Wine Festival in the Kirchenstück Vineyard

The Mainz district of Hechtsheim is located in the south of the city and is one of the most agriculturally active Mainz districts. Nestled in northern Rheinhessen, the district has several enclosed vineyard sites, the foremost of which is the Kirchenstück site. Classic Rheinhessen grape varieties grow here—Riesling, Pinot Noir, Silvaner—on calcareous loess soils with excellent sun exposure.

The Wine Festival in the Kirchenstück is a format by the Mainz Vintners, an association of the city's wine-growing family businesses. It is one of the summer wine festivals of the Mainz vintners and stands out from many classic district wine festivals due to its location. While other wine festivals take place in village squares or on the Rhine, this festival is directly in the vineyard: tables, benches, and tasting stands are set up between the rows of vines, fairy lights stretch from stake to stake, and during breaks, guests look out over the open rows of future harvests.

This atmosphere, colloquially known simply as the special atmosphere, is the program: here, wine is tasted not in the city, but at its place of origin—with the sounds of birds, the crunch of the earth, the scent of late summer leaves. The wine selection is complemented by classic Rheinhessen specialties such as Spundekäs, Flammkuchen, grilled Bratwurst, and stuffed vine leaves.

The Wine Festival in the Kirchenstück bears the quality seal Rheinhessen AUSGEZEICHNET, which the Mainz vintners and the regional winegrowers' association award as a tourist distinction for authentic, high-quality wine events. It is a festival that is not aimed at a mass audience, but at the interested wine lover—and perfectly suits the character of Hechtsheim: down-to-earth, wine-influenced, with a distinct sense of individuality.