Kloster Eberbach, monastery in the rheingau region of Germany with a tradition of viticulture; now seen as the cultural wine centre of the Rheingau. Kloster Eberbach was founded in 1135 by Bernard of Clairvaux. Throughout the Middle Ages, Cistercian monks produced wine at the monastery, and made its name as one of the most important wine estates of its time. Through viticultural enterprise, the monastery became extremely powerful, owning a fleet of ships which sailed the Rhine. Kloster Eberbach nowadays lends its name to the vast Hessian State Domaine or Hessische Staatsweingüter, whose incomparable Cabinetkeller boasts abundant stocks of wines from the 19th century. Close to the adjacent monopole Steinberg vineyard is a 21st century, lavishly appointed production facility.
