FrankenweinA short overview of wine in Franconia

Alexander von Halemwww.barockschloss.de

http://zeilitzheim.blogspot.com/http://vonhalem.blogspot.com/

http://twitter.com/barockschlosshttp://www.flickr.com/photos/barockschloss/

Sources: http://www.lwg.bayern.de/weinbau/weinbau_franken/

Topics

• Geography / terroir

• A short history of wine in Franconia

• The wine industry in Franconia today

• Where the journey is going...

Geography / terroir

• 15,000 acres of vineyards (6,000 ha.)

• almost 7,000 wine growers

• Located centrally in Germany

GeographyClimate

• Frost-free vegetation period 160 - 190 days

• Sunshine 1,600 - 1,750 hrs p.a.

• Annual avg. temperature 8.5 - 9.0° Celsius

• Precipitation 500 - 600 mm

• Continental climate characterized by severe winter frosts, frost damage in Spring (May frost), hot dry periods in summer and early autumn frost

GeologyFranconian Triassic

Buntsandstein

Muschelkalk

Keuper

Character of the Wine:

Franconian soils and climate produce earthy, robust wines

with fresh acidity. Usually drier wines than in other parts of Germany.

History

• No record of roman influence on Franconian viticulture.

• 8th century - Benedictine nuns (Kleinochsenfurt, Kitzingen)

• 770 Abbey Fulda - documentation

• 777 Charlemagne supports wine industry

• 12th-16th century - peak (40,000 ha), largest coherent wine region in Europe

History

• 17th century - decline (Thirty Years‘ War, climate change --> beer)

• 18th century - revival (16,500 ha.)

• 19th century - second considerable decline (secularization, Napoleon, taxes, 10,500 ha.)

History

• 1900 - third decline (peronospora, Oidium, Reblaus, WWII)

History

• 1922 last vine cleared in Zeilitzheim...

• 1959 only 2,360 ha. wine left

• 60s, 70s - start of reconstruction (official advisory, reparcelling, support of producers‘ groups, modern means of production)

• Today: 7,000 wine-growing businesses cultivate 6,000 ha. of producing vineyards. total annual turnover of approx. 150 - 200 million Euros

Bocksbeutel

• Bottleform protected in EU since 1989

• Sign of quality

• „Qualitätswein“ 70+ Oechsle (Kabinett)

Frankenwein today

•Structure

•Quality

•Marketing

Structure

• Direct Marketing („Selbstvermarkter“)

• The „Big Three“

• Cooperatives

StructureWine growers

under 0.5 ha.

0.5 - 1 ha 1 - 5 ha. 5 - 10 ha. 10+ ha. Total

Number of wineries

4524 955 956 170 59 6664

68 %

14 %

14 %3 %1 %

under 0.5 ha. 0.5 - 1 ha 1 - 5 ha. 5 - 10 ha. 10+ ha.

Structure„Selbstvermarkter“

„Weinerlebnisse“

Weinfeste

Essential for tourism!

Preservation of the cultural landscape

StructureThe Big Three

• Staatlicher Hofkeller

• Bürgerspital

• Juliusspital

StructureProducers‘ Cooperatives

• 5 main cooperatives:

• Winzergemeinschaft Franken (GWF)

• WG Nordheim

• WG Thüngersheim

• WG Randersacker

• Winzerkeller Sommerach

StructureProducers‘ Cooperatives

• Coops were essential during the rebuilding period after WWII. Reparcelling.

• Principle of broad dispersal of property.

• Cooperatives guarantee landscape preservation. Steep inclines...

• Cooperatives ensure stable structure of wine economy.

• Problems of mass production and low quality (1980s) have been solved.

Structure

• 50% of the wine is sold in 80 km radius, another 33% in 250 km radius

• Direct marketing is significant (approx. 1,200 estates)

StructureGrape Varieties

white80 %

red20 % • Traditionally a white-wine

region.

• Red wine on the rise in the 1990s.

• Red grape varieties now back in gradual decline.

StructureGrape Varieties

41 %

28 %

16 %

6 %5 %3 %

Müller Thurgau Silvaner Bacchus KernerRiesling Scheurebe

24 %

32 %

9 %

7 %

15 %

13 %

Spätburgunder Domina SchwarzrieslingPortugieser Dornfelder Regent

White Red

• Müller Thurgau 40% but on the decline.

• Silvaner and Riesling record a considerable increase.

• Bacchus popular, especially among female wine drinkers.

• Weißer / Grauer Burgunder on the rise in premium sector.

• Domina has surpassed Blauer Spätburgunder in volume.

• Dornfelder popular due to its intense color.

• Regent growing in popularity due to resistance to diseases.

Grape Varieties

Quality

• Reduction of output / regulation

• Qualitätsweinprüfung“

• 12 commissions, 72 testers

• 12,000 - 14,000 wines tested each year (Rejection ratio on avg. 12%)

• „Winepyramid“

QualityCategories

Tafelwein Deutscher TafelweinDeutscher Landwein

Qualitätswein QbAQualitätswein mit Prädikat

KabinettSpätlese AusleseBeerenauslese EisweinTrockenbeerenauslese

Quality / Marketing„Qualitätspyramide“

• Neues Franken: fresh wines without too much complexity

• Klassisches Franken: authentic, typical Franconian wines, served with dinner.

• Grosses Franken: unique, typical terroir wines, niche.

MarketingSilvaner Year

• 350 years Silvaner in Franken

• 200 events

MarketingWinetourism

• Gästeführer Weinerlebnis Franken

• Weindozenten

• Certified wine festivals

• Architecture

MarketingWinetourism - architecture

• Vinotheken

• Iphofen

• Nordheim (Divino)

• Wineries

• Hirn: Hundertwasser

Where are we going?

• Franken well established internationally, especially with dry white wines.

• Silvaner as the most characteristic grape variety.

• Wine & Tourism

• QUALITY!

Alexander von Halemwww.barockschloss.de

http://zeilitzheim.blogspot.com/http://vonhalem.blogspot.com/

http://twitter.com/barockschlosshttp://www.flickr.com/photos/barockschloss/