The Kaisergarten Wine Hotel celebrates wine in a whole new way—and Rheinhessen hospitality

Alzey. When Petra Brand talks about Rheinhessen, her eyes light up. “It’s the combination of open spaces and rolling hills—open yet cozy,” says the winemaker: “I couldn’t live anywhere where I’m surrounded by mountains.” The hallmarks of Rheinhessen—this ancient wine-growing region in the heart of Europe, which is celebrating its 200th anniversary as a region this year—are its vast, rolling hills, occasionally punctuated by a village or a small church, and covered with grapevines.

The houses here always seem a little unwelcoming; the doors open only hesitantly to strangers. “No wonder, in a region that was a transit zone for so long,” says Brand. The Romans, the French, the Prussians—they all marched through Rheinhessen. They left behind an unusually high degree of cosmopolitanism and openness among the people, great hospitality, and plenty of savoir-vivre. “We live a lot of liberté and égalité here,” says Brand.

And they live and breathe wine: In 2014, Brand and her husband Andreas Biegler opened a new hotel in Alzey, the unofficial capital of Rheinhessen. The Weinhotel Kaisergarten has 47 rooms, and you’re enveloped by wine the moment you step into the lobby: bottle green, warm wood tones, and a gray “terroir” floor. A large table resembles a wooden barrel. On the walls: stones from the vineyards, rocks, and an oyster.

Oysters? Indeed: 360 million years ago, a primeval sea flowed here; today, grapevines grow on the former cliffs, on ancient limestone soil. "You can talk a lot about wine," says Brand, "but when you collect shells with your guests in the vineyard, it's something else entirely. Suddenly, you can taste the terroir."

Vineyard hikes, cellar visits, and, of course, wine tastings—at the Weinhotel Kaisergarten, guests can immerse themselves in the world of wine. The rooms are decorated in wine colors, and the room numbers are written on wine bottles. At the bar, you can sample wines from Biegler & Brand, and an open door leads to the wine shop. "You can buy wine here 24 hours a day," says hotel manager Philipp Hengge, "a case of wine at one o'clock in the morning – no problem."

This is unique in Germany, where stores in rural areas usually close at 6:30 p.m. Rheinhessen is the largest wine-growing region in Germany, yet most of its wine is still sold through discount stores. “It should be considered good form to drink wine from the region,” Brand sighs. “At every wine tasting, we have to explain where Rheinhessen is and what it’s all about,” says Biegler.

His family have been winegrowers in Dorn-Dürkheim since the 17th century. Pinot Noir, Portugieser, Merlot – each wine has its own soil, ranging from limestone to the famous Rotliegend. "We want wines with bouquet and drinkability," says Brand, which is why there is a Scheurebe as well as a noble sweet Huxelrebe.

In 2008, Brand and Biegler merged their lives and their wineries into a 46-hectare business. They opened a wine shop; guests loved the wine tours and tastings—and wanted a place to sleep afterward. The six-room guesthouse quickly became too small, so the Kaisergarten presented itself as the perfect solution. Now, the 4-star hotel is “the stage for our wine,” says Brand. A place to experience the Rheinhessen wine region—for this, the Weinhotel Kaisergarten received the Great Wine Capitals Best of Wine Tourism Award in the Accommodations category in 2016.