Schönborn Castle

Schloss Schönborn Winery – 650 years of Rheingau wine culture

The estate winery Schloss Schönborn in Hattenheim in the Rheingau is one of the oldest and most traditional wineries in Germany. The family of the Counts of Schönborn has owned vineyards on the Rhine since 1349, establishing a continuous family tradition spanning over 650 years . Today, the estate is run by Paul Count von Schönborn, the 28th generation of the family.

The history of the winery is characterised by a pioneering spirit. As early as 1720, the Schönborns were among the first to bottle their wines in hand-blown bottles . A bottle of the 1735 Johannisberger from the estate’s treasury cellar is one of the earliest known bottled wines in Germany and once set the benchmark for Germany’s most expensive wine with a selling price of 53,000 German marks.

The winery boasts an outstanding portfolio of vineyard sites. The estate comprises 38 individual vineyard sites in the Rheingau between Hochheim am Main and Lorchhausen. Over 80 per cent of these sites are classified for the production of ‘Erste Gewächse’. Among the best-known plots are the ‘Erbacher Marcobrunn’ and the ‘Hattenheimer Pfaffenberg’, which is a monopoly vineyard wholly owned by the family. Around 95 per cent of the approximately 40 hectares of productive vineyard area are planted with the noble Riesling grape variety, supplemented by small areas of Pinot Noir vines.

As a founding member of the Association of German Prädikat Wine Estates (VDP), registered in 1897, Schloss Schönborn ranks amongst the region’s leading producers of quality wine . Under new management, significant investments have been made since 2015 in infrastructure, cellar technology and the buildings. The Schloss Schönborn estate thus embodies a unique combination of centuries-old family tradition, excellent terroir and a tireless pursuit of the highest quality in the Rheingau.