ahr valley
“Das Glück hilft dem Kühnen”
Fortune favours the bold
If you're looking for a mesmerising, chocolate-box wine region that remains a hidden gem, the Ahr Valley in west Germany is your perfect destination.
While Germany is usually known for its Riesling, the enchanting, fairy tale-esque Ahr Valley showcases the brilliance of Pinot Noir, known locally as Spätburgunder. It is Germany’s largest red wine growing region. Picture warm marinated cherries with a hint of nuttiness and a silky texture that dances on your palate like a bar of Galaxy chocolate—simply divine.
Step back in time to a 19th-century vaulted, deep 'Weinkellar' where you can sit by candlelight as the winemaker offers a tasting from bottles that have remained undisturbed in their cellars. Afterward, wander through the traditional German village, soaking in the authentic charm and history of the region.
Here's the best part: You can escape reality and live in a fairy tale for the weekend, and still be back at work on Monday.
the info
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The travel to get here may seem complicated, but it is a google-maps aided breeze.
You can fly to Cologne/Bonn (they are the same airport) and stay in Bonn overnight, before catching a train to Ahr in the morning. This trip can be done without a car.
For full details on how to visit Ahr Valley for a weekend, see Ahr Valley Itinerary.
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Trains on the Ahr Valley line can be infrequent, you should plan according to the train times.
April – October is the best time to visit, otherwise you risk weinkellars being shut for visitors.
Take a battery pack to charge your phone. English isn’t spoken so widely here so you may require it for translation.
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Ready to live the #weekendwinelife in Champagne?
You can find a suggested travel itinerary with recommended hotels and restaurants and a reservation check list right here;
what wine is in ahr valley?
The red grape Pinot Noir (Spätburgunder) leads in the Ahr Valley, with over 60% of plantings.
Three other varieties Portugieser (red), Früburgunder (red) and Riesling (white) each cover around 7%.
How the red wine is made
Red wine gets its colour and flavour from its skins. Pinot Noir is a thin-skinned variety, which means wine making techniques need to be very extractive to get as much colour, flavour and tannins from these thin skins of the grapes. They will often be subject to a process called ‘punching down’ where crushed grape skins are frequently submerged in the grape must (‘punched down’) to ensure they have lots of contact with the juice. If this didn’t happen, CO2 would push the grape skins to the top of the fermentation vessel and we would get no colour from the skins.
How does it taste?
Ahr valley Pinot Noirs are dry red wines, and often aged in oak barrels, which is unusual for Pinot Noir as they are usually drunk whilst still young and not subjected to aging.
Expect delicious flavours of cherry, mushrooms and almond nuts, and a luxurious feeling of silk in your mouth from the older vintages. These wines are truly a delight and a real treat to try.
useful terminology
Spätburgunder = The German word for Pinot Noir
Weinkellarei = Wine company/Winery
Trocken = Dry
Halßtrocken = Medium dry
The Ahr Valley is located in the north of Germany. There is evidence this is a wine producing region which dates from 770 AD. Today it is one of Germany’s smallest, niche wine producing regions.
