22 – 25 September 2011

Our itinerary is packed full of true gems of the Rheingau with an exciting range of tours and tastings at leading wine producers, from family-owned wineries to the legendary estates of Schloss Vollrads and Schloss Johannisberg (birthplace of the first recorded Spätlese wines).

Participants will gain an insight into the most common viticultural and cellar techniques whilst tasting a wide selection of fine wines, from sparkling to still, dry and sweet. A special treat will be a vertical tasting of Trockenbeerenauslese wines – including a 1953 vintage – at the Fritz Allendorf estate (2011 Decanter award winner for best German white). Other highlights include an exclusive tour of the international Henkell Sektkellerei (one of Europe´s leading producers of sparkling wine) and the world-renowned Viticultural Research Institute at Geisenheim.

The trip will conclude with a full-day event, the annual autumn wine auction organised by the VDP (association of elite German producers), held in the impressive lay brothers´ dormitory of Kloster Eberbach. VDP auctions are traditionally “wet”, enabling those attending to taste every wine (except for rarities) before they go under the hammer.