The Saale Unstrut wine region is Germany’s most northern wine region, in the valleys of the Saale and Unstrut rivers, around Freyburg and Naumburg. With 730 hectares of vineyard area, it is one of the smaller wine regions in Germany. The oldest record of viticulture dates back to the year 998 during the reign of Emperor Otto III.
Located in the area of the former German Democratic Republic (GDR), Saale-Unstrut has become a thriving emerging wine region after the Berlin Wall came down in 1989 (as Sachsen, the other wine region in the area of the former GDR; Sachsen is half of the size of Saale Unstrut).
Picture: Germany's Wine RegionsLike in Sachsen, during the communist times from 1945 until reunification in 1989, wine production was nationalized, and winemaking took place in huge VEB (volkseigener Betrieb / company owned by the people) wineries. The output, the bottle count was imposed on the VEB by the State, and therefore quality could not play a major role. The winemaking process was deprived of modern farming and cellar techniques. The majority of wine produced was for the consumption of the communist party members. After the iron curtain came down, family wineries were founded, and the winemakers pursued quality with a vengeance.
Pictures: In the Saale Unstrut RegionBasically, all of the wineries I have visited experienced rapid growth and large investments over the past years, following 50 years of communism that did not allow for private initiative. In a way, Saale Unstrut is an emerging wine region in an old world wine country. It is pretty much an emerging market situation there, but without any foreign investors.
Most of the region's vineyards are situated in the State of Saxony-Anhalt, with the remainder in the State of Thuringia and in the State of Brandenburg (the "Werderaner Wachtelberg" near Potsdam). The vineyards are located on the hillsides lining the Saale and Unstrut rivers. It all looks very attractive, with steep terraces, dry stone walls and century-old vineyard cottages, interspersed with meadows, floodplains. High above, are defiant castles and palaces.
Saale Unstrut is located in a region that was the intellectual and cultural center of Germany (Heiliges Römisches Reich Deutscher Nationen) for many centuries. The second German university (after Prague) was the University of Leipzig, which is just 50 km away from Saale Unstrut. Schiller and Goethe, to name just 2, lived here. Culture, history, nature and wine are combined here perfectly.
Saale-Unstrut is the northernmost of Germany's wine regions, and is therefore one of Europe's northernmost traditional wine regions. It lies to the north of the 51st degree of latitude, which was considered to be the limit for viticulture before global warming. Also, the weather is more variable than in the regions to the west.
White grape varieties make up 75% of Saale-Unstrut's plantations. The most common grape varieties are the white varieties Müller-Thurgau and Weißburgunder (Pinot Blanc). The wines tend to be vinified dry and have a refreshing acidity.
Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours
Annette Schiller's ombiasy WineTours covers the Saale Unstrut Region on her Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours. Compared with the other ombiasy WineTours, the art component is much more in the forefront here.
Annette Schiller: This tour allows wine lovers and aficionados of the arts to experience what the statement “wine is a form of art” entails. Participants will live the profound relationship between wine, music, dance, and visual arts by visiting Germany’s beautiful, lesser known wine regions, and the region which is the cradle of German culture, and intellectual thinking. Meet winemakers who embody the "wine and art" approach right at their wineries, and attend three world-class concert-opera- and ballet performances in East-and Middle Germany. This tour will tickle all of your senses and emotions.
See:
Preview: Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)
The Art Marketer: OMBIASY PR & WINE TOURS - Germany-East
Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)
Germany-North Wine Tour by ombiasy, 2014
Schiller’s Favorite Winemakers in the Saale-Unstrut Region
Weingut Klaus Böhme in Kirchscheidungen
Winzerhof Gussek in Naumburg
Weingut Matthias Hey in Naumburg
Weingut Lützkendorf (VDP) in Bad Kösen
Weingut Pawis (VDP) in Freyburg
Weingut Kloster Pforta
Weingut Thürkind in Gröst
Weingut Klaus Böhme in Kirchscheidungen
Weingut Klaus Böhme is in the village of Kirchscheidungen in the Unstrut valley. The Boehme family can look back to 300 years of wine making. However, wine making was always part of a traditional mixed agriculture and viticulture farm, with cows, pigs, chicken and other animals, with the wine making on the backburner, except for the last 20 years, since Klaus Böhme has taken over.
Picture: Christian Schiller and Ina Paris, the Wife of Klaus Böhme, at Weingut Klaus Böhme Before this part of Germany became the German Democratic Republic (GDR), the Böhmes cultivated an area of 60 hectares, of which 40 hectares was owned and 20 hectares was leased. Then came the forced collectivization of 1960, and the land of the Boehme’s became part of the government run agricultural co-operative. Ina Paris explained that the Böhme family remained the legal owner of the land, but lost the right to use it. The land was used by the government-run “LPG” (Agricultural Production Co-operative).
In 1989, after the breakdown of the GDR, the Böhmes reclaimed their land and restarted their farm and winery. Weingut Klaus Böhme was one of the first privately-owned wineries in the Saale Unstrut region reemerging after 40 years of socialism. In 1994, the cellar was equipped with stainless steel tanks. From there on, all Klaus Böhme wines were fermented, aged and bottled at the Klaus Böhme winery.
The vineyard area was expanded by acquiring part of the former Schulenburg vineyard. The vineyard area now totals 9 hectares. The area is planted with the white varieties Pinot Blanc, Müller-Thurgau, Silvaner, Riesling, Kerner, Gutedel and Traminer, as well as with the red varieties Dornfelder, Pinot Noir, Portugieser and Pinot Madeleine.
Pictures: Weingut Klaus BöhmeThe wines tend to be made in a dry style, fresh and fruity. The red wines are fermented on the skins in the traditional style. Annual production is 70.000 bottles. Very little of it is sold in the western part of Germany. Nothing is exported. A large part of the production is sold via restaurants.
See:
Weingut Klaus Boehme in Saale Unstrut in Germany (2011)
Winzerhof Gussek in Naumburg
Winzerhof Gussek is in Naumburg, the gateway to the Saale-Unstrut. It was founded by André Gussek in 1993.
André Gussek came to Naumburg in the 1980s. For more than 20 years he was the cellar master at Kloster Pforta in Bad Koesen, near Naumburg, first during GDR times at the socialist co-operative VEG Weinbau Naumburg, and later after reunification at Landesweingut Kloster Pforta, with 120 hectares of land.
See:
Visiting Andre Gussek and his Weingut Winzerhof Gussek in Saale Unstrut, Germany, 2011
Winzerhof Gussek in the Saale Unstrut Region: Cellar Tour, Vineyard Tour and Tasting with Owner and Winemaker André Gussek – Germany-North Wine Tour by ombiasy (2014)
Weingut Matthias Hey in Naumburg
This is the only winemaker on the list that I have not yet visited myself. But I have heard a lot of good things about Weingut Matthias Hey.
Matthias Hey graduated from the prestigious Geisenheim University in 2008. Following some time in Italy, he is back now in the Saale Unstrut region and runs – with his parents Reinhard and Sigrun Hey – Weingut Matthias Hey. The parents bought vineyard land in 2001, establishing the base for Weingut Matthias Hey. Today, the vineyard area totals 6 hectares.
Grape varieties: Müller-Thurgau, Gutedel, Silvaner, Weißburgunder, Riesling, Blauer Zweigelt, Spätburgunder, Portugieser.
Weingut Lützkendorf (VDP) in Bad Kösen
Weingut Lützkendorf was founded at the dawn of the 19th century and existed until 1959 when the GDR authorities integrated the estate into the government run Agricultural Cooperative. In 1991, after the reunification of the two German States the vineyards were returned to the family.
Germany.
Uwe Lützkendorf reestablished the winery and built new production facilities in Bad Kösen. The stony soils and the climate of this northern wine region decisively influences the character of the wines. Uwe Lützkendorf’s philosophy of wine making is as little intervention as possible to showcase the character of the wines.
In 1996 the winery Lützkendorf was the first estate in the Saale-Unstrut region to become member of the prestigious VDP, the Association of Germany’s Premium Winemakers.
See:
Weingut Lützkendorf in Saale Unstrut in Germany (2011)
Tasting at Weingut Lützkendorf with Uwe Lützkendorf – Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)
Weingut Pawis (VDP) in Freyburg
Weingut Pawis – owned and run by Bernhard Pawis and his wife Kerstin - is located in the historic Zscheiplitz Estate, established in the 12th century as a convent, close to Freyburg. It is a gorgeous set-up, but as Bernhard Pawis told us, under the communist regime that did not allow private entrepreneurship, the then nationalized estate was completely run down and renovation was a major undertaking.
Bernhard Pawis is a trained winemaker, educated in the former German Democratic Republic in a VEB (volkseigener Betrieb / company owned by the people) winery. Shortly after the Iron Curtain came down in 1989, Bernhard’s parents bought 0.5 hectares of vineyard land and founded a small winery.
Following the death of his father in 1998, Bernhard took over the reins, undertook major investments, bought more land and the Zscheiplitz Estate, and paid detailed attention to quality. In 2001 he received the highest reward for his efforts when he was invited to join the VDP, Germany’s association of elite winemakers with only about 200 members.
To listen to him, and also to his fellow winemakers in this former GDR area, recount their stories of reviving an economic and agriculture waste land after German reunification, is living history and worthy of a spy thriller.
See:
Weingut Pawis (Saale Unstrut): Estate Tour and Wine Tasting with Markus Pawis – Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)
Weingut Pawis (Saale Unstrut): Estate Tour and Wine Tasting with Kerstin Pawis – Germany-North Wine Tour by ombiasy (2014)
Weingut Pawis in the Saale Unstrut Region - A Profile, Germany
Weingut Pawis in Saale Unstrut, Germany (2011)
Weingut Kloster Pforta
Weingut Kloster Pforta is owned and run by the State Government of Sachsen Anhalt. It is one of five important wine estates owned by a state government in Germany. The others are: Hessische Staatsweingueter Kloster Eberbach (Rheingau and Hessische Bergstrasse), Saechsisches Staatsweingut Schloss Wackerbarth (Sachsen), Staatliche Hofkellerei Wuerzburg (Franken) and Staatsweingut Meersburg (Baden).
Its history mirrors German history. Its origins date back to the Pforta Abbey, founded in 1137 by Cistercian monks. In 1154 the monks started to plant vines in the Pfortenser Köppelberg vineyard, which still today is one of the six vineyards of the winery, producing excellent wines. Pforta Abbey soon had a reputation as the richest abbey in medieval Thuringia, with vineyard holdings in 192 communes, totaling at least 250 ha (around 625 acres).
After Reformation (during the 16th century the eastern part of Germany became Lutheran and the monks had to leave), ownership went to the kings of Saxony, which subsequently lost the Abbey Pforta to the Kingdom of Prussia at the Vienna Congress in 1814.
Prussia converted Pforta into a wine estate and wine research institute. After World War II, it became the socialist co-operative VEG Weinbau Naumburg in East-Germany, with 120 hectares of land. After the breakdown of the socialist system in East Germany in 1989, Pforta was in the hands of the privatization organization Treuhand for a couple of years, but not privatized and became the Landesweingut Kloster Pforta of the Federal State of Sachsen-Anhalt.
The vineyard area totals 51 hectares, with holdings in the following sites: Goseck (Dechantenberg), Großjena (Blütengrund), Naumburg (Paradies), Pforta (Köppelberg) and Saalhäuser (with eponymous monopole sites). The main grape varities are Müller-Thurgau (10 ha), Silvaner (6 ha), Riesling (6 ha) and Pinot Blanc (5 ha) as well as Portugieser (5 ha), and Zweigelt.
See:
The Role of Government - Government Owned Wineries in Germany
Weingut Kloster Pforta: Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting with Managing Director Christian Kloss – Germany-North Wine Tour by ombiasy (2014)
Weingut Thürkind in Gröst
This winery was founded shortly after reunification when the government returned land to the Thürkind family which had been nationalized during the communist era. The land included 3 acres of vineyards. Rudolf Thürkind used to work as cellar master in the cooperative in Freyburg and winemaker colleagues of the wine regions in the western part of Germany encouraged the Thürkinds to start producing their own wine.
Today, more than twenty years later, the Thürkind family owns 15 acres of vineyards in very favorable sites and developed the old farm into into a beautiful estate, making excellent wines, including gorgeous Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris. Son Mario Thürkind is now at the helm of the estate.
See:
Weingut Thürkind in Gröst, Saale-Unstrut: Tour, Tasting and Lunch – Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)
Schiller’ Favorites
This posting is part of the Schiller’s favorites series.
Europe
Germany
Schiller's Favorite Winemakers in Sachsen (Saxony), Germany
Schiller’s Favorite Winemakers in the Saale-Unstrut Region, Germany
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Taverns in Trier, Germany
Schiller's Favorite (Wine-) Restaurants in Deidesheim in the Pfalz, Germany
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars in Berlin, Germany
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Frankfurt am Main, 2013, Germany
Schiller's Favorite Apple Wine Taverns in Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Taverns in Mainz, Germany
France
Schiller’s Favorite Restaurants, Brasseries, Bistros, Cafes and Wine Bars in Paris, France
Schiller's Favorite Seafood Places in Bordeaux City, France
Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars in Bordeaux City, France
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in St. Emilion, France
Schiller’s Favorite Restaurants, Brasseries, Bistros, Cafes and Wine Bars in Paris, 2012 France
Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars in Bordeaux (City) (2012), France
UK, Spain, Austria, Hungary
Schiller's Favorite Winebars in London, UK
Schiller’s Favorite Tapas Bars in Logroño in La Rioja, Spain
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in London, 2012, UK
Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars and Other Wine Spots in Vienna, Austria
Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars in Budapest, Hungary
Schiller’s Favorite Spots to Drink Wine in Vienna, Austria (2011)
USA
Riesling Crawl in New York City – Or, Where to Buy German Wine in Manhattan: Schiller's Favorite Wine Stores, USA
Schiller's Favorite Oyster Bars and Seafood Places in Seattle, USA
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in New York City, USA
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Seattle, USA
Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars in Washington DC, USA
Schiller’s Favorite Crab Houses in the Washington DC Region, USA
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in New York City, 2012, USA
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Charleston, South Carolina, USA
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in San Francisco, USA
Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars and Other Places Where You Can Have a Glass of Wine in Healdsburg, California
Asia
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Singapore
Schiller s Favorite Winebars in Beijing, 2014, China
Africa
Schiller's Favorite Wines of Madagascar
Schiller’s 12 Favorite Restaurants of Antananarivo, the Capital of Madagascar
Postings: Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015) (Published and Forthcoming)
Preview: Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)
The Art Marketer: OMBIASY PR & WINE TOURS - Germany-East
Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)
Tasting at Weingut Lützkendorf with Uwe Lützkendorf – Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)
Weingut Pawis (Saale Unstrut): Estate Tour and Wine Tasting with Markus Pawis – Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)
Weingut Thürkind in Gröst, Saale-Unstrut: Tour, Tasting and Lunch – Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)
Schiller's Favorite Winemakers in the Saale Unstrut Region, Germany
Cellar Tour, Vineyard Tour and Wine Tasting at Weingut Schloss Proschwitz in Sachsen, with Owner Georg Prinz zur Lippe
Dinner with Georg Prinz zur Lippe at Weingut Schloss Proschwitz in Sachsen
Cellar Tour and Lunch at Weingut Karl Friedrich Aust in Sachsen
Cellar Tour, Art Tour and Wine Tasting at Weingut Zimmerling with Winemaker Klaus Zimmerling and Artist Malgorzata Chodakoska in Sachsen
Schiller's Favorite Winemakers in Sachsen (Saxony), Germany
Visit and Tasting at Weingut Wirsching in Iphofen, Franken
Visit and Tasting at Weingut Am Stein Ludwig Knoll in Würzburg, Franken
Cellar Tour and Tasting with Star Winemaker Paul Fürst at Weingut Fürst in Franken
Würzburg and its 3 Historic Wine Taverns: Juliusspital, Bürgerspital and Staatlicher Hofkeller
Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Graf Neipperg in Schwaigern, Württemberg
Tasting at Weingut Dautel in Württemberg with Christian Dautel
Wine Pairing Dinner at Restaurant Friedrich von Schiller in Bietigheim-Bissingen in Württemberg
Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Herzog von Württemberg at Schloss Monrepos with Owner F.R.H. Carl Duke of Württemberg
Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting with Rainer Schnaitmann at Weingut Rainer Schnaitmann in Fellbach, Württemberg
Wine Tasting at Weingut Simon-Bürkle in Zwingenberg, Hessische Bergstrasse
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