Rhine Winery's & where to stay

I would bypass the Rhine and hit the Mosel instead. Same general area, but much more quaint and real. Just head up the road from Koblenz to Trier along the Mosel river, you will see many wineries to stop at, lots of small towns, Cochem might be good to stop at, or Zell, or anyplace that looks good.

David,

We spent a couple nights in Bacharach (along the Rhine) and 3 nights in Cochem (along the Mosel) this past summer. Tasted a bit of wine in each place. Our preference of towns was Cochem and had a great time (and wine!) at the Weingut Rademacher there (in Rick's book). Really enjoyed our time along the Mosel in Cochem and would love to go back. We took a day trip down to Trier (about an hour by train) and enjoyed that visit too. The Mosel did seem a bit more relaxed and less crowded, which was nice.

I assume you are really talking about Rottenburg (am Neckar), in Baden-Württemberg, and not Rothenburg ob der Tauber, in Bavaria.

I think the best Rhein wine area would be in the Mittelrhein gorge, between, say, Bingen, and Koblenz. However, the absolute best wine area is probably the Mosel, in Bernkastel-Kues, or Zell.

The major thing you have to realize is that, unlike California, the wineries in this area do not blend wines to get a consistent flavor. So, a dry wine from this year might not be anything like a dry wine from last year. If you are buying a case to bring back, tasting a particular wine might be important, but if you just want to enjoy the wines of the area, go to any restaurant and sample the wine list.

Sounds like Beilstein is right for you. In the Mosel Valley area.It is a fairy tale before your eyes.