The visit of the Lake Constance Region was a first for the Germany-South and Alsace Tour by ombiasy WineTours. We had never been to the Lake Constance Region before as it is a bit out of the way. It was worth the detour. We started with a wine tasting concert at Weingut Aufricht on the day of our arrival. The following day, we spent the whole day at Schloss Salem, touring the historic abbey before lunch and having a visit of the winery of Schloss Salem - Weingut Markgraf von Baden - in the afternoon, before visiting Kirche Birnau and its vineyards. We concluded the day with a tour of Meersburg and had a light dinner in a wine tavern in Meersburg.
The visit of Weingut Aufricht was not a typical one. Annette had booked us seats at an wine and music evening event at Weingut Aufricht. The Ensemble "Männer und Tenöre" performed A Cappella music and Manfred Aufricht poured 6 wines and talked about his winery and his wines.
A cappella (Italian for “From the chapel/choir”) music is singing without instrumental accompaniment. The Comedian Harmonists were an internationally famous, all-male German ensemble that performed between 1928 and 1934 as one of the most successful musical groups in Europe before World War II.
Manfred Aufricht and his wife Hildegard Aufricht were our hosts. This was an evening of music and wine.
Baden
Baden is Germany’s most southerly and - with 16,000 hectares (39,300 acres) under vine – third largest wine region. Despite its size and the quality of its wines, it is not well known outside of Germany, because it exports very little.
From north to south, Baden spans approximately 200 kilometers, and is primarily situated on the right bank of the Rhein river. On the left bank is Alsace in France. Baden is divided into nine districts; one of them is the Lake Constance district, where the Aufricht Estate is located.
Baden is known for its Pinot wines, both white and red,which account for more than half of Baden’s wine output. Riesling plays only a minor role.
Lake Constance
Lake Constance - in German: Bodensee - is shared by Germany, Switzerland and Austria. The largest City on the lake is Constance - in German: Konstanz. On the Swiss side is the Canton of Thurgau, where the grape variety Mueller Thurgau comes from, created by Hermann Mueller in 1882. The Austrian part does not have much wine, if any; the wine regions of Austria are on the other side of the country, in the east.
Picture: Lake Constance in the South of Germany, with Swiss MountainsSee also: The Evolving Structure of the Wine Industry in Germany – The Case of the Lake Constance Region
Weingut Aufricht
In Baden - like in Württemberg - the wine industry is dominated by wine co-operatives; they account for 85% of the region's production. This explains the low export share. Private winemakers are the exception. One of these exceptions is Weingut Aufricht. Weingut Aufricht started out as a member of a wine co-operative and became independent about 30 years ago, after the brothers Robert and Manfred Aufricht had taken over from their parents.
The Aufricht winery was founded seventy years ago by the father and grandfather of the current generations. Today the winery has 24 hectares of vineyards. 80 % of the vineyards are planted with Burgundy grapes (30% Pinot Noir, 20% Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Auxerrois, Chardonnay 10% respectively), the remainder with Müller-Thurgau, Muskateller, Riesling, Sauvignon-Blanc. The Aufricht brothers were the first to plant Sauvignon Blanc again in the Lake Constance region. The top red wines are matured in barriques for several years. Bottle-fermented sparkling wines are also produced.
Weingut Aufricht is located at Lake Constance between Meersburg and Hagnau. The lake’s water reflects the sun like a mirror. The roots of the vines get their "food" from the glacial moraine of granite, limestone and gneiss of the Alps. The idyllic location in combination with the elegant and modern architecture and the view on the lake and the Swiss Alps in the distance make this winery the perfect spot for a romantic concert.
The vineyard area totals 24 hectares, with holdings in the Fohrenberg and Sängerhalde sites. The Aufricht brothers grow Pinot Noir, Lemberger, Pinot Madeleine and Regent, and Pinot Gris, Auxerrois,Pinot Blanc, Müller-Thurgau, Chardonnay, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc.
Weingut Aufricht has 2 Grapes (out of 5) in the Gault Millau Wine Guide.
Wine and Music
This was a most enjoyable evening of good wines and good music.
The Wines
2016 Weingut Aufricht Gutedel
2016 Weingut Aufricht Johannes Aufricht Müller-Thurgau Alte Reben
2016 Weingut Aufricht Spätburgunder Rose
2015 Weingut Aufrich Weissburgunder 1 Lilie
1015 Weingut Aufricht Aufricht Weiss (Riesling and Grauburgunder)
2014 Weingut Aufricht Chardonnay trocken 3 Lilien
2015 Weingut Aufricht Aufrichtig Rot (Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir)
schiller-wine: All Postings (Published and Forthcoming): Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours: Baden, Alsace, Pfalz and Rheinhessen
Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours: Baden, Alsace, Pfalz and Rheinhessen
Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour (and Lunch) with Robert Schätzle, Owner/ Winemaker, Weingut Schloss Neuweier in Baden - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours
La Cucina della Passione and Weingut Schloss Neuweier Wines: Wine Pairing Lunch at Röttele’s Restaurant (1 Star Michelin) at Schloss Neuweier, with Owner and Winemaker Robert Schätzle, Weingut Schloss Neuweier - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours
Wine tasting concert with the A-Cappella Ensemble “Männer und Tenöre” at Weingut Aufricht in Meersburg – Stetten, with Manfred and Hildegard Aufricht
The Lake Wines of the Aufricht Brothers: From Lake Constance in Germany
The Evolving Structure of the Wine Industry in Germany – The Case of the Lake Constance Region
Schloss Salem at Lake Constance in Germany: A Museum, a School and a Wine Estate
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