climate change calls for a rethink when it comes to wine growing in steep slopes. The Hessian state wine goods, one falls back on old techniques.

world heritage: cultural landscape of the Middle Rhine valley, with a view to Assmannshausen photo: Torsten Krüger/mauritius images

ASSMANNSHAUSEN taz | On the steep slopes of hell mountain, directly above the for their Pinot Noir is famous state domain Assmannshausen, since the days of excavators and bulldozers on the road. In one of the best vineyards of the Rheingau, heavy equipment is used, a new direction. On 3 hectares of new vines that should be across the slope and not, as previously, along the lines of, from top to bottom, cultivated. The goal is to save the wine-growing in spite of climate change.

The slopes are steep, very steep. Up to 65 percent slopes. More than 100,000 Euro, the Hessian state wine goods the cost of conversion. "It is the only way, which were steep for the wine to get," says managing Director Dieter Greiner. Centuries has shaped the viticulture in steep slopes, the cultural landscapes of the Mosel and the Rhine. Climate change and cost pressure, you threaten. Many areas are already broke and deserted, others can hardly be used economically.

Ilona Leyer, ecology Professor at the University of Geisenheim, shows at the on-site visit to the hell mountain historical photos of the vineyards at Rüdesheim. Out of thousands of small terraces are secured to see, even then, across the slope, with dry-stone walls. To lavish care and harvesting by Hand, there was no Alternative. However, with the advent of tractors, machinery, and winches, the terraces disappeared with the dry stone walls, their maintenance today could pay no more. Meanwhile, also in Rüdesheim, such as almost everywhere on the steep slopes of the Rhine, the Moselle and Close to the rows perpendicular to the lines of the slopes to the valley floor.

But the climate change strikes every year violent. "Within an hour, 60 to 70 liters of rain water fall", remembers Stefan Seyffardt, head of viticulture. A heavy rain at 9. June 2018'm alone, washed up on hell mountain 200 tons of soil and the vines to the valley. The purple phyllite slate you have to a lot of effort to back up create. Only the at that time newly created landscape terraces would have kept.

ten years Ago, Cross-thinkers at the University of Geisenheim and the three Partner wineries have started to work on the project. In Assmannshausen, Bacharach, and Lorch, they pushed parallel to the height lines, embankments and planted the vines on the edge. In the process, they have learned a lot. So the slopes will be sprayed today with a mixture of seed and cellulose, to stabilize the same. "We take the seeds of wild plants of the Region," says Ecologist Leyer: "they are adapted to the climatic conditions and fit to the insects that occur here."

In may and June, bloom in the wine dog's chamomile, Wild mallow and snake head mountains, the hell of the mountain now. "It is a single buzzing," says the managing Director of Greiner, as with the flowers, the pollinators will come.

On the cross terraces to 30 percent fit and less vines. However, the yield per floor is higher. "The plants are better cared for, because the rain water rushes past them into the valley, and the earth carries away," says Seyffardt.

editing across the slope easier and safer by the Hand. No rope winches are needed in order to secure the device and the workers. In addition, the slopes of herbicides would be spared. "We put on this tag and want to go ahead with this good practice," says Greiner, and regrets that, so far, so a few other winemakers to rebuild their steep slopes. "The elusive costs of the investment," not he suspects, moreover, the "state aid be consistent".

For the Transverse terracing, there is a one-off cost subsidy; the annual EU funding will be reduced, because not the green slopes, but only the surfaces of the vines to be supported. "Here are the promotion must be adapted and must not be with the watering can and distributed," says Greiner.

Regardless, he holds the state's wineries on course. Every two years a few acres to be ploughed landscape, with embankments, wild flowers and new wine provided sticks. "So they are economically and environmentally viable for the future", says the managing Director of the 255 hectares, the biggest Vineyard in Germany.