Franconia – a very special fusion of medieval towns and villages, scenic beauty and an almost mediterranean climate with a centuries-old tradition of wine making and people who fully appreciate all that the region has to offer. Würzburg wines from Franconia were Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's favourite tipple. At the same time, Franconia is the embodiment of a 21st century wine region with wines that win international awards and cutting-edge wine-making facilities.
The area in Franconia used for commercial grape cultivation totals 6,045 hectares, 20 per cent of which consists of steep slopes and terraces. Franconia's best known grape variety is silvaner, closely followed by müller-thurgau. In terms of red wines, the domina and pinot noir varieties lead the field.
40 per cent of its wines are sold in squat bocksbeutel bottles, the distinctive bottle shape immediately associated with the region. It is now a trademark denoting geographical origin as well as superior quality wine.
Diversity defines the Franconian countryside, its soils and consequently also its wines. Around Aschaffenburg the grapes grow in crystalline primary rock whereas Bunter sandstone extends from the Spessart hills to the foothills of the Odenwald region. In the area around Würzburg and Volkach, the main wine-growing region, the wine is affected by limestone, whereas it is influenced by clay in the Steigerwald region. Bunter sandstone, Triassic limestone and Keuper marl are also known as the Franconian 'Trias'.
Franconia has a continental climate, and as a result it has an annual frost-free growing period of 160 to 190 days, between 1,600 and 1,750 hours of sunshine a year, an average annual temperature of 8.5 to 9.0° C and annual precipitation of 500 to 600 mm. Grapes can therefore be grown in ecological niches in the Main valley, its tributary valleys and on sheltered slopes in the Steigerwald region.
There are more than 5,400 wineries in Franconia, around 33 per cent of which have more than half a hectare under vine. The best known vineyards are Homburger Kallmuth, Rödelseer Küchenmeister, Randersackerer Pfülben, Escherndorfer Lump, Iphöfer Julius-Echter-Berg and Würzburger Stein. Viticulture is the main occupation of over a third of growers and a sideline for the remainder. Six growers' cooperatives market 44 per cent of the wine produced. The largest cooperatives are Winzergemeinschaft Franken eG (GWF), Winzergenossenschaft Thüngersheim eG, DIVINO Nordheim eG and Winzerkeller Sommerach eG.
The people of Franconia are helpful, friendly, flexible and hard working. It is not at all easy to win their hearts immediately, but once a connection is made you have a friend for life. You could say diversity in a small space is the common factor in Franconia, including and perhaps most particularly with regard to their regional dialect.
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 river Main begins in two places and so does this tour: you can start either with the Red Main in the Franconian Switzerland region or follow the White Main through the Franconian Forest. The route then runs through the area known as ‘God’s Garden’ in the Upper Main Valley-Coburg region to Bamberg and its Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Winding its way through the Steigerwald Forest and Hassberg hills to Schweinfurt, the river then enters Franconian wine country and the Liebliches Taubertal holiday region. The tour continues through Frankfurt and ends in Mainz, where the Main flows into the Rhine.
Terrain: mostly traffic-free on well-maintained, mainly asphalt paths through primarily flat countryside. This cycle route rates highly in all criteria and is extremely well suited to cycle tours with children.
Scenery: Fichtelgebirge mountains, Franconian Forest, Coburger Land region, Steigerwald Forest, Hassberg hills, Tauber valley and Spessart-Main region. Woodland and meadows alternate with vineyards as the dominating feature of the scenery on this meandering route to the lower reaches of the Main in Hessen.
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.