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Bordered by Rheinhessen on the north and France on the south and west, the Pfalz's
vineyards sweep across this remarkably pretty, peaceful land for nearly 80 uninterrupted
kilometers (50 miles). It is Germany's second largest wine region in acreage, but often has
the largest crop of all. The word Pfalz is a derivation of the Latin word palatium, meaning
palace. The English equivalent, Palatinate, is sometimes used to refer to the Pfalz. Modern
technology and viticultural training have made their mark here in the past four decades. Yet
for the visitor driving through the sea of vines along the German Wine Road, the scene is
still pastoral with the tree-covered Haardt mountain range, castle ruins, fruit trees, and
old walled villages of half-timbered houses. The Pfalz is second only to the Mosel in acreage
planted with the noble Riesling grape. Here, it yields wines of substance and finesse with a
less austere acidity than their Mosel counterparts. Pleasant, mild white wines rich in
bouquet and full of body are produced from Müller-Thurgau, Kerner, Silvaner and Scheurebe
grapes, while smooth, fruity red wine is made from the Portugieser grape. In response to the
growing demand for red wine, there are many new plantings of Dornfelder, which produces a
deep-colored wine that can be quite complex, depending on the winemaking techniques
employed.
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