Heidelberg – a special place in Germany’s wine south

The history of the city of Heidelberg is closely linked to viticulture.

Nestled in the chain of hills of the Bergstrasse and protected from cold easterly winds by the Odenwald, Heidelberg benefits from a mild climate and offers vines on sun-drenched slopes everything they need to thrive and produce high-quality wines.

How long this connection has existed can only be guessed at. What is certain is that wine was already being cultivated in what is now the Heidelberg district of Rohrbach in 766. The donation of a vineyard was recorded in the Lorsch Codex in that year. And to this day, viticulture is particularly present here in the south of the city. For some years now, this has also been reflected in the Rohrbach Wine and Culture Experience Trail. On a circular route of about 8 km, almost 30 panels in the vineyards present interesting facts about wine, grape varieties, geology, climate, history and life culture as well as flora and fauna of the region. Several family-run wineries cultivate the surrounding vineyards and present their products at the Rohrbach Wine Festival.

Wine city to enjoy

(djd/HMG). It lies in the midst of a magnificent landscape directly on the Neckar, is the oldest wine town in Württemberg and, with a vineyard area of 500 hectares, one of the largest German wine-growing communities: Heilbronn is the perfect place for gourmets. During the Heilbronn Wine Summer between June and October, the Käthchenstadt offers a particularly wide range of wine-related activities.

Chill-out for wine lovers

Guests can experience an atmospheric open-air flair at the wine pavilion on the Neckar stage, for example. There, with a view of the Neckar, they can taste the fine wines of the Wein-Villa partners and small dishes à la Swabian tapas. The summer can also be enjoyed in the wine garden of the Heilbronn cooperative winery – with delicious food and drinks and a magnificent view of the vineyards. In the lively city centre, wine is present in many ways in innovative and stylish wine bars. More than 100 wines to tap yourself at the SITT wine bar in the Deutschhof, at the wine address in the Bahnhofsvorstadt, near the market square at the Bottle Shop and LUDWIG, in the historic meat house at the Pfeffers or in the butcher’s shop at the Geiger brothers.

Feel-good spot: the Wengerthäusle on the Wartberg

For those who want to taste wine where it grows, a guided wine hike with tasting among the sunlit vines is recommended – or a walk along the Wine Panorama Trail. The six-kilometre-long educational trail leads through the vineyards up to the Wartberg, where a wonderful view of the city awaits. 24 information boards along the route illuminate viticulture in all its facets. The Martin-Heinrich-Wengerthäusle on the Wartberg invites you to make an enjoyable stop.

Farm festivals and special wine tastings

During the wine summer between June and October, around 30 wineries in the city offer atmospheric courtyard festivals, special wine tastings and other wine events. In the light room of the Fischer winery’s wine lounge on the Stiftsberg, for example, you can learn how colours affect your sense of taste, and the Albrecht-Kiessling winery opens its doors for the open-air event “AfterWork with Viola”. A visit to the traditional Heilbronn Wine Village, a guided tour of the city around wine & culinary delights or a tractor safari in the Wartberg: there are many other ways to experience Württemberg’s grape juice.

Experience wine hotspots in the wine town of Iphofen

If you visit the wine town of Iphofen in Franconian wine country, you can’t miss the wine theme. Here, wine becomes an experience for all the senses, whether during a visit directly to the vintner, on guided tours and hikes through the magnificent vineyards, wine cellars and wineries, at wine festivals or while discovering Iphofen’s wine highlights. These are found in places with a special atmosphere that inspire and impress and provide an interesting insight and outlook into the world of wine.

The TOP 5 wine hotspots in Iphofen

– Historic vineyard in the famous Julius-Echter-Berg vineyard: experience winegrowing history live here! The short steep climb makes the most important epochs in Franconian viticulture from the late Middle Ages to the 1960s accessible and rewards you with a fantastic view. Rare animal and plant species complete the nature experience.

– Terroir f – observation tower in the Julius-Echter-Berg vineyard – the most beautiful wine view in Franconia 2016: Find out under the motto “The distance so far. Wine so close. Wine connects”, learn more about the great world of wine and feel the magic as you look out over Franconian wine country!

– Bocksbeutel PS Art Project at the Iphöfer Stadtsee: Stroll through ten oversized, artistically and colourfully designed Bocksbeutel PS and discover ever new perspectives on the vineyards and the city!

– Vinothek: Encounter Franconian wine culture in all its tasteful sophistication – that’s what the Vinothek offers with its high-quality range of Iphöfer wines in a unique building. Here it is simply fun to embark on a journey of enjoyment through the world of wine in Iphofen in just one building.

– Visit a wine festival: You have the choice: the large winegrowers’ festival on the historic market square on the 2nd weekend in July or cute courtyard festivals directly at wineries – wine from Iphofen’s vineyards is always in the glass.

The historic wine town of Oberkirch plays an important role in the wine-growing region of Baden, the warmest region in Germany. Winegrowing in Oberkirch looks back on a long tradition: around 2000 years ago, the Romans brought the first vine plants to the region. At the beginning of the 17th century, Duke Friedrich of Württemberg had 40,000 vines planted near the Ullenburg in Oberkirch-Tiergarten and the Fürsteneck. The Riesling vine found its home on the Klingelberg in the Oberkirch district of Haslach, which is why Riesling is known in the Ortenau today as “Klingelberger”.

In Oberkirch, viticulture is practised today on a total area of about 550 hectares. Of this, 430 hectares are marketed by the Oberkircher Winzer eG cooperative and the remaining area by private wineries.

Numerous hiking trails lead through the vast vineyard landscape, inviting visitors to stroll and linger. Especially in September and October, there is a lot going on in the vineyards, when the grape harvest, or “Herbsten” as it is called here, begins. If you want to taste the great wines in a convivial atmosphere, you should definitely visit the wine festivals in the Renchtal. The Oberkirch Wine Festival, which is known throughout the region, always takes place on the first weekend in September. If you prefer something more cosy and homey, you can visit the many small farm and wine festivals at the numerous fruit and wine farms in Oberkirch or visit our wine taverns in spring and autumn. There you will find many delicious regional dishes to go with our own wines.

Because in the Renchtal we live by the motto: Taste the Black Forest! Besides the classic wine tasting or a vineyard walk with a certified wine guide, there are other great ways to learn more about Baden wine. Whether it’s an adventurous ride on a Landrover, a vineyard safari or a rolling wine tasting where two horses pull a carriage – enjoy Oberkirch’s wine at the most beautiful vantage points and let yourself be spoilt with a wine tasting and a snack.

Our tip: Oberkirch wine hike “From Hell to Paradise”: taste the excellent wines and enjoy a four-course meal during a foray you make on your own through the vineyards.

Oberkirch has been designated a Wine South Wine Town. This certification offers guests numerous opportunities to immerse themselves in the topic of wine. There are also certified Weinsüden hotels, which stand for regional food and fine wines from the surrounding area.

Vineyards and wine trails

On a total of five different routes, visitors to the wine city of Stuttgart walk through the idyllic nature of the vineyards and enjoy views of the Neckar, down into the basin or of Lake Max-Eyth. Circular or long-distance hiking trail, 3-hour or 45-minute hike: Stuttgart’s wine trails are varied and offer something for everyone!

Enjoyment in wine taverns and “Besenwirtschaften”

If you want to enjoy your wine in traditional Swabian style, Stuttgart’s wine taverns and “Besenwirtschaften” are the place to be. Visitors can expect regional wines, traditional Swabian dishes and a cosy, convivial atmosphere. Watch out: Besen are only open for a few weeks a year, so it is advisable to check the current opening times in advance.

The Stuttgart wine village

Every year from the end of August to the beginning of September, part of Stuttgart city centre is transformed into a real wine paradise! Around 500 different Württemberg wines are served in the wine village, attracting more than a million visitors every year.

Wine history in the wine museum

The history of viticulture in Stuttgart may have begun in Roman times and viticulture was the main source of income for Stuttgart’s inhabitants in the Middle Ages! Sounds exciting? At the Viticulture Museum in Stuttgart-Uhlbach, visitors can experience the history of viticulture with all their senses! The exhibition also includes a wine tasting area and the museum itself has a wine shop with a selection of regional wines.

Wine and pleasure

Wine and pleasure are known to go hand in hand, and this is of course also the case on the Moselle. The typical regional specialties with the matching Moselle wine form the perfect combination. The wine trade in Traben-Trarbach goes back to a rich history of about 2,000 years, to the Romans and then to the Middle Ages. Around 1900, Traben-Trarbach was one of the most important wine trading towns in the world with over 100 wineries and merchants. From here, wine was shipped all over the world, and the work of the Schröter played a major role. This tradition is still kept alive today during the annual Jacob’s Day in Traben-Trarbach. The wealth of the wine merchants also gave the town its architectural face, which is still preserved today, with numerous Art Nouveau villas and extensive cellar complexes, which can still be visited today as part of guided tours and at the Moselle Wine Night Market in Traben-Trarbach.

The steep vineyards, which visually rise directly from the Moselle, fascinate with their sight, as do the terraced vineyards. To be considered a Steillage, a vineyard must have at least a 30% slope. The most famous grape variety in the region is the Riesling, also called the “queen of the white grape”. At home in the region is the “Kröver Nacktarsch”, which now enjoys great worldwide fame and popularity. To experience the region’s excellent Moselle wine up close, there are numerous opportunities such as:. Wine tastings directly on the winegrowers’ farms, in the winery or during a guided tour of the underworld, as well as covered wagon rides through the vineyards, which are especially recommended for socializing. Sparkling wine and schnapps are also often produced in parallel with wine, and you can learn more about this during guided tours of sparkling wine as well as schnapps tastings. In Enkirch, guests can actively participate in helping the winemaker with his work on the farm and receive a Wingertsdiplom at the end of his work.

Around the year, the winegrowers have numerous opportunities to present their wines, for example, on the Open Wine Cellar Day, which takes place in almost every town. In addition, young wine tastings take place, there are various wine walks such as:. The culinary Wingertsbummel or the Schlurpstour. The Fedwerweißerfest in autumn is a special highlight and forms in many places the conclusion of the wine festivals, together with the delicious onion tart in any case a culinary pleasure moment. The cuisine typical of the Moselle is just as varied as the gastronomic establishments in the Moselle region of Traben-Trarbach. Depending on your tastes, you can find everything from rustic wine taverns with home-style cooking to top gastronomic establishments with Michelin-starred cuisine. The typical Moselle winegrower’s dish “Gräwes” consists mainly of mashed potatoes and sauerkraut with onions. Today it is often served with smoked pork loin, pike-perch or liver and blood sausage. Other regional specialties are the “Kröver Nacktarschtorte”, consisting of apples and of course the quality wine Kröver Nacktarsch, as well as “Speckkuchen”, Winzerbrot, “Schoales” or “Debbekoche”, which consists mainly of potatoes and bacon, to name just a few delicacies. For guests who are interested in the recipes in more detail, cooking classes are held regularly, with themed evenings for Moselle cuisine. Regional and seasonal cuisine, which has won several awards, can also be found in the region. Not only good middle-class cuisine but also houses steeped in history can be found, for example, in Traben-Trarbach or in Burg.

The Rheingau is the epitome of relaxed lifestyle, enjoyment and culture. It presents itself with individual diversity: the vineyards of the Rheingau winegrowers nestle against the foothills of the Taunus Mountains with their forests, ranging from gently undulating to breathtakingly steep. Only here does Germany’s largest river flow westwards. Historic, small and dreamy villages like Kiedrich enchant with their own charm – the legendary Drosselgasse in Rüdesheim, the elegant banks of the Rhine in Eltville. You are sure to find your own private favourite spot here. Perhaps at the ‘most beautiful wine view’ in Lorch with a dreamlike view over the Rhine valley? Today, as for centuries, the fillets of this landscape are reserved for Riesling and produce unique wines full of character and richness. In addition, enclaves such as the red wine town of Assmannshausen on the Rhine have established themselves, where Pinot Noir red wines grow that need fear no international comparison. International classics such as Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc or other ‘Rheingau exotics’ also have a place here. It is gratifying to see that the producers are very concerned about environmentally friendly and resource-saving cultivation and vinification – and so more and more ecological methods are being used.

Wiesbaden and the Rheingau are not only perfect neighbours, sometimes they seem almost symbiotic. Like here in the southwest of the city, where Wiesbaden’s Frauenstein district feels like a winegrowing village. Frauenstein is Wiesbaden’s gateway to the Rheingau: everything here is under the sign of wine; in the direction of Schierstein, a European vineyard has even been planted, where various grape varieties from all over Europe grow.

Wine in Frauenstein only faces competition from cherries once a year. When the numerous cherry trees in the district are in pink and white blossom, it is not only the people of Wiesbaden who are attracted to the district.