The Vinum Weinguide Deutschland 2025 was released recently, presenting Vinum's choice of Germany’s best 1,000 wine producers and reviewing more than 10,500 wines on 1,080 pages.

5 out of 5 stars („world class“) was awarded to 26 estates. In addition, there are 36 estates with 4.5 stars, and 77 estates with 4 stars.

Vinum Nahe

In the Nahe, there are 3 producers with 3 stars and 3 producers with 4.5 stars.

Annette Schiller, ombiasy WineTours, and I have visited all 3 producers with 5 stars and 2 of the 3 producers with 4.5 stars over the past years during a Germany wine tour by ombiasy WineTours, which is owned and run by Annette Schiller and based in Washington DC, USA.

Nahe

(London Wine Competition)

The Nahe wine region is one of Germany’s 13 wine regions, known primarily for its Riesling grape varietals. In fact, Riesling now accounts for 27.2% of all wine produced in the Nahe region, more than twice as much as the next closest wine varietal (Müller-Thurgau, at 13.3%). Other popular wine varietals from Nahe include Dornfelder (11.0%), Silvaner (10.0%), Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, and Pinot Noir. The split between white wines and red wines is approximately 75% to 25%.

The Nahe region is located along the River Nahe, which flows into the Rhine. Officially, Nahe is part of the German federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate. Rich volcanic soils in the region help to account for the superior quality of the region’s wines. The Nahe region is subdivided into three smaller regions: the Upper Nahe, Bad Kreuznach, and Lower Nahe. In addition, the different valleys along the path of the river help to create different microclimates for growing grapes.

While the winemaking tradition of this region dates back to the ancient Roman era and existence of wine villages along the Nahe river have been recorded since the year 778, it was not until 1971 that Nahe was officially recognized as a unique wine region by German wine law.

Nahe might not be as well known as neighboring regions such as Mosel (located just 40 kilometers away), but Rieslings from the region have become increasingly known for their distinctive taste and flavor. Previously, grapes from Nahe were blended along with other German wine grapes and known collectively as “Rhine wine.”

Visiting Nahe Top Producers

Dönnhoff - 5 Stars

Weingut Dönnhoff
26 hectares
80% Riesling

Pictures: Overview: Germany Rhein-Mosel-Nahe 2024 by Ombiasy Public Relations and Wine Tours led by Annette Schiller - Facebook Day-by-day Postings

Pictures: Tasting with Helmut Dönnhoff and Sascha Johannes Schömel at Weingut Dönnhoff (VDP) in Oberhausen, Nahe - Germany-South and Alsace 2022 by ombiasy WineTours

Pictures: Tasting at Weingut Dönnhoff, Oberhausen, Nahe. with Anne Dönnhoff - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Picture: Annette Schiller, Helmut Dönnhoff and daughter Christina Dönnhoff (Weingut Dönnhoff) and Didier Cuevlier (Chateau Leoville Poyferre) at Weingut Dr. Robert Weil

Pictures: Dönnhoff Hermann, Oberhausen (Nahe) - An Afternoon with Riesling Star Winemaker Helmut Doennhoff at Weingut Doennhoff in Oberhausen in the Nahe Valley, Germany

Emrich-Schönleber - 5 Stars

Pictures: Rieslingfeier January 2025 in New York City, USA: Gränd Tasting (with 12 German and 3 Austrian #worldclass Winemakers)

Picture: Christian Schiller and Werner Schönleber, Weingut Emrich-Schönleber at the 2013 Riesling Gala at Kloster Eberbach, Germany

Pictures: At Weingut Emrich-Schönleber. See: Tasting at Weingut Emrich-Schönleber in Monzingen, Nahe, with Owner/ Winemaker Frank Schönleber - Germany-North Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours

Schäfer-Fröhlich - 5 Stars

Picture: Christian Schiller and Tim Fröhlich in Wiesbaden

Pictures: At Weingut Schäfer-Fröhlich in Bockenau. See: Tasting at Weingut Schäfer-Fröhlich in Bockenau, Nahe - Germany-North Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours

Diel - 4.5 Stars

25 hectares

Mainly Riesling

Pictures:Tasting and Bottling at Schlossgut Diel (VDP) in Rümmelsheim, Nahe, with Sylvain and Caroline Diel - Germany Rhein-Mosel-Nahe 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Picture: Christian Schiller with Armin and Caroline Diel at Schlossgut Diel. See: Visiting Armin and Caroline Diel and their Schlossgut Diel in Burg Layen in Germany