The south-facing vineyard is steep, with a 45° gradient and climbs from 114 metres above sea level to 181 metres. The forest on the top of the Taunus protects the vineyard from cold winds from the north, towards the south the Rhine lays like a lake in front of the estate. The 50° parallel runs directly through the vineyard, and the unique soil formation of Taunus quartz, topped with loam and rich loess, is perfect for mineral-driven Rieslings, retaining both moisture and heat.

The legendary Schloss Johannisberg is steeped in history. The vineyards were planted on the orders of the Roman Emperor Charlemagne. Planted solely with Riesling grapes in 1720, Schloss Johannisberg was the world's first Riesling Estate and plays a significant part in wine history. It was here in 1775 that the Spätlese quality was discovered using late-picked grapes suffering from "noble rot". Following this discovery, in 1787, the estate gave Auslese, Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese to the wine world. Schloss Johannisberg is a single vineyard designation in its own right and one of a handful of German vineyards that do not have to display a village name on the label.