A short overview of the wine industry on Franconia, Germany (history, characteristics).

1. Frankenwein
A short overview of wine in Franconia
Sources: http://www.lwg.bayern.de/weinbau/weinbau_franken/
Alexander von Halem
www.barockschloss.de
http://zeilitzheim.blogspot.com/
http://vonhalem.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/barockschloss
http://www.flickr.com/photos/barockschloss/

2. Topics
• Geography / terroir
• A short history of wine in Franconia
• The wine industry in Franconia today
• Where the journey is going...

3. Geography / terroir
• 15,000 acres of vineyards (6,000 ha.)
• almost 7,000 wine growers
• Located centrally in Germany

4. Geography
Climate
• 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

5. Geology
Franconian Triassic
Keuper
Muschelkalk
Buntsandstein

6. Character of the Wine:
Franconian soils and climate
produce earthy, robust wines
with fresh acidity.
Usually drier wines than in
other parts of Germany.

7. 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

8. 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.)

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

10. 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

11. Bocksbeutel
• Bottleform protected in
EU since 1989
• Sign of quality
• „Qualitätswein“ 70+
Oechsle (Kabinett)

12. Frankenwein today
• Structure
• Quality
• Marketing

13. Structure
• Direct Marketing („Selbstvermarkter“)
• The „Big Three“
• Cooperatives

14. Structure
Wine growers
3 %
1 %
14 %
14 %
68 %
under 0.5 ha. 0.5 - 1 ha 1 - 5 ha. 5 - 10 ha. 10+ ha.
under 0.5 0.5 - 1 ha 1 - 5 ha. 5 - 10 ha. 10+ ha. Total
ha.
Number of 4524 955 956 170 59 6664
wineries

15. Structure
„Selbstvermarkter“
„Weinerlebnisse“
Weinfeste
Essential for tourism!
Preservation of the cultural landscape

16. Structure
The Big Three
• Staatlicher Hofkeller
• Bürgerspital
• Juliusspital

17. Structure
Producers‘ Cooperatives
• 5 main cooperatives:
• Winzergemeinschaft Franken (GWF)
• WG Nordheim
• WG Thüngersheim
• WG Randersacker
• Winzerkeller Sommerach

18. Structure
Producers‘ 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.

19. 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)

20. Structure
Grape Varieties
red
20 % • Traditionally a white-wine
region.
• Red wine on the rise in the
1990s.
white
80 % • Red grape varieties now
back in gradual decline.

21. Structure
Grape Varieties
5 %3 % 13 %
6 %
24 %
15 %
16 % 41 %
7 %
9 %
28 % 32 %
White Red
Müller Thurgau Silvaner Bacchus Kerner Spätburgunder Domina Schwarzriesling
Riesling Scheurebe Portugieser Dornfelder Regent

22. Grape Varieties
• 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.

23. Quality
• Reduction of output / regulation
• Qualitätsweinprüfung“
• 12 commissions, 72 testers
• 12,000 - 14,000 wines tested each
year (Rejection ratio on avg. 12%)
• „Winepyramid“

24. Quality
Categories
QbA
Qualitätswein Qualitätswein mit Prädikat
Kabinett
Spätlese
Auslese
Beerenauslese
Eiswein
Trockenbeerenauslese
Tafelwein Deutscher Tafelwein
Deutscher Landwein

25. 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.

26. Marketing
Silvaner Year
• 350 years Silvaner in Franken
• 200 events

27. Marketing
Winetourism
• Gästeführer Weinerlebnis Franken
• Weindozenten
• Certified wine festivals
• Architecture

28. Marketing
Winetourism - architecture
• Vinotheken
• Iphofen
• Nordheim (Divino)
• Wineries
• Hirn: Hundertwasser

29. Where are we going?
• Franken well established
internationally, especially with dry
white wines.
• Silvaner as the most characteristic
grape variety.
• Wine & Tourism
• QUALITY!

30. Alexander von Halem
www.barockschloss.de
http://zeilitzheim.blogspot.com/
http://vonhalem.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/barockschloss
http://www.flickr.com/photos/barockschloss/