Wine Festivals in Germany

The Best of Wine Festivals in Germany

Bernkastel-Kues vineyards, Moselle Valley, Germany.
Vineyards in Germany's Mosel Valley.

Marco Bottigelli / Getty Images

There are more than a thousand wine festivals that take place every year in Germany. The country is rich in wine growing regions and the events highlight Germany's different wein offerings.

Peak time for Germany's wine festival season are August and September, but many villages and vineyards celebrate the grape throughout spring and summer.

Check out the best wine festivals in Germany from the largest wine event in the world to local festivals in charming villages along the rivers Rhine, Mosel, Elbe, and Main.

01 of 08

Mandelblütenfest in Gimmeldingen

Amond tree blooming. Rhineland Palatinate, Gimmeldingen, Germany, April 2006
Ronald Wittek/age fotostock/Getty Images

The small town of Gimmeldingen along the German Wine Road is deep in Palatinate wine country. It hosts one of the first wine festival of the year between mid-March and April, when almond blossoms paint the countryside in white and pink.

The Mandelbluetenfest ("Almond Blossom Festival") kicks off Germany’s wine festival season on the steps of the town’s St. Nicholas Chapel. Live music echoes through the cobble-stoned streets and bakeries sell flower-shaped sugar cookies adorned with pink icing. Wine stands offer fruity Reisling and Pinot Noir.

The festival takes place over two weekends and includes the coronation of the almond blossom wine princesses to welcome the spring.

02 of 08

Baumblütenfest in Werder

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Erin Porter

Held in the first weekends of May, Baumblütenfest is the largest fruit wine festival in Germany. It is (usually) a glorious week of spring weather and a chance to enjoy the charming countryside outside of Berlin in Werder (Havel).

Wines come in a variety of fruity flavors where sampling is encouraged. Buy a glass or a liter of your favorite concoction and share it with friends in tiny plastic cups as you wander a grassy island paradise or jump on the many carnival rides

03 of 08

Mainzer Winemarkt in Mainz

Mainzer Weinmarkt

CITYMARKETING  GmbH

Mainz celebrates the wine season with a Weinmarkt ("wine market"), the largest of its kind in Germany. The market takes place in the city’s picturesque parks and rose gardens in late August to September.

With 50 stalls of local producys - and of course lots of wine - visitors can enjoy the last of summer with arts and crafts, stands, live music, and rides. Wash down your local fare with light white wines and rosés.

04 of 08

Stuttgarter Weindorf in Stuttgart

Stuttgart Wine Village

www.stuttgart-tourist.de/en

 

Every August and September, over a million wine aficionados pour into the city of Stuttgart to celebrate the "Stuttgart Wine Village". This is one of the largest and most charming wine festivals in all of Germany.

With 120 traditionally decorated stands, you can try over 250 regional wines, including Trollinger, Riesling, Kerner, and Müller-Thurgau, complementing Swabian delicacies such as spätzle and maultaschen.

Continue to 5 of 8 below.
05 of 08

Rheingauer Weinmarkt in Frankfurt

Rheingau Festival in Frankfurt
Courtesy of Frankfurt Tourism

In Frankfurt, over 600 wines from vintners of the Rheingau region are poured at the Rheingau Wine Festival every September.

Celebrated in the heart of the city, the fair takes place adjacent to the popular Fressgasse, Frankfurt’s pedestrian street which is famous for its restaurants and cafes. Don’t leave without trying a Riesling, the signature wine of the Rheingau region, but there are more than 600 red, white and sparkling wines to choose from.

06 of 08

Weinfest der Mittelmosel in Bernkastel Kues

Germany, Rhine-Palatinate, View of Moselle Valley near Dieblich, vineyards at moselle river
Westend61 / Getty Images

All along the picturesque river Mosel, you’ll find local wine festivals from April to October.

One of the best takes place in September in the village of Bernkastel Kues. Highlights of the wine festival include fireworks displays with the Landshut Castle as a backdrop, the crowning of the local weinkoenigin (Wine Queen), and the traditional parade of vintners through the village.

07 of 08

Deutsches Weinlesefest in Neustadt

Neustadt at the German Wine Road
GNTB/Neustadt a.d. Weinstraße Tourist, Kongress- und Saalbau

For this 100-year old wine festival, visitors descend on the small city of Neustadt every October. It is one of the highlights of the German wine season with the largest wine festival parade finishing with fireworks. There is also an amusement park with wild rides (not recommended for those deep into their wine "sampling").

While commoners mingle among the wine shops, royals are also present for the festivities. There have been over 70 Wine Queens from this event, and 100 other "Royals" from the Rhine-Neckar region join the festival.

08 of 08

Wurstmarkt in Bad Dürkheim

Bad Dürkheim Wurstmarkt tent

  GettyImages / Dennis K. Johnson

Although this wine festival is officially called Wurstmarkt ("sausage market"), it is famous for its celebration of excellent local wines.

Located in Bad Dürkheim in Rhineland Palatinate, Germany's second largest wine growing region, the Wurstmarkt prides itself in being the world's biggest wine festival. This culinary event has been celebrated every September for almost 600 years.