Germany's most beautiful wine festivals

The "red wine town" Ingelheim is the only wine region in Rheinhessen that cultivates predominantly red grapes. For nine days, from September 25 to October 3, Ingelheim's vintners present their new and best vintages, accompanied by regional specialties. One highlight of the festival is the crowning of the red wine queen. Rheinhessen is Germany's largest wine-growing region.

Vineyards here stretch from the Rhine to the Moselle river. Instead of a big wine festival, the town of Kröv is organizing a wine picnic in the Moselle meadows. There will be regular live acts until mid-September, and admission is free. Guests need to bring picnic blankets or deck chairs — and food, of course. The wine is supplied by Kröv's young winemakers.

Landau celebrates the new wine from October 15 to 17 with booths offering Federweisser from Landau's wineries. Federweisser, which literally means "feather white," is a very young wine, a little like an alcoholic grape juice. Local specialties such as onion tart, dumplings and much more will also be on offer. And visitors can get to know the top products of Landau's vintners in the wine pavilion.

After several wine festivals in Franconia were canceled this summer due to the coronavirus pandemic, four wineries want to open their cellars for wine lovers on November 21. The Bürgerspital winery, the Juliusspital, the Staatlicher Hofkeller, and the Weingut am Stein are among them. Shuttle buses have also been arranged especially for the event.

Red wine is grown around Heilbronn, the largest red wine region in Germany. The popular Heilbronn Wine Village festival is canceled in 2021 due to the pandemic, but as part of the "Weindorf Auslese" (Wine Village Selection), various wine events will take place from September 9 to 19 at wineries, in both vineyards and the city center. These include wagon rides, wine tastings and farm festivals.

People in Hesse have also been creative. Since the Bergsträsse Winzerfest cannot take place as usual this fall, Bensheim Tourist Office has come up with an alternative concept together with the local winegrowers. A pop-up gastronomy stall on the market square as well as wine tastings with pre-registration in the area are planned. The wine festival is scheduled to take place from September 4 to 12.

The largest regional wine festival in central Germany (photo) usually takes place on the second weekend in September. But this year the festival was canceled due to the COVID situation. The Erfurt Weingarten offers some consolation: It will take place from September 9-12. In the romantic old town, vintners from different German regions will then invite you to sample their wines.

There is no alternative for the popular wine festival in Meersburg. As a result of the pandemic, it cannot take place as usual at the beginning of September. Since 1975, the traditional wine festival has been held annually at Meersburg's Schlossplatz. Visitors are offered wines from the entire Lake Constance region. The organizers now hope for the tradition to be continued in 2022.

Normally the people of Bingen celebrate the longest wine festival on the river Rhine from the beginning to mid-September. This event usually includes fireworks, live music and the traditional wine festival procession through the town center on the second Sunday for a giant party. Because of COVID, it won't be held again until 2022, but let's hope by then we'll all have reason to celebrate again!