Würzburg in Franken boasts 3 legendary wineries, Juliuspital, Bürgerspital and Staatlicher Hofkeller, with a long and most interesting history. They are also rather large (by German standards). Two of the three, Juliusspital and Bürgerspital, also house iconic wine taverns. While the third, Staatlicher Hofkeller, also has a wine tavern, but it lacks the specialness that the other two display.
The posting focuses on the Bürgerspital and the Juliusspital; it also includes a few other interesting wine places in Würzburg.
Bürgerspital and Juliusspital
Spital is an archaic term formerly used to mean “hospital” in German and makes up part of the name of the other two big Würzburg wine estates. The Bürgerspital and the Juliusspital were both once hospitals. One of them, the Juliusspital, is still one today. Funding for the hospitals came from wine produced from donated vineyards.
On the 23rd of June, in the year 1319, Johann von Steren established the Bürgerspital zum Heilige Geist to care for the sick and needy citizens of Würzburg. At the same time, he designated certain of his vineyards to provide the necessary financial support.
A couple of centuries later, Prince Bishop Julius Echter followed suit and founded the Juliusspital with the same general goals in mind and a similar motivation: to acquire divine salvation through the mortal and the eternal through the transient.
Today these two institutions are among the oldest and largest wine estates in Germany, with 140 and 170 hectares respectively, and still provide the major source of income for their charities.
Würzburg
This city of 130,000, nestled among vineyards along the river banks, is arguably the finest of Germany's Baroque and Rococo towns. Its history dates from the 8th century, when Frankish dukes, converted to Christianity by Irish missionary monks, laid the foundations of massive Marienberg Fortress on the crest of the highest of Würzburg's many terraced and vine-covered hills. One of the oldest churches in the country, the Marienkirche, consecrated in 706, still stands in that castle's courtyard.
From the Middle Ages until 1802, when Napoleon reshaped the map of Europe, imposed secularization and ceded the city to the newly created Kingdom of Bavaria, Würzburg was a rich, influential and virtually independent prince-bishopric whose rulers enjoyed both ecclesiastical and worldly powers. Most important though, nearly all those prince-bishops were connoisseurs and patrons of the arts. Their sponsorship and commissions attracted great artists and architects, who made the city the major cultural center that it is today.
Thus it was Würzburg where the painter Matthias Grünewald was born and did some of his earliest work as an apprentice to local masters. In 1483, during the reign of Prince-Bishop Rudolf von Scherenberg, Tilman Riemenschneider, the greatest of the Renaissance woodcarvers and sculptors, settled and established his studio in Würzburg, ultimately becoming the city's burgomaster. His work is omnipresent in Würzburg churches and in those of nearby towns and villages.
Two other prince-bishops hired Balthasar Neumann, Germany's preeminent Baroque architect, to build the Residenz, their diocesal palace, and commissioned Venetian artist Giovanni Battista Tiepolo to decorate it with Rococo ceiling and wall frescoes.
To be sure, a great deal of what you see in Würzburg today is not what you think it is or what it purports to be, for much of what looks old is relatively new. Most of the city's architectural heritage was destroyed in a single World War II air raid in March 1945. But visitors today will hardly notice, for many beautiful churches, graceful bridges, ornate patrician houses and splendid hospices were rebuilt.
The Würzburg Residenz
Würzburg's most dazzling piece of architecture, and the one for which it is on UNESCO's list, is the Residenz, the palace of the prince-bishops, one of the largest and most richly decorated chateaus in all Europe. Its sponsor was Johann Philip von Schönborn, who was elected prince-bishop in 1719. The Residenz’ mind-boggling centerpiece is the grand staircase, capped by Tiepolo's 7,000-square-foot ceiling fresco. The vaulted ceiling is more than 17 feet high and is entirely unsupported by pillars.
Staatlicher Hofkeller Würzburg
Once you have traversed the rooms and parlors of the Residenz, be certain to visit the Staatliche Hofkellerei Würzburg. The extensive and labyrinthine wine cellars stretch out deep below the building.
The Staatliche Hofkeller Würzburg is one of Germany’s largest wine estates. Founded in 1128, it is also one of the oldest. Initially, it was owned by the Prince-Bishops of Würzburg. From 1814 onwards, after the Vienna Congress, the Kingdom of Bavaria was the owner under the name Königlich Bayerischer Hofkeller (royal Bavarian state cellar), with an interlude from 1806 to 1814, when it was owned by Grand Duke Ferdinand of Tuscany.
After the revolution of 1918, the Kingdom of Bavaria became part of the Weimar Republic as the State of Bavaria and the State of Bavaria took over the Staatliche Hofkellerei Würzburg as the successor of the Kingdom of Bavaria.
Today, the vineyard area totals 120 hectares. These holdings are spread over many communes.
Bürgerspital
The first vineyards of the Bürgerspital were planted in the 1300s and served to supply the Bürgerspital’s own needs. It is reported that in 1598, the residents of the old people's home were provided with a tankard - 1.22 litres - of wine. Today, the vineyard area of Weingut Bürgerspital totals 120 hectares, of which about 80 hectares are located in Würzburg.
Sites: Würzburger Stein, Würzburger Stein-Harfe, Würzburger Innere Leiste, Würzburger Pfaffenberg, Würzburger Abtsleite, Randersackerer Teufelskeller, Randersackerer Pfülben, Randersackerer Marsberg, Veitshöchheimer Sonnenschein.
In Bürgerspital's old "Pfründner" cellar, there are modern stainless-steel tanks where the wines ferment temperature-controlled. In the adjacent vaults is one of Germany's biggest wooden barrel cellars: 200 valuable oak barrels, some of them adorned with precious carvings were used for cultivating wine hundreds of years ago. There is space for four annual harvests in the cellars.
The iconic Bürgerspital tavern -- with its 10 rustically furnished rooms and a retail store -- is in a wing of this institution. The food is regional and the wines are those of Weingut Bürgerspital. The last time I ate their I had steak tartare.
Juliusspital
Weingut Juliusspital is Germany’s second largest winery with 177 hectares under vines.
At the center of the Juliusspital Foundation are a hospital, an assisted living home for elderly people and a hospice. This has been so for more than 400 years. Today, the buildings of the Juliusspital Foundation comprise many modern buildings but also very impressive and well maintained historical buildings.
As to the latter, the Fürstenbau, a palatial building, designed by the architect Antonio Petrini built in the Barock style with its historical cellar vaults, its garden pavilion and the fountain statues of Jacob van der Auvera, make the Juliusspital a unique monument of art and culture at the heart of the city of Würzburg. The historical cellars, which we had the opportunity to visit, with the old traditional wooden casks, are still in use for fermentation and aging.
Since its establishment, the profits of the Weingut Juliusspital have contributed to the financing of the social services of the Juliusspital Foundation. In addition to the vineyard land, the Juliusspital Foundation also owns farm land and forests.
The iconic Juliusspital tavern is part of the Juliusspital complex. It is large. The food is similar to the food at the Bürgerspital tavern. The wines are those of Weingut Bürgerspital. The last time I ate their I had “Nürnberger Bratwürste”.
See:
Tour and Tasting at the Historic Weingut Juliusspital in Würzburg, Franken – Germany-North Wine Tour by ombiasy (2014)
Other Wine Taverns and Places
You will not find a wine estate at the Alte Mainbrücke, a stunning 500-year-old stone bridge, but you will find—especially on a sunny day—hundreds of wine drinkers. The bridge crosses the River Main and motor traffic is banned. It has become quite common for the Würzburg citizens, as well as visitors, to stroll across bridge, relax against one of its balustrades, sip a glass of wine and enjoy the amazing view.
On the left bank, you will see the imposing fortress—Festung Marienberg—standing guard over the city from and the Käppele, a beautiful baroque chapel. Along the steep banks of the Main, you can make out the Würzburger Stein. Where do you get your wine?
Weinbistro Mainwein on the Alte Mainbrücke is an outlet of the GWF co-operative (Winzergemeinschaft Franken). The GWF has 2270 members. The vineyard area totals 1321 hectares. You can purchase wine by the bottle or by the glass.
Alte Mainmühle: Although this is also a nice restaurant, where it is necessary to make a reservation, you can have a snack and wine for takeout at the bar.
Weinhaus Stachel is the oldest restaurant of Würzburg and it’s got a lovely romantic inner courtyard where you can dine on warm evenings. Today a nice restaurant, Weinhaus Stachel once was the conspirative venue of the knights in the German Peasants’ War in the early 16th century. The mace hanging outside the door is referring to this history of the tavern. Gressengasse 1
The Würzburger Ratskeller is located in the Würzburg city hall. It has seventeen different rooms - one is in the old house chapel and another was once the city dungeon. There is also a beautiful inner courtyard where you can dine next to the fountain. Langgasse 1
Reisers am Stein is part of Weingut am Stein Ludwig Knoll, right in the middle of the Würzburger Stein, the biggest single vineyard in Franconia. Along with the Staatliche Hofkeller, the Bürgerspital and the Juliusspital, Weingut am Stein Ludwig Knoll owns parcels of the Würzburger Stein.
See:
Visit and Tasting at Weingut Am Stein Ludwig Knoll in Würzburg, Franken - Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)
The restaurant and wine bar of Weingut am Stein Ludwig Knoll are leased out to Chef Bernhard Reiser, who cooks there at the highest level. Reisers is a one-star Michelin Restaurant and the wine bar was included by Geroldsteiner in a list of the 18 best wine places in Germany. The wines offered are of course Weingut Am Stein Ludwig Knoll wines, but also other top wines. Mittlerer Steinbergweg 5
Schiller’ Favorites
Here is a complete list of Schiller's Favorites:
Europe
Germany
Schiller’s Favorites: 2 Legendary Wine Taverns in Würzburg – Juliusspital and Bürgerspital
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars and Wine Taverns in Freiburg, Baden, Germany
Schiller's Favorites: Frankfurt Apple Wine Taverns that Make their own Apple Wine
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 Wine Bars in Beaune, Bourgogne, France
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Bordeaux City, 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, 2014
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
Weingut Schloss Proschwitz, Prinz zur Lippe, in Zadel, Sachsen: Tour and Tasting with Prinz zur Lippe – Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)
Dining with Prinz zur Lippe, Owner of Weingut Schloss Proschwitz, at the Lippe’sches Gutshaus - Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)
Weingut Karl Friedrich Aust in Radebeul, Sachsen: Tour and Lunch with Tasting – Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)
Visit of Weingut Klaus Zimmerling: The Wines of Klaus Zimmerling and the Art of his Wife Malgorzata Chodakoska - Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)
Schiller's Favorite Winemakers in Sachsen (Saxony), Germany
Tour and Tasting at Weingut Wirsching in Iphofen in Franken with General Manager Uwe Matheus – Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)
Visit and Tasting at Weingut Am Stein Ludwig Knoll in Würzburg, Franken - Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)
Tasting and Tour with the Pinot Noir Legend Paul Fürst, Weingut Rudolf Fürst in Bürgstadt, Franken – Germany-East Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)
Würzburg and its 2 Historic Wine Taverns: Juliusspital and Bürgerspital
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
Great article about a fantastic city. I just love Wurzburg and I am a huge fan of Franken Wine.
ReplyDeleteExcellent article about Würzburg and Franken http://www.winetouristmagazine.com/wt-blog/2015/6/30/2x9w5433m6thi1a40lmbe5lpep0di3
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