To the west of the small community of Hattenheim, steeped in history and characterized by half-timbered houses, and directly above the Pfaffenberg, lies the Hattenheimer Schützenhaus VDP.ERSTE LAGE. Bordered by the country road towards Kloster Eberbach in the east and the country road to Hallgarten in the west, the vineyard slopes slightly uphill towards the sun.
The slight westward slope of the elongated site protects the vines from strong easterly winds. The south-southwest exposed site covers almost 60 hectares and is thus considered one of the largest appellations of the Rheingau. It is named after a hut, which offered the so-called "Traubenschütz" (grape protector) shelter from bad weather in autumn. The grape protector's job was to protect the grapes from huge flocks of birds, especially starlings, in the fall with the help of a pistol before they could devour the sweet berries. The wines of this vineyard are characterized by a fine acidity with delicate aromas and a lot of extract. This is not least due to the deep floodplain soils, which are partly characterized by loess loam, clay, and weathered slate. The particularly high water retention capacity of these soils provides our vines with optimal water and nutrients even in dry years.
