A summer concert series from late June to early September across Rheingau wine estates and the Kloster Eberbach abbey, with classical, jazz and crossover programmes paired with estate Riesling and Spaetburgunder.
Tip: Book seats early for concerts inside the Kloster Eberbach basilica; the 12th-century church acoustics are the headline of the season.
Address: Rheinallee 1, 65375 Oestrich-Winkel, Germany, Rheingau
A mid-June strawberry and wine festival in Erbach, part of the city of Eltville, pairing local strawberries with Rheingau Riesling and Spaetburgunder rose across a long weekend by the Rhine.
Tip: Drive over from Hattenheim or Oestrich-Winkel; Erbach is small, and parking on festival evenings fills fast, so go early.
A first-weekend-in-July sparkling-wine festival on the Eltville riverfront, with stands from Sekt houses including Schloss Vaux, Wegeler and other local Sekt makers pouring traditional-method Riesling and Spaetburgunder Sekt.
Tip: Combine the festival with a guided tour at Schloss Vaux a few streets back; both lean on traditional-method Riesling Sekt.
A second- or third-weekend-in-August village wine festival in Rauenthal above Eltville, with growers from the Rauenthaler Baiken and neighbouring sites pouring estate Riesling on the village street.
Tip: Rauenthal sits on the hill above Eltville with vineyard views over the Rhine; walk up before sundown rather than driving.
The Kappeskerb Weinlesefest in Eltville closes the harvest year on the last weekend in October, with a wine market and harvest fair through the old town along the Rhine.
Tip: Try the just-pressed Federweisser at the harvest stands; the cabbage-and-pork dishes named in Kappeskerb pair well with off-dry Riesling.
Second-weekend-in-July village wine festival in Martinsthal, a small Eltville district above the Rhine, pouring grower Riesling from the Martinsthaler Wildsau and surrounding slopes.
Tip: Martinsthal is the quietest of the Eltville district festivals; come for the village feel and the by-the-glass Wildsau Riesling.
An early-November autumn market held in Hochheim since 1484, mixing fairground, livestock and craft stalls with Rheingau wine pours over a long Friday-to-Tuesday weekend that draws close to half a million visitors.
Tip: Pair the fair with a tasting at Weingut Kuenstler or Domdechant Werner a short walk away to see why Hochheim is the Rheingau's eastern wine anchor.
