Balthasar Ress Hattenheimer Schutzenhaus Riesling

West of the village, directly above the Pfaffenberg site, Schützenhaus faces south-southwest and rises in altitude from 100 meters/328 feet above sea level (slightly sloping) to about 150 meters/492 feet. The site is relatively long and slopes toward the west, thereby protecting it (in German, “sch�tzen”) from cold easterly winds. The name probably derives from a vineyard hut (“Haus”) that afforded the vineyard “keepers” who watched over the vineyards prior to the harvest a shelter during inclement weather. The vineyard “guards” used blank cartridge pistols to ward off starlings from munching on the tasty sweet grapes. The soils in the meadows closer to the Rhine consist partly of deep loess and loess-loam, and partly of Tertiary marl mixtures. Because they are deep, they are able to store considerable water reserves – especially valuable in dry years to ensure the vines’ water and nutrient supplies, and crucial to producing wines with high extract values.