The Pfalz stretches across southwestern Germany, in Rhineland-Palatinate, along a hilly strip roughly 85 kilometres long between Bockenheim and Schweigen, on the border with Alsace. The vineyard area, sheltered from cold winds by the wooded Pfälzerwald range, covers about 23,640 hectares spread across 130 wine villages, making it Germany's second-largest wine region by area. It is divided into two districts, Mittelhaardt-Deutsche Weinstraße to the north and Südliche Weinstraße to the south. Soils combine loam, marl, sand and clay around Bad Dürkheim and Neustadt, while loess and clay-loam prevail further south. The climate, among the sunniest and driest in the country, resembles that of neighbouring Alsace in places. Riesling, the most widely planted variety, leads the white grapes, alongside Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Silvaner and Gewürztraminer; Dornfelder and Pinot Noir dominate the red varieties.
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The Pfalz produces a wide range of wines, mostly white, led by dry Rieslings that are powerful and mineral, with aromas of peach, apricot and citrus over a flinty backbone, capable of ageing well. Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc give rounder wines with ripe fruit notes, while Gewürztraminer and Silvaner contribute more aromatic or livelier cuvées. Red wines rely mainly on Dornfelder, soft and deeply coloured, with notes of black cherry and plum, and on Pinot Noir, more structured, showing cherry, raspberry and spice, sometimes aged in oak barrels. Young Rieslings pair with fish, shellfish and lightly spiced dishes; fuller-bodied whites suit poultry and dishes in sauce; the reds go well with white meats, roast poultry and pressed-curd cheeses.
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