The front Rheingau is a coveted area for those looking for an apartment.
But in Eltville, Walluf and Kiedrich, land, houses and apartments are rare and expensive.
However, a town like Eltville has a hard time designating new land because no one advocates further urban sprawl in the wine region.
The Rheingau should not lose its charms.
But densifying existing quarters is no easy task either.
The one and a half hectare area of the former state winery is well suited for comparatively dense development in its 6000 square meter rear part.
A total of more than 140 new apartments are a stroke of luck for Eltville, even if they may not be ready for occupancy until 2026.
The plans of the architects Christoph Mäckler are impressive.
If their ideas can be realized on the nested area in the way the planners presented it to the local politicians, a small urban quarter with a social character will emerge.
It is regrettable, however, that nothing more than a shell remains of the listed winery building.
The country, which has been searching in vain for an investor for years, is just as responsible for this undesirable development as the buyer, who did not stop the decay of a ruined fire.
The building inspector and the monuments office also watched the gradual decline of the ensemble without doing anything, instead of securing the building in the course of a so-called replacement and charging the owner for the costs.
At least the city no longer insists on building a hotel that shouldn't be in this location.
Anyone visiting the Rheingau is either looking for a pretty hostel with history or one close to the Rhine.
The busy main access road to Eltville would be anything but an attractive location for a small hotel, even if the demand for beds in the Rheingau speaks in favor of investing in more overnight accommodation.
Visually, the deplorable condition of the property will not change anytime soon due to the long planning and approval periods.
But the hope that everything will turn out for the better is probably justified.