48th Rheingau Wine Week: Balance sheet
Wedding celebrations, corporate events and music vibes - Rheingau Wine Week once again a success story.
"In the spirit of genuine hospitality, the Rheingau winegrowers and food stall operators once again presented the city center as an attractive meeting place for everyone. Both Wiesbaden's trade and gastronomy benefited from the visitors and the numerous guests from beyond the region," summarized Wiesbaden's mayor Christiane Hinninger at the end of the 48th Rheingau Wine Week: "In this way, we also strengthened Wiesbaden as an attractive tourist destination, very much in the spirit of the Wiesbaden Rheingau tourist destination.
And the 96 wineries were also extremely satisfied: "Once again, Wiesbaden presented itself as cosmopolitan. Guests from near and far once again had the opportunity to taste our excellent wines and sparkling wines. Wiesbaden and the Rheingau simply belong together, like Spundekäs and pretzels. All participating winegrowers appreciate being able to present themselves strongly together," says Dominik Russler, Managing Director of Rheingauer Weinbauverband e. V. and Rheingauer Weinwerbung GmbH. The Wine Week in Wiesbaden is an important date in the calendar for Rheingau winegrowers every year: during the 10 days, they not only present their current vintage, but also get to talk to potential or loyal customers, wine lovers and those who want to become one.
From August 8 to 17, 2025, guests flocked to the Dern'sche grounds, Schlossplatz and the squares around the Marktkirche: "The large number of guests this year is also very pleasing. The weekends are naturally busier, but the stand operators were also very satisfied with sales during the week," said Simon Rottloff, authorized signatory at Wiesbaden Congress & Marketing GmbH and responsible for the outdoor events. Mayor and Head of Economic Affairs Hinninger adds: "Many private celebrations, including wedding parties, are increasingly being moved to the festival grounds. Last but not least, the numerous corporate events during the week contribute to its success. They also underline the solidarity of the local economy with the Wine Week."
Music program
There was a new highlight in the music program: "Riesling Vibes" took place for the first time on Monday evening in front of the Marktkirche and was enthusiastically received by the audience. "Everyone who enjoys electronic music spent a relaxed evening at the wine festival. Numerous guests danced enthusiastically around DJ Peter Latino. Our idea of opening up the program for other target groups for the wine week, while still preserving traditions, was a success," says Simon Rottloff, authorized signatory at WICM and responsible for the outdoor events together with Dominik Russler from the winegrowers' association, whose team was responsible for the new program item together with WICM.
Sustainable travel with the wine festival ticket
Visitors are increasingly traveling in an environmentally friendly way, as the ESWE event ticket for the wine week was in high demand again this year. "It turned out that we successfully increased the incentive to buy the "wine festival ticket" again with the uncomplicated exchange for a voucher for tasting a wine at selected winegrowers: we will have handed out an estimated 7,700 vouchers, an increase of around 2,000 on the previous year! We have also responded to the continuing high demand for secure bicycle parking by adding two guarded bicycle lockers for the first time," summarizes Hinninger. The mayor also expressed her special thanks to the waste disposal companies of the state capital of Wiesbaden (ELW), who ensured that the event area was always clean.
Mobile water dispenser
Summer returned just in time for the opening, and the Rheingau Wine Week was "blessed" with hot days, especially in the second half. The mobile water dispenser carriers of the ESWE supply found grateful customers. In addition, there was the traditional hustle and bustle in front of the ESWE water stand and many shady places were offered at the wine stands.
Safety at the Rheingau Wine Week
The resume of the emergency services is also positive. There were more call-outs at the weekends and on the hotter days, mainly due to circulatory problems and wasp stings. All in all, there were also no major incidents. There was a peaceful atmosphere, the guests were relaxed and felt well looked after at the Rheingau Wine Week, also thanks to the security forces.
For the first time, an awareness team of two people was out and about from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. on both weekends, easily recognizable by their outfits and always available to provide information about safe nightlife and offer direct support if required. Younger guests in particular approached the teams to find out about preventative services such as "Luisa is here" and the "home phone".
Last but not least, the new security concept, which focuses on new access protection measures, also contributed to the smooth running of the event. The newly acquired barriers, some of which were used in this form for the first time anywhere in Germany, impressed emergency vehicles, traders, market participants and residents alike in their daily use. "The realization was made possible by a political decision," Simon Rottloff notes with satisfaction and continues: "This enabled WICM to implement the procurement of the latest certified access barriers in conjunction with a security concept developed especially for the Rheingau Wine Week. Our aim was and is to ensure that all guests can feel safe at our events and that we can hold major events as usual."