The long-distance cycle route through Franconia and Hesse offers high quality from start to finish, with exemplary signposting, outstanding scenery and lots of cyclist-oriented accommodation.

The latter is the oldest named vineyard site and the former is Germany's oldest wine estate owned by a charitable foundation. Wine from the Stein vineyard has been made by the Bürgerspital zum Heiligen Geist winery for centuries, and the two places remain closely connected today. One of the oldest wines in Germany that is still liquid is stored at the Bürgerspital estate – and it is a 1540 vintage Stein wine.

What could be the oldest depiction of a modern bocksbeutel bottle can be found in a relief on the Juliusspital hospice's foundation stone. A bulbous bottle can be seen between the visitors' feet. It may well contain medicine, but it is regarded as the oldest evidence of the use of this type of bottle in the modern age.

A milestone in the history of the Franconian village of Castell occurred on 6 April 1659 when the Count of Castell's bailiff, Georg Körner, had new vines planted at the foot of Schlossberg hill. They were not just any vines, they were '25 Austrian cuttings' which a messenger from the village of Obereisenheim had delivered the previous day.

The wine cellars beneath the prince bishops' Residenz Palace in Würzburg cover what is thought to be a record-breaking 4,557 square metres. The magnificent building above ground is the most remarkable of all baroque palaces, with a mirrored hall and ceiling frescoes by Tiepolo above its staircase. The palace was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1981.

The DIVINO concept came into being a few years ago in April 2003 when a new, modern wine shop created the architectural setting for DIVINO's firm belief in outstanding wines and a mediterranean lifestyle. DIVINO carefully combines the tried-and-tested ways of traditional viticulture with responsible, modern cultivation and vinification methods.

Wine brings together people, good food, travel, the arts, design and architecture. Forum represents communication, dialogue, discussion, socialising and learning. Franconia offers diversity, romance, history, culture and viticulture. Our aim at the Franconian Wine Forum is to foster the appreciation and enjoyment of wine. Our wine shop is intended to reflect the incredible diversity of Franconian wines.

The Juliusspital estate in Würzburg has owned large vineyards all over Franconia for hundreds of years, so we have inherited a duty to take a sustainable approach to nature and to produce top-quality wines. Discover the inimitable taste of Franconian wine. The entire Juliusspital collection is available to taste at our wine shop, Weineck Julius-Echter.

The winegrowing village of Sommerach, Lower Franconia, is situated within a bow on the southern stretches of the river Main. The Sommerach wine growers, whose cooperative was named best in Franconia and, in 2009, best in Germany, decided a few years ago to redesign their winery. The result is a sophisticated and innovative new building that conveys a deep respect for tradition.

A sense of tradition, a clear commitment to modern winemaking and loving attention to detail are the hallmarks of the wines and vineyard of Hugo and Susanne Brennfleck. The business, which has been in the family for 13 generations, has been managed by the couple from the Franconian wine village of Sulzfeld am Main since 1998. At the heart of the Brennfleck wine estate is a listed manor house dating from the late Middle Ages.

"We are open to new ideas and yet loyal to our roots," say Monika and Rainer Müller from the Max Müller I wine estate in the Franconian town of Volkach. This philosophy is clearly reflected in their wines – the uncomplicated, fresh wines of the New Franconia range and the traditional Classic Franconia collection in the signature Bocksbeutel bottles.

The Winery on the Würzburger Stein is situated on sun-kissed slopes north of a bow in the river Main. The limestone soils provide the basis for Ludwig Knoll's high-quality wines, which are mainly of the silvaner and the acclaimed steinwein varieties. Knoll has been managing the estate, which has been in the family for generations, since 1991 and given it his own modern and individual style.

The ensemble of buildings at the centre of the Franconian wine village of Iphofen offers an exciting combination of traditional and modern architecture. As well as rooms for showcasing wines, the vinothek is also home to the tourist information office, a gallery for temporary exhibitions, meeting rooms and a vaulted cellar. There is also a wine bistro and farm shop.