Franken: The Top Winemakers - Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland/ Germany 2023

The Vinum Weinguide Germany 2023 was released a few weeks ago, presenting Vinum's choice of Germany’s best 1 000 wine producers and reviewing more than 10 700 wines on 1118 pages.

5 out of 5 stars („world class“) were awarded to 18 estates. In addition, there are 31 estates with 4.5 stars, and 66 estates with 4 stars.

See here: Germany's 18 Top Winemakers (With 5/5 Stars) - Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland 2023

This posting is the third in a series of postings that provide more details on individual wine regions. 

Ahr: The Top Winemakers - Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland/ Germany 2023

Baden: The Top Winemakers - Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland/ Germany 2023

Franken: The Top Winemakers - Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland/ Germany 2023

In the Franken region, there is 1 producer in the 5/5 star group of the Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland/ Germany 2023, 1 producer in the 4.5/5 star group and there are 7 producers in the 4/5 star group.  

Annette Schiller, ombiasy WineTours, and I have met both 5 and 4.5 star producers and several of the 4 star winemakers at various occasions over the past years, often at their estate during a Germany wine tour by ombiasy WineTours, which is owned and run by Annette Schiller and based in Washington DC, USA.

Franken

(London Wine Competition)

Franconia, located in the north west of the German federal state of Bavaria, is one of the 13 German wine-growing regions. It is the only official wine region in Bavaria and is mostly located around the capital Würzburg along the Main River in Lower Franconia.

Winemaking in Franconia dates back nearly 1,000 years, and there is a record of the great emperor Charlemagne mentioning the wines of Franconia. This wine region, which extends from Bamberg to Aschaffenburg, is known for its relatively mild climate. Officially, the climate is continental with a Mediterranean influence. Winters can be cold, so most grapes are grown along the hills of the River Main, where they can be protected.

The most popular grape varietals in Franconia include Müller-Thurgau (27.7%), Silvaner (23.1%), Bacchus (11.9%), Domina (5.5%) and Riesling (5.3%). Of these grape varietals, Domina is the only red grape varietal. Franconian wines can differ greatly in how long they can be kept. The most basic wines, designed to be consumed within a year or two, are known as Kabinett. However, some of the full-bodied, dry Spatlesen (“late harvest”) wines can mature up to 10 years.

There are several unique characteristics of Franconia wines that may be unfamiliar even to European wine drinkers. One is the term “Franconia dry,” which is a classification unique to the wines of Franconia, which have a lower sugar level than traditional trocken (“dry”) wines. Another is the unique bottle shape known as Bocksbeutel (rounded and then flattened), which is also unique to the best wines of Franconia.

Given the long history of winemaking in Franconia, it’s perhaps no surprise that wine plays an important role in popular culture. In addition to the traditional Oktoberfest, for example, Franconia celebrates a Weinfest, where participants drink wine instead of beer.

Visiting Franken Producers

Rudolf Fürst/ 5 Stars

Pictures: Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting (from Barrel and from Bottle) at Weingut Rudolf Fürst, Franken, with Sebastian Fürst - Germany-East Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Art, Culture, History - Berlin, Saale-Unstrut, Sachsen, Württemberg, Franken

Luckert – Zehnthof/ 4.5 Stars

Pictures: Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Zehnthof Luckert, in Sulzfeld, Franken, with Philipp Luckert - Germany-East Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Art, Culture, History - Berlin, Saale-Unstrut, Sachsen, Württemberg, Franken

Bürgerspital zum Heiligen Geist/ 4 Stars

Pictures: Schiller’s Favorite Wine Taverns in Würzburg, Franken, Germany

Schmitt`s Kinder/ 4 Stars

Picture: Vineyard Tour and Tasting at Weingut Schmitt’s Kinder in Randersacker, Franken, with Martin Johann Schmitt – Germany-East Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours

Am Stein/ 4 Stars

Pictures: Wine Pairing Dinner at 1 Michelin Star Restaurant Reisers am Stein and Tasting and Tour at Weingut am Stein Ludwig Knoll, with Winemaker Franziska Schömig - Germany-East Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Art, Culture, History - Berlin, Saale-Unstrut, Sachsen, Württemberg, Franken

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