October 2000
The Grape Escape
In lush Fanconia, seeing the vines is as important as sipping the wine
Though Bavaria is synonymous with beer, it is also home to some of Germany’s most highly prized wines. They are the dry, full-bodied, earthy wines bottled in a distinctive round flagon called a Bocksbeutel that hail from the wine-growing region known as Franken, or Franconia, a hilly, rural area less than three hours northwest of Munich. Most of the vineyards hug the slopes along the W-shaped course of the Main River between the Spessart Hills in the west and the Steiger Forest in the east. The region’s southernmost vines lie in the Tauber River Valley, not far from Rothenburg ob der Tauber.
Würzburg is the wine and cultural center of Franken and an excellent hub from which to make excursions into the countryside, where even small wine villages boast richly appointed churches and stately town halls within their medieval walls. Throughout the region, and particularly in Würzburg, you’ll encounter great works of art by sculptor Tilman Riemenschneider (1460–1531), and architect Balthasar Neumann (1687–1753). Riemenschneider’s intricately carved altars and expressive statues reflect an extraordinary artistic sensitivity (the Mainfränkisches Museum in Würzburg has a notable collection), while Neumann’s masterpiece is the magnificent prince bishop’s palace in Würzburg known as the Residence, a UNESCO world heritage monument. The city’s musical highlights include the Baroque Festival in May and the Mozart Festival in June. Less formal, but equally enjoyable, are the frequent live performances (jazz, oldies, swing) from May through mid-September on the shady terrace of Schloss Hallburg, a castle which grandly stands on a hill above the great loop of the Main known as the Mainschleife, half an hour’s drive east of Würzburg. Franken is also a mecca for hikers and cyclists. Miles of traffic-free paths along the river and through vineyards offer spectacular views. Rental bikes here are in abundance, and, for those traveling greater distances, there are even “luggage forwarding” services.
Above all, the region is famous for its excellent wine, served with seasonal and regional specialties in country inns and gourmet restaurants, and celebrated at dozens of festivals from April through mid-November. Würzburg hosts two large wine festivals, the Weindorf in May and the Winzerfest Talavera in late September. One of the most enjoyable smaller festivals takes place in mid-July in Castell (Steiger Forest) on the beautifully landscaped grounds of Schloss Castell, a renowned wine estate dating from the 13th century.
Franken was settled by a Germanic tribe, the Franks, in the 6th century. Christianity came with the Irish missionaries in the 7th century. St. Kilian, the most famous of these, became the patron saint of the region’s winegrowers. By the 8th century, monasteries were spreading viticulture throughout the land. The trend reached its peak in the Middle Ages, when Franken became Germany’s largest wine-growing area, with some 40,000 hectares (98,800 acres) under vine. Over the centuries, the vineyards declined dramatically as a result of wars, competition from “new beverages” (coffee, tea and imported wines), as well as numerous diseases and pests. Today, there are about 6,000 hectares (15,000 acres) of vines in Franken, accounting for 6 percent of Germany’s total vineyard area.
Because very cold winters, (and hot summers) characterize Franken’s climate, vines are subject to more frost damage here than in the milder Mosel and Rhine growing areas. Long, warm autumns here are rare. As a result, the late-ripening Riesling grape is grown only in the heartiest, warmest sites. Riesling wines have a fine fruitiness, piquant acidity and full, long-lasting flavor. Silvaner is the region’s classic, traditional grape. The fruit yields fairly neutral, full-bodied, harmonious wines that go well with many kinds of food, particularly the springtime favorite, local asparagus, and all kinds of fresh fish from the Main, such as carp, pike, pike-perch, and trout.
Müller-Thurgau, also known as Rivaner, and Bacchus are the other main white varieties. Mild in acidity and often flowery in bouquet, they are great quaffing wines on their own or as an accompaniment to regional specialties, such as Blaue Zipferl, sausage cooked and served in a tangy Sud, a sweet-and sour marinade, or Gerupfte, a spiced, whipped cheese. Rare, but worth the search, are the richly fragrant and slightly spicy Rieslaner wines, a true Franconian specialty. Less common, too, are red wines from the region — only one in ten bottles produced here is a red. Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir), the most important classic red variety, is prized for its elegant, velvety wines with a bouquet reminiscent of bitter almonds or blackberries. A novelty — seldom found outside of Franken — is the crisp, red wine made from the Domina grape. This is excellent with the game and mushrooms from local forests. Trocken (dry) and halbtrocken (off-dry) wines are the norm in Franken, accounting for some 90 percent of production. The other 10 percent comprise sweeter, fruitier wines, such as Spätlese and Auslese, Beerenauslese (BA) and Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA) — specialties made from very ripe or overripe grapes.
The exceptionally sweet Eiswein is made from very ripe autum grapes, which are quickly harvested during the season’s first freeze and pressed while frozen. Only in years of warm, sunny weather do the grapes ripen sufficiently to produce these rarities.
The tasting room or Vinothek (shop) of a Weingut (wine estate) or a Winzergenossenschaft (winegrowers’ cooperative) affords an excellent opportunity to sample a number of wines and ask questions of experts before purchasing. The region’s largest cooperative (Gebietswinzergenossenschaft), in Kitzingen/Repperndorf, offers an enormous selection of wines at good value. Most estates and cooperatives are open weekdays, from 8:00 to noon and 14:00 to 18:00, and Saturday mornings. Numerous wine estates and cooperatives operate wine pubs or restaurants on their premises — a fine way to sample a grower’s wine with a meal. Wine festivals are another informal way of becoming acquainted with winegrowers and their wares. If you are interested in visiting a specific wine estate, it is best to arrange an appointment in advance.
In Würzburg, visit the wine pub or wine shop of at least one of the city’s three, world-renowned wine estates: the Staatlicher Hofkeller at the Residence (here cellar visits are by appointment only), the Bürgerspital and the Juliusspital, which trace their beginnings from 1128, 1319 and 1576, respectively. All have handsome vaulted cellars with ornately carved wooden casks. Public tours of the Bürgerspital run April through October, Fridays at 15:00 and at the Juliusspital April to October, Saturdays at 14:00. The historical wine restaurants Weinhaus Zum Stachel and Gasthof Zur Stadt Mainz are also outstanding. The Haus des Frankenweins, at the Alter Kran (old crane) on the riverbank of the Main, is a showcase for the wine and food of the entire region. The facility boasts a restaurant as well as a tasting room and wine shop that sells other Wein-related products, including wine jelly, brandy, Trester (German grappa), Traubenkernöl (grapeseed oil) and the unique Bocksbeutel-Nudeln, flagon-shaped pasta flavored with Silvaner wine. Some 100 wines are available for sampling and purchase; the selection changes twice a year.
Travel to Franconia by car is convenient, but to truly savor the landscape, make time for a Main River cruise between Würzburg and Veitshöchheim, or on the Mainschleife, the river loop near Volkach. Hike or cycle on the paths along the river or through the vineyards, such as Würzburg’s Stein-Wein-Pfad, a 4-km path through the famous Stein vineyard site, lined with ancient and modern sculptures. Other cycling possibilities include a ride through the Tauber Valley on a 100-km bike path along the river — from the Tauber confluence with the Main at Wertheim to Rothenburg ob der Tauber — or along the Main-Tauber-Fränkischer Rad-Achter, the “ double-wheel” circular path through the Tauber Valley.
The best time to visit wine country is from Easter through early November. By May the vineyards are bathed in magnificent shades of green, when the first leaves have sprouted. In autumn, the leaves take on shimmering golden tones that signalize harvest time and the air is filled with the fragrance of Federweisser or Bremser (grape juice fermenting into wine) and Zwiebelkuchen (onion quiche) — delicious treats limited to this time of the year. No matter when you opt to visit Franconian wine country, you’ll find a warm welcome and delights for all the senses.
Ten readers will win a copy of Kerry Stewart’s book A Traveller’s Wine Guide to Germany courtesy of The International Wine & Food Society.
To enter, please send an email to:
info@munichfound.com, with the header “Wine Guide” and your contact information. Or to purchase a copy, contact the IWFS at iwandfs@aol.com.
