World-famous winery with headquarters in the castle of the same name on the famous Johannisberg in the Rheingau. Charlemagne (742-814) is said to have had a vineyard planted on Johannisberg for the first time. Between 1096 and 1100, Benedictine monks from Mainz built a monastery on the Bischofsberg plateau above the village of Johannisberg and also cultivated vines. This makes the estate one of the oldest wineries in Germany. The "St John the Baptist" basilica was consecrated in 1130 and gave the monastery and the community its name.
In 1716, the Prince-Abbot of Fulda Konstantin von Buttlar (1679-1726) bought the remains from the Elector-Bishop of Mainz Lothar Franz von Schönborn (1655-1729) for 75,392 guilders (€ 1.85 million today), had the building demolished and had a three-winged, baroque palace building erected there as a summer residence. The symmetrical façade of the main building is characterised by clear lines and is dominated by the central clock tower. The castle is surrounded by gardens and vineyards. A huge, 250 metre long cellar was added to the old cellar in 1721.
Planted with Riesling
At the time, the vineyards were usually planted with mixed vines, including the historic Elbling and Orléans varieties. In 1720, the prince abbot had the mixed vines on the southern slope facing the Rhine torn out and planted with Riesling. This contributed to the spread of the variety also known as "Johannisberg Riesling". Johannisberg cuttings were sought after on all continents, and many a vine in Australia, South Africa and the USA originated from here. During the Napoleonic Wars, the Rheingau was occupied by the French and the castle and vineyards were secularised in 1803. Emperor Napoleon (1769-1821) gave the estate to his marshal François-Étienne-Christophe Kellermann (1735-1820), the Duke of Valmy. The latter sold the entire harvest of the famous 1811 vintage to Gottlieb Mumm (1782-1852), thus founding today's G.H. von Mumm winery.
Prominent Johannisberg lovers
The poet Heinrich Heine (1797-1856) wrote enthusiastically about the Johannisberg: "Mon Dieu, if only I had so much faith in me that I could move mountains, the Johannisberg would be just the mountain that I would let follow me everywhere" . Other famous lovers of Johannisberg wine were Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832), who was served a Riesling Johannisberg...
