How to plan a food weekend in Germany’s Rheingau region

Thousand-year-old castles, towns of half-timbered houses and pathways winding through rows of prized vines define Germany’s Rheingau, a 300sq-mile region along the River Rhine that stretches from Wiesbaden to Rüdesheim am Rhein. Viticulture has long been Rheingau’s raison d’être, and within its 7,800-acre spread of vineyards you’ll find some of the world’s finest grapes. Old-world wine-country villages such as Kiedrich, Hattenheim and Assmannhausen host restaurants where menus are replete with local vintages and the distinctive dishes of Rheingauer cuisine. Local bounty includes quality meat and dairy from the cows grazing in the wild pastures of the nearby Taunus mountains, along with wild boar, venison, mushrooms and berries found in dense tracts of forest thick with beech, birch and oak.

Ancient it may be, but Rheingau has lately gained such a culinary reputation that restaurants new and old are attracting renowned and up-and-coming chefs, bringing some culinary buzz to the Frankfurt backcountry.

Where to eat in Rheingau

1. Groenesteyn, in Kiedrich
The views are spectacular at this historic half-timbered house in Kiedrich, in Rheingau’s northeastern reaches. Chef-owner Dirk Schröer has transformed this former 17th-century wine tavern into an equally gemütlich restaurant that serves flavoursome farmhouse food elevated to one-star Michelin standards. Standout dishes on the frequently changing menu may include beef roulade with white asparagus, and halibut with rhubarb and leek, in addition to creative bites like pickled potatoes with sorrel and buttermilk ice cream. The extensive wine list and remarkable view overlooking the vineyards and the 13th-century Scharfenstein castle add to its old-world charm.

2. Schloss Vollrads, in Oestrich Winkel
Overlooking the mighty Rhine, surrounded by vineyards, Schloss Vollrads is a pilgrimage spot for those who love riesling. Frühschoppen (a morning tipple and chat) is a delight in the sunlit castle gardens, for travellers making a flying visit. But pause here a while. The 800-year-old estate has been cultivating riesling for as long as it’s been standing, and serving world-class wines and local food since at least 1493. Current chef Alexander Ehrgott has designed a menu that’s as much about wine-pairing as it is regional dishes. Try fried veal steak with turnips, potato terrine and a wine jus paired with a wonderfully dry, aged estate riesling. The chocolate mousse with a tonka bean ice cream is another dish not to miss.

3. Gasthaus Zur Schlupp, in Walluf
This charming little restaurant may date back to 1608, but the dishes served by the Ehrhardt family bounce to a contemporary, seasonal tune. Chef Michael and his wife Isabelle, also a sommelier, have run this unpretentious gasthaus since 2000, and it’s become a go-to in the eastern Rheingau town of Walluf. Michael helms the kitchen conjuring Mediterranean-influenced cuisine largely drawn from regional produce, while Isabelle matches those flavours with excellent local wines. Homemade pastas and desserts are menu favourites but it’s really the fragrant soups and stews from Michael’s childhood that define dining here, such as sweet tomato soup with wild garlic dumplings or his creative takes on roast wild goose – a defining Rheingau dish.

4. Adler Wirtschaft Franz Keller, in Hattenheim
Clinking glasses and roaring chatter enliven each wooden table at the crowded Adler Wirtschaft Franz Keller, a buzzing, wine-focused inn with superb food. ‘Simple is the best’ is the guiding philosophy here, with dishes devised from ingredients grown on the Adlers’ farm in the nearby Taunus mountains. Starters include the likes of a goose liver parfait with riesling jelly. Fantastic mains range from white asparagus in a béarnaise sauce with ham from Adler free-range pigs, to aubergine dumplings with a spicy tomato piperade and prime cuts from the steak menu. Don’t forget to round out the meal with a glass of schnapps served from a clanging cart.

5. Jean, in Eltville
Self-proclaimed ‘wine city’ Eltville is Rheingau’s unofficial capital, and Hotel Frankenbach’s restaurant Jean is conveniently located next to the main railway station – and just a short walk from a romantic promenade along the Rhine. Chef Johannes Frankenbach brings the flavours of France to regional ingredients in such cleverly balanced dishes as duck foie gras with creme brulee, calvados and granny smith apples; a French-Mediterranean bouillabaisse; and a plate of veal kidneys with spinach and black salsify. The exhaustive wine list includes bottles from Rheingau and also Bordeaux, while the wood-panelled ceilings, old photographs and low lighting recall the building’s former life as a simple little wine tavern.

Don't miss

The best way to explore Rheingau – taking in its smells, sights and tastes – is to hike around the vineyards. It’s easily done as a self-guided walk, following trails such as the riverside Rheinsteig, or you can book a local guided tour. Bottlestops, for one, runs a range of curated wine excursions that take you from the city of Mainz into Rheingau where you’ll learn about the region’s viticultural history, wine varieties and terroirs with plenty of opportunity to pop into various vineyards en route for tastings. Its ‘Sunday Wine Excursion in Rheingau’ tour takes you on a modified day-long Sonntagsausflug (a traditional Sunday countryside stroll) where you’ll visit historic wine estates and take in expansive rural views, while the ‘Castles, Abbeys and Wine Tour’ visits the region’s centuries-old venues that are still making wine today.

Where to stay

Zum Krug, in Hattenheim
In the handsome heart of Hattenheim, a Rheingau town famed for its riesling, Zum Krug charms just as much now as it did when it was founded back in the 18^th century. Current owners the Laufer family have blended old and new to beautiful decorative effect. Stained glass windows and exposed beams sit alongside masterfully crafted wooden bed frames, chairs and tables topped with traditional ‘bembel’ ceramic wine pitchers. But it’s Zum Krug’s food that makes it an essential port of call. Long-forgotten local dishes like a savoury handkäse cheesecake with sour cherries grace the list of starters, while freshly caught wisperforelle trout with a light riesling sauce is a popular main. For dessert, the fan-favourite, made by the family’s grandmother, is a rye bread ice cream served with vanilla-infused sour cream and rhubarb. Doubles from £130, B&B.