Wines from the best locations

ALMOST 900 YEARS AGO, THE FIRST »DAUGHTER« OF THE FRENCH MOTHER MONASTERY CLAIRVAUX ON THE RIGHT BANK OF THE RHINE WAS FOUNDED HERE IN THE RHEINGAU ON INHOSPITABLE SOIL.

 The basis of all Cistercian monasteries was self-sufficiency in agriculture, animal husbandry and – as far as possible – in viticulture. Just 30 years after it was founded, Kloster Eberbach owned nine estates, two wineries and one Stadthof in Cologne. Another dozen estates were added by 1211. Over an area from Worms to Cologne, the Eberbach economic empire soon comprised over 200 branch offices. The winery was already the largest on German-speaking soil in the 15th century. Depending on the vintage, the proceeds from viticulture accounted for up to three quarters of the total income. This strong branch of the economy allowed Kloster Eberbach to develop in a unique way, which had a significant influence on the Rheingau and German wine culture.