wine experiences in Rheingau

Wine tastings and winery visits in Rheingau (10)

See all 592 bookable experiences in Rheingau

Seasonal in Rheingau, FAQ

When is the best time to visit Rheingau for wine?

Peak wine-travel season in Rheingau is spring through autumn, with harvest the standout window.

Do I need an appointment to taste at Rheingau estates?

classified-growth and grand-cru estates require booking days to weeks ahead; smaller family domaines often take walk-ins midweek.

What hours do Rheingau cellars and tasting rooms keep?

most estates open 10:00 to 17:00 by appointment, often closed Sunday and Monday.

How does tipping work at Rheingau tastings?

tipping is not expected at tastings; buying a bottle from the cellar door is the customary thank-you.

What is the one wine to try in Rheingau?

Ask the next local you meet what they would order. Rheingau rewards trust.

← Back to Rheingau wine guide