Hiking the trails-and tasting the produce-of Franconia's vineyards
“Send me another Würzburg wine, because no other tastes as fine. I am irritated when I have no more of my favorite drink.” Johann Wolfgang von Goethe to his wife, Christine, 1806. In vino veritas (in wine there is truth) goes the Latin saying, but if that is so, then in truth there is little that the modern German wine industry has to be proud of. Since World War II, it has squandered a centuries-old reputation for excellence in pursuit of short-term profit. Wine consumption may have risen steadily in Germany during the postwar “Economic Miracle,” causing the domestic wine production to increase dramatically, yet new vineyards were often planted on marginal land and chemical fertilizers and pesticides were frequently employed, allowing large quantities of inferior grapes to be produced at low costs. As postwar Germans became more affluent, so wine drinkers became more discerning, preferring imported dry wines from France and Italy. By the 1980s, the reputation of German wine was all but ruined at home. Internationally the sickly sweet Liebfrauenmilch was the most popular export. The famed Rhine wine, which once commanded higher prices than even first-grown Bordeaux, had sunk into oblivion. Still, there are exceptions to this malaise and one of them is Franconia (Franken), a wine region centered around the rolling hills of Würzburg in the north of beer-loving Bavaria. Wine has been cultivated here for some 1,200 years and the rich tradition and culture that has developed is a firm and proud part of daily life. The small, mostly family-owned vineyards that lie in the valleys and along the terraced hillsides overlooking the Main River and its tributaries have remained true to their heritage and continue to produce a well-regarded range of dry, earthy and full-bodied white wines. “Franconia was fortunate really,” says Hermann Kolesch, trudging along a small stone path that runs between the vines on a hillside above the medieval market town of Randersacker. “Even if the temptation existed to take the same path as other German wine regions, the climate prevented it. Here we have cold winters, high annual rainfalls and early frosts. Long, warm autumns are rare, so grapes such as [the late ripening] Riesling don’t grow well here.” The region’s reputation largely rests on the Müller-Thurgau (also known as Rivaner) and Silvaner grape varieties, as well as newer crosses, such as Bacchus and Kerner. Although well regarded by experts, Franconian wine is seen little outside Germany. Instead, according to figures provided by the Tourismusverband Fränkisches Weinland, four out of every five bottles of Franconian wine are consumed within a 250 kilometer radius of where it is produced, which goes to show that the wine is something of a well-kept regional secret. “Well, not so much a secret as wine waiting to be discovered,” counters Kolesch, who as a wine consultant to the Agricultural Department in Kitzingen is hoping to revitalize interest in Franconian wine. He explains that Franconia has also suffered as a result of the downturn in the popularity of German wine, losing tourism ground to wine areas in France, Italy and Austria. Six years ago, Würzburg launched an ambitious, long-term project to reclaim its share of the tourist market and promote the reputation of the region’s wines. A central part of the project was to maintain a network of “wine trails” in the region. Although some routes have existed for centuries as public paths, the trails have now been repackaged to enable visitors to become better acquainted with the region. With such delightful German names as Wo der Bartel den Most holt (Where Bartel collects the must: a phrase that has come to mean: to know which side one’s bread is buttered on) near Nenzenheim, Sonnenuhrenwanderweg (sundial path) near Röttingen, which features 30 sundials created by Kurt Fuchsloher from Bad Mergentheim and Weg der Lieder (path of songs) near Retzstadt, the trails wind their way through the sandstone colored hills, along riverbanks and through the grape-laden vineyards of the region. Each trail is thematically structured and regularly placed signs provide information on geography, geology or include anecdotes of famous figures, such as Goethe, the German Late Gothic sculptor Tilman Riemenschneider or Wilhelm Roentgen, the discoverer of X-rays. These wine routes around Randersacker are typical of all the Franconian trails. The Main River plays an important role in Franconian wine production. It tempers the climate to maintain a constant temperature day and night. The mist and fog that rises from the river also protects the grapes from autumn frosts. Another Randersacker trail, the Rebsortenweg, is a slightly more challenging stroll that cuts through the fields lining the slopes of the Lämmerberg above the town. Along its 2.5-kilometer route, it provides information on the principal grape varieties, the history of viticulture in Franconia and the flora and fauna to be found in the vineyards. “The intention is not to promote Würzburg as an alternative to such destinations as Turkey, the Mediterranean or the Dominican Republic,” says Susan Müller from the Tourismusverband Fränkisches Weinland. “Instead, we are focusing attention on Würzburg as a recreational area, a place where people can come for two to three days at a time. While here, they can enjoy the countryside by taking it in at a leisurely pace and discovering the wine and other specialties of the region.” The brochure “Wege zum Wein” (Paths to Wine), available from the Tourismusverband Fränkisches Weinland, describes more than 100 wine trails around Würzburg. Ranging in length from the one-kilometer-long Gewässerlehrpfad in Wern/Arnstein to the 60-kilometer-long Archäologischer Wanderpfad at Röttingen (combining five separate paths), the wine trails provide enough scope and variety to be of interest to almost every visitor. One trail worth visiting for historical reasons alone is the Stein-Wein-Pfad near Würzburg. The 4.2-kilometer path runs through the 85-hectare Stein estate, one of the region’s oldest and most famous vineyards. Its rich earth and south-facing slopes overlooking Würzburg have enabled the Stein vineyard to produce an acclaimed wine for several centuries. The fame of the wine has resulted in Franconian wine often being referred to generally as “Steinwein.” Other trails are being continually added. One walk, which opened most recently, near Uffenheim, is a “faith path,” which leads the walker past five churches, a Celtic archaeological site and an enclosure containing boars. Another path, still in the planning stage, focuses on the relationship between wine and health. Naturally, the best way to round off such a walk is by tasting the product. Some 6,300 registered Franconian winegrowers produce 40 million liters of wine each year from the 6,000 hectares under vine. Many of the winegrowers belong to one of the five cooperative cellars, which produce and market about 40 percent of the region’s wine. Private and state-owned estates handle the remainder, although some 800 winegrowers fall into the hobby farmer category. Traditionally, the best Franconian wines are bottled in a squat green or brown flagon called a Bocksbeutel, reputedly modeled on the scrotum of a billy goat. This oddity probably reflects Franconian’s reputation for producing strong, masculine wine. Many of the winegrowers welcome visitors to sample their wine. A good dry Franconian wine, such as a Silvaner, can cost between € 4 and € 6, and a quality Spätlese between € 8 and € 12, although bargains can often be found at the smaller vintners. In all, many pleasant hours can be spent tasting the local vintages in Franconia’s châteaux, wine cellars and old medieval towns. The best time to visit is from late April into the summer as well as immediately after the harvest, in autumn. Throughout this time, the pleasures of the wine trail can be combined with the hundreds of open-air wine festivals (Weinfest or Winzerfest) that are staged throughout the region. Providing an ideal opportunity to taste the wines, mix with people, dance and enjoy local treats (see www.fraenkischer-weinfestkalender.de), these festivals also feature parades with reigning wine queens and fireworks. One place that holds several festivals a month is the Castell Château (www.castell.de). Ferdinand Castell, the Count of Castell zu Castell, is the 26th generation to hold the title after his family assumed it in the 13th century. The extensive cellars beneath the count’s château in the village date back to 1685 and have an atmosphere that is at once both romantic and foreboding. Festivals to be held in October 2003 include “A Sunday in Castell,” an autumn meal and concert, and “Cellar, Pumpkins and Candlelight,” a wine-tasting event to be held in the candlelit cellars. Another regional landmark is Juliusspital. The third-largest wine estate in Germany, it has funded an adjacent hospital since it was founded in 1316. The 250 square meters of vaulted cellars beneath its historic buildings are lined with 230 huge wooden barrels, some more than a century old. Another way to taste the wine is to visit one of the region’s two Vinotheks, at Iphofen or Nordheim. The Iphofen Vinothek, which opened a year ago, is a renovated wine cooperative. Visitors not only have the opportunity to taste outstanding Spätlese and Eisweine, but can do so while viewing the adjacent art gallery or relaxing in the library with a book. Many of the bed-and-breakfast operators in the ancient town of Iphofen are also hobby vintners and are proud when visitors ask to sample their wines. FURTHER INFORMATION Tourismusverband Fränkisches Weinland Am Congress Centrum, 97070 Würzburg Tel. (09 31) 37 23 35; Fax (09 31) 37 37 93 tourismus@fraenkisches-weinland.de www.fraenkisches-weinland.de