What I Learned:
Along the Main River in Franconia (Franken, in German), there are three wine districts of good repute: Maindreieck, Mainviereck, and the Steigerwald, set slightly off the river, but still enjoying a climate mild enough to grow grapes. This post focuses on the Maindreieck district only.
The Maindreieck is a triangle of land surrounded on three sides by the Main River. The Main is a tributary to the Rhine. The river makes three dramatic curves close to the heart of Franconia, forming this “triangle” (dreieck) as a paragon of viticulture in south central Germany. The most important and undoubtedly best known town for wine culture in this area is Wuerzburg.
There are some very well-known vineyards in this district. Within the precincts of Wuerzburg, there are the Innere Leiste, situated just below the walls of the imposing Fortress Marienburg; and the Wuerzburger Stein. Just outside Wuerzburg, within the precincts of the wine village of Randersacker, there are three: the Randersackerer Teufelskeller, Pfulben, and Sonnenstuhl.
Volkach, on the river northeast of Wuerzburg, has also three renowned vineyards: the Eschendorfer Lump, the Volkacher Ratsherr, and the Volkacher Kirchberg. The Kirchberg, “church mountain,” refers to the Maria im Weingarten (Mary in the Vineyards) pilgrimage church situated cozily among the vines. Escherndorfer Lump, on the ridges overlooking the village of Nordheim on the “Wine Island,” is also another vineyard of great repute. The Wine Island has the Sommeracher Katzenkopf and the Nordheimer Voegelein. With so many premier vineyard sites (known as Erste Lage in German), Franken wines can be quite good.
Major Franken Grape Varietals:
Silvaner: This varietal has been grown in the Franconia area since the 17th century, and is one of the more important varietals for this particular area. Many locals prefer it over Riesling.
Mueller-Thurgau: This hybrid varietal is also known as Rivaner, and produces a light, fruity wine. In Franconia, it is currently more widely planted than Silvaner.
Riesling: Riesling wine is the most planted varietal in Germany, but less so in Franconia. Here, true to form, many Riesling wines take on a mineral flavor determined by the soil.
Scheurebe: Especially famed in the Steigerwald area, wines from this varietal find particular favor and renown in this region overall.
Domina: This red wine varietal, a cross between Spaetburgunder and Portugieser, is fairly recent.
What I Tasted:
2012 Silvaner, Wuerzburger Stein, Qualitaetswein, Trocken, Juliusspital – Wuerzburg: A dry white wine with a light medium gold color; a sweet-smelling bouquet, with hints of floral, honey and dried fruit; Well-balanced, and very slightly tart, medium body and mouthfeel.
2012 Riesling, Volkacher Katzenkopf, Weingut Rainer Wohlfahrt: A dry white wine with light gold color, minerally, tart, refreshing, light to medium body
2012, Silvaner, Volkacher Kirchberg, Kabinett, Weingut Markus Schneider: A dry white wine with a minerally taste, full-bodied, long finish, very refreshing.
2012, Silvaner, Sommeracher Katzenkopf, Kabinett, Trocken, Winzer Sommerach: A dry white wine with substantial mineral content, slight green apple-tart taste, tingly on tongue, light to medium body. A nice white wine to drink in summer.
2012, Silvaner, Gaibacher Alte Reben, Weingut Graf von Schoenborn: A dry white wine with medium gold color; complex flavors, minerally, fruity (grapes predominate), medium body.
2011, Spaetburgunder, Spaetlese trocken, Terra Consilium, Thueringsheimer Ravensburg: A medium-bodied red wine, colored a darker red than expected for a pinot noir; with a spicy, chalky, minerally taste, full of flavors of wild berries.
2011, Domina, Volkacher Ratsherr, Qualitaetswein, Trocken, Weingut Karl Mueller: A dry red wine with dark red color, from a cross-bred grape not often seen elsewhere, has full-bodied flavors of cherries and oak. Close to a northern Italian red in mouthfeel and aroma.
2011, Domina, Juventa, Qualitaetswein, Trocken, Divino Nordheim: This dry red with dark color was not as dry as the Volkacher above, nor as full bodied, but still has wonderful cherries and oak flavors.