During the more than 100 years of Roman occupation wine-growing in Germany spread from the area of Lake Constance, which the Romans reached in the first century. In the late Middle Ages the German vine cultivation reached from upper Bavaria to East Prussia, which corresponds to a fivefold expansion compared to today's cultivation area. Such a voluntary limitation means class instead of mass.

Transition from the Cretaceous to the tertiary period. In these rock stratums the first vine seeds were found.

60 million years BC

Tertiary period, numerous fossilized rests of vine plants from this period of time were found. Even at that time different types of vine must have existed.

1 million years BC

The Ice Age drove the vine out of our area into the Mediterranean region. Then it immigrated again to Central Europe. Last specimen of these wild vines can still be found in the meadow forests of the upper Rhine.

10.000 years BC

Stone Age people regularly consume grapes. A big amount of grape seeds was found in the rubbish dumps of the caves and settlements.

7000 years BC

For the first time a pressed juice from grapes is produced in the Nile valley and preserved through fermentation. The old Egyptians consumed a lot of beer, but also wine, as can be seen on numerous reproductions. Old illustrations show slaves who carry their drunken master home.

3000 years BC

Wine cultivation and wine consumption can be proved in the South Babylonian Uruk and in China. Also in Greece the wine culture starts. Wine was kept in leather skins and clay amphoras that were sealed with pitch.

2000 years BC

Under buildings on stilts in upper Italy vine seeds from this time were found. Practically all people in whose regions was a suitable climate know the wine cultivation.

1000 years BC

The invention of vine cutting took probably place in this period of time. According to the legend a donkey stripped a few vines of his master bare. He was at first angry and afraid of the survival

of his vines. But in the next year stronger shoots than ever grew on the vines and the grapes ripened bigger and sweeter. So the smart man recognized that the shortening of the shoots helped the vine to get new strength. From that time he cut his vines.

500 years BC

The Greek brought the wine-growing to the Gallic, in the area of Massilia. Later the wine-growing later spread from there up to the Rhine valley.

Around Christ's birth

Now also the Romans carry on wine-growing in a big way. In the occupied Gallia the cultivation of wine is prohibited in order to create better markets for the Roman wine. In the occupied areas this wine is called "Lorke": A bad mixture of wine, salt water, pine needles, vinegar, and other "good" ingredients.

Around 280

Probus, at that time Roman emperor, allows the Teutons to grow their own wine again and makes himself very popular with the people. He was an extraordinary sponsor of wine-growing. Under his reign the hills along the Rhine river and its tributaries became green with fresh vine leaves. Probus himself had even more ambitious plans. After the peace agreement and the securing of the empire he wanted his soldiers to become agricultural workers. When the soldiers heard this, they killed him without further ado because they considered the normal war business as the easier work. Probus was so to speak the first one who wanted to make "swords to plowshares".

Around 500

The Teutons not only adopted the wine from the Romans, but also the drinking habits. The Presbyterian Salvian from Trier reports: "The people from Trier lay self-indulgently with the wine, intoxicated like the inordinately ambitious, totally besides themselves, raging in Bacchus. And finally their desire for wine increased so much that not even the most distinguished men stopped drinking when the enemies penetrated the town."

Around 800

Charlemagne was an important sponsor of wine-growing; he planted model cultivations, searched for new types of vines and ordered extensive new cultivations of vineyards. He also tried - with setting a good example by himself - to dampen the Teutonic desire to drink.

According to reports from Einhardt, a close friend, he therefore drank "... rarely more than three goblets at the table." The wine-growing extended to England. Especially cloisters maintained wine-growing and cellar cultivation. Wine is now also cultivated in Heilbronn on the Neckar river.

Around 1000

Wine-growing reaches Saxony. Wine-growing in the cathedral chapters of Meissen, Magdeburg and Merseburg is verified by documents. The climatical conditions at that time were probably better than today, otherwise the grapes could not have developed to ripeness..

Around 1200

A more civilized wine culture develops. Too much drinking was considered as improper. It is the golden age of Romanesque and Gothic domes, knight's castles, minnesongs and mysticism. In this time wine plays also a central role, as can be heard in the opening verses of the "Carmina Burana": "The spirit's light only flares up with a full goblet, highly welcomed guest of Bacchus, close and blessed, my desire and my will is to die in the bar."

Around 1400

For the first time the sovereigns impose wine customs and taxes. This set off a bad bitterness among the wine-growers who had to work hard anyway.

Around `1600

During this time wine-growing reaches its biggest area extension in Germany. Even on the Swabian mountains the juice of the vine is thriving. Wine is the most popular drink. Ample vintages did the rest to set off a real 'merry of wine' time in Germany. But then followed the Thirty Years' War and destroyed almost everywhere the vineyards and wine-cellars. Complete wine places were wiped out. The vine area in Germany amounts today to only 1/3 of the cultivation area in those days.

Around 1800

Wine-growing slowly recovered and with new energy especially the cultivation of quality wine was supported.
Around 1780 the late vintage was discovered in the castle Johannisberg in the Rhinegau. On the basis of the records it goes back to a horseman who wanted to get the vintage permission from the bishop in Fulda, which was necessary to reap the grapes. The horseman was late for 10 days. In the meantime all grapes were infested with rot and considered as unpalatable. In order to press at least a miserable house draught, the grapes were gathered after all and a barrel of wine was pressed. How astonished might the vintners have been when they tried the young wine for the first time? They found a princely draught and recognized the connection between rot and wine quality.

This rot (a fungus called botrytis or grey mould), that is desired under certain conditions, is described as "noble rot". In good years it is possible to create top quality wines such as wines or dry wines made from specially selected grapes.

Around 1850

The first co-operatives or wine-growers' organizations are formed. They plan to commonly press the grapes of each individual wine-grower and to market the wine. This was a considerable economic improvement, especially for the smaller wine-growers.

Around 1900

For the first time it was tried to improve wine-growing with scientific methods. A type of vine that was cultivated by professor Hermann Müller from the canton Thurgau in Switzerland is baptized to his name (Müller-Thurgau). After World War II it begins a real triumphal procession through the German wine-growing areas.

Around 1900 several vine diseases were brought in from America:

• False mildew (peronospora)
  This fungal disease caused the worst damage under the local vines, defoliated complete vineyards and infested also young grapes.
• Mildew (oidium)
  This disease infested almost all parts of the vine and the wine got a disagreeable taste. The vines looked like they were dusted with fine flour - therefore the name mildew.
• The vine pest (phylloxera)
  This pest lives at times underground and sucks on the vine roots. This leads at first to a weak growth and then the vines die out. American vines are immune to vine pest infestations. Since that time all vines in Europe are therefore grafted on roots of American vines.

Around 1920

Fighting the vine diseases is successful, the vine area starts to increase again.
In the meantime wine-growing had also to serve the war economy: With a certain treatment the yeast can be lead to produce glycerine instead of alcohol from the sugar - the basis for the explosive nitroglycerine.

Around 1945

The chaos of war once more brought heavy damages to the wine-growing, but diligence and the will to reconstruct made the hills green again and soon new vintages were brought to the winepresses.

Around 1960

New developments and modern wine-growing arise from rubble. Systematic research to improve the vines and the wine-growing is undertaken. Progressive technology moves into vineyard and cellar.

Around 1970

Now the tractors gain acceptance. The vines are laid in wire constructions which saves a lot of working hours. A new German Wine Law comes into force which serves above all 

the quality improvement. For the first time the wine descriptions are clearly regulated.

Around 1980

The early 80's are a time of abundance. Bountiful harvests made it at times necessary to put up dismantable swimming pools in the winepress halls in order to be able to store the wine. In the course of an increasing environmental thinking the vineyards are for the first time sowed in with grass (until then they were again and again hoed for weed control) in order to prevent an erosion of the soil through rainwater.

Around 1990

In the field of plant protection the views have to be changed too. Ecologically harmless methods like putting up pheromone traps against the harmful grape wrapper are successfully tried out as alternative methods to the use of toxines and they contribute to a continuous quality improvement.

Today and tomorrow

Scientific examinations verify what the physicians of ancient Greece already knew: A moderate consumption of wine supports the health, especially with cardiac-circulatory diseases - and also the quality of life and well-being. This cannot be highly enough rated in our stress-marked time.

"Cheers! To your health!"