Thursday, February 28, 2019

Visit and Tasting at Landesweingut Kloster Pforta in Bad Kösen, Saale-Unstrut, with Managing Director Björn Probst - Germany-East Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Art, Culture, History - Berlin, Saale-Unstrut, Sachsen, Württemberg, Franken

Picture: Discussing with General Manager Björn Probst the Plans for the new Winemaking Facilities of Weingut Kloster Pforta

The visit started with a vineyard tour. Björn Probst then showed us the plans for a new winery that will be built in the next years on the grounds of Kloster Pforta a few miles away from the current location of the winery. He then showed us the cellar of the current winery which will continue to be used until the new winery is ready.  We then went to the tasting room for a tasting. We ended the visit with a self-guided tour of the Pforta Abbey, where the new winemaking facility will be built.

Pictures: Welcome

Landesweingut Kloster Pforta 

History

Landesweingut Kloster Pforta is one of the five State-owned wine producing estates in Germany, and is owned by the State of Sachsen-Anhalt. Its history mirrors German history. Its origins date back to the Pforta Abbey, founded in 1137 by Cistercian monks (one year after the founding of the monastery Eberbach in the Rheingau). 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).

The end of the monastery came in the 16th century with the Reformation. 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.

After World War II, it became the socialist co-operative VEG (volkseigener Betrieb / company owned by the people) Weinbau Naumburg in the GDR, with 300 acres of land. After the fall of the Wall in 1989, Abbey Pforta was in the hands of the privatization organization Treuhand for a few years, but privatization efforts were not successful and thus the State of Sachsen-Anhalt took over in 1993.

Pictures: Cellar Tour with GM Björn Probst

Vineyards and Grape Varieties

Today, the vineyards total 55 hectares in the Gosecker Dechantenberg (monopoly ownership), Pfortenser Köppelberg, Eulauer Heideberg and Saalhäuser (steep-slope and monopoly vineyard in Bad Kösen).

They are planted with the white wine varieties Müller-Thurgau. Sylvaner. Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Red Traminer. Bacchus. Kerner, White Gutedel ( Chasselas ) Blauer Silvaner, Elbling, Heunisch ( Gouais blanc ) and Pinot Gris as well as the red wine varieties Blauer Portugieser, Zweigelt, Pinot Noir, André and Dornfelder.

Bottle-fermented sparkling wines and brandies are also produced (pomace, grape, fruit). Pforta Monastery is a member of "Latitude 51" ( terroir-oriented Saale-Unstrut Winzer) and Generation Riesling.

Pictures: Vineyard Tour

Björn Probst

Björn Probst has been Managing Director and Winemaker since late 2017. Earlier in 2017, we had met him at Weingut Fürstlich Castell’sches Domänenamt in Franken. He was in Franken for about 2 years. Before joining the Weingut Fürstlich Castell’sches Domänenamt, he was running Weingut zu Weimar and Weinhaus zu Weimar in Sachsen, owned by Georg Prinz zur Lippe. Born in Cologne, he studied at the Geisenheim University.

Pictures: Discussing with General Manager Björn Probst the Plans for the new Winemaking Facilities of Weingut Kloster Pforta

Tasting

We tasted 6 wines with Björn Probst.


Pictures: Tasting

Bye-bye

Thanks Björn for the wonderful visit.

Picture: Bye-bye

Tour of the Pforta Abbey

We ended the visit with a self-guided tour of the Pforta Abbey, where the new winemaking facility will be built.

Pictures: Touring Kloster Pforta

Lunch at Restaurant Stelzenhaus am Heinekanal in Leipzig-Plagwitz

After the visit of Weingut Kloster Pforta, we drove to Leipzig for lunch. Leipzig lies at the confluence of the rivers White Elster, Pleisse and Parthe. There is a system of connecting waterways –canals- in the former industrial area of Leipzig-Plagwitz. There are several charming restaurants sitting on the banks of the rivers and canals.

Pictures: Lunch at Restaurant Stelzenhaus am Heinekanal in Leipzig-Plagwitz

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