The VDP.GROSSE LAGE® ROTHENBERG is the most northerly of the top sites on the so-called Roter Hang (Red Slope). The Roter Hang descends eastward toward the Rhine stretching from Nackenheim in the north to Nierstein in the south. Its name comes from the clayey slate soil (Rotliegend) with a bright red colour derived from its iron oxide content. The ROTENBERG GL has a south to east exposition. The morning and midday sun reaches the site through an opening towards the Upper Rhine Plain and influences the microclimate of the ROTHENBERG GL bringing warmth that can remain throughout the day. The nearby Rhine River acts as a reflector, offering additional light to the steep slope. With a slope of up to 75 percent, the ROTHENBERG GL is one of the steepest parts of the Roter Hang. The VDP.GROSSE LAGE® is located in the south part of the single-vineyard Rothenberg and encompasses the upper, steeper parcels with Rotliegend soil (red clayey slate and sandstone). It borders the Pettenthal vineyard to the south.
History: This site was first mentioned as “in dem Rode” in 1364. This could certainly point to the colour of the soil (rot), but it could also be that the slope had just been cleared (gerodet).
