Württemberg is a region (''Anbaugebiet'') for quality
wine in Germany,
[Wein.de (German Agricultural Society): Wuerttemberg](_blank)
read on January 1, 2008 and is located in the historical region of
Württemberg
Württemberg ( ; ) is a historical German territory roughly corresponding to the cultural and linguistic region of Swabia. The main town of the region is Stuttgart.
Together with Baden and Hohenzollern, two other historical territories, Württ ...
in southwestern
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...
, which today forms part of the federal state of
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg (; ), commonly shortened to BW or BaWü, is a German state () in Southwest Germany, east of the Rhine, which forms the southern part of Germany's western border with France. With more than 11.07 million inhabitants across a ...
. Under German wine legislation, Württemberg and
Baden
Baden (; ) is a historical territory in South Germany, in earlier times on both sides of the Upper Rhine but since the Napoleonic Wars only East of the Rhine.
History
The margraves of Baden originated from the House of Zähringen. Baden i ...
are separate wine regions.
With under vine in 2008, Württemberg is Germany's fourth largest wine region.
[German Wine Institute: German wine statistics 2009/2010](_blank)
Winemaking cooperatives are very common in Württemberg, number around 70, and are responsible for almost 75% of the region's production. Unlike most other German regions, Württemberg has a long history of producing red wines, although from somewhat different varieties than other German wine regions.
Geography
Most of the Württemberg wine region is situated around the river
Neckar
The Neckar () is a river in Germany, mainly flowing through the southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg, with a short section through Hesse. The Neckar is a major right tributary of the Rhine. Rising in the Schwarzwald-Baar-Kreis near Schwen ...
and several of its tributaries,
Rems,
Enz
The Enz is a river flowing north from the Black Forest to the Neckar in Baden-Württemberg.
It is 106 km long.
Its headstreams – the Little Enz (german: Kleine Enz) and the Great Enz or Big Enz (''Große Enz'') – rise in the Northern B ...
,
Kocher
The Kocher () is a -longincluding its source river Schwarzer Kocher right tributary of the Neckar in the north-eastern part of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The name "Kocher" originates from its Celtic name "cochan" and probably means winding, me ...
and
Jagst. The geography of the wine region is dominated by these river valleys and include several south-facing slopes. The main part of Württemberg is situated between the cities of
Stuttgart
Stuttgart (; Swabian: ; ) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the Neckar river in a fertile valley known as the ''Stuttgarter Kessel'' (Stuttgart Cauldron) and lies an hour from the Sw ...
and
Heilbronn
Heilbronn () is a city in northern Baden-Württemberg, Germany, surrounded by Heilbronn District. With over 126,000 residents, it is the sixth-largest city in the state.
From the late Middle Ages, it developed into an important trading centre. A ...
. There are also vineyards on
Lake Constance
Lake Constance (german: Bodensee, ) refers to three bodies of water on the Rhine at the northern foot of the Alps: Upper Lake Constance (''Obersee''), Lower Lake Constance (''Untersee''), and a connecting stretch of the Rhine, called the Lak ...
that belong to Württemberg.
Grape varieties
71% of the vines grown in Württemberg are of red grape varieties. The most common variety in Württemberg, and the region's signature grape, is the red wine grape
Trollinger
Trollinger, Schiava, or Vernatsch, is a red German/Italian wine grape variety that was likely first originally cultivated in the wine regions of South Tyrol and Trentino, but today is almost exclusively cultivated on steep, sunny locations in t ...
, which was planted on 21.2% of the vineyard surface in 2008.
Trollinger gives red wines which are light in both colour and style (and occasionally made in a slightly sweet style) and Württemberg accounts for over 98% of plantings of Trollinger in Germany. Other common red varieties are
Schwarzriesling (
Pinot Meunier, which despite its German name is not related to "genuine" Riesling) at 15.1%,
Lemberger (same as Austria's
Blaufränkisch
Blaufränkisch (German for ''blue Frankish'') is a dark-skinned variety of grape used for red wine. and California,
DNA profiling has shown that Blaufränkisch is a cross between Gouais blanc (Weißer Heunisch; male parent) and Blaue Zimmettra ...
) at 13.9% and
Spätburgunder
Pinot Noir () is a red-wine grape variety of the species ''Vitis vinifera''. The name may also refer to wines created predominantly from pinot noir grapes. The name is derived from the French words for ''pine'' and ''black.'' The word ''pine ...
(
Pinot noir
Pinot Noir () is a red-wine grape variety of the species ''Vitis vinifera''. The name may also refer to wines created predominantly from pinot noir grapes. The name is derived from the French words for ''pine'' and ''black.'' The word ''pine ...
) at 11.1%. The most common white variety is
Riesling
Riesling (, ; ) is a white grape variety that originated in the Rhine region. Riesling is an aromatic grape variety displaying flowery, almost perfumed, aromas as well as high acidity. It is used to make dry, semi-sweet, sweet, and sparkling wh ...
(18.1%).
The most cultivated grape varieties, by area in 2008, were:
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wurttemberg (Wine Region)
Württemberg
Wine regions of Germany