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Rheinhessen refers to the part of the former Grand Duchy of Hesse-Darmstadt located west of the Rhine river and now part of Rhineland-Palatinate. It is a hilly countryside largely devoted to vineyards. Its larger towns include: Mainz, Worms, Bingen, Alzey, Nieder-Olm and Ingelheim. Many inhabitants commute to work in Mainz, Wiesbaden, or Frankfurt.
Rheinhessen is known for its wines, and is one of the 13 regulated production areas in Germany, along with the Rheingau, Franken, and the Saale-Unstrut areas, for example. Rheinhessen wines are produced primarily from white varieties such as Silvaner, Riesling, Kerner or Scheurebe. (Georg Scheu was the director of the state wine institute in Alzey.) Particularly near Ingelheim, a few red varieties are also grown, including Portugieser, Dornfelder, and the newly developed Regent. The best-known white wine area is the so-called Rhine Terrace near Oppenheim and Nierstein.
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