The "Bergsträßer Winzer eG" winegrowers' association, based in the municipality of Heppenheim in the German wine-growing region of Hessische Bergstrasse, was founded in 1904 as the "Starkenburger Winzerverein". Until 1960, the farm buildings of the Kurmainzer Amtshof served as the company's premises, before the foundation stone was laid in 1959 for a new, modern winery and company building on Darmstädter Straße. At the end of 2014, the VINIVERSUM BERGSTRASSE® wine experience world was opened there, which was named one of the most beautiful German vinotheques by the DWI. The managing directors are Dr Patrick Staub, cellar master Gerhard Weiß and Dirk Herdner.
Today, around 380 members cultivate 265 hectares of vines in 17 individual vineyards along the Hessian Bergstrasse, but also along the Badische Bergstrasse in the Baden winegrowing region. The share in Hesse accounts for about 83% of the farm area. This corresponds to just under 60% of the Hessische Bergstraße growing region. The individual vineyards cultivated in the Hessische Bergstrasse growing region are: Schöntal (Alsbach), Fürstenlager and Höllberg (Auerbach), Hemsberg, Kalkgasse, Paulus and Streichling (Bensheim), Eckweg, Maiberg, Stemmler and Steinkopf (Heppenheim), as well as Alte Burg, Steingeröll (Zwingenberg). The single vineyard sites in the Baden growing region are: Herrnwingert (Hemsbach), Sonnberg (Laudenbach), Stephansberg (Hohensachsen and Lützelsachsen) and Wüstberg (Weinheim).
The vineyards are cultivated according to natural principles, including a natural cover crop, environmentally friendly nutrient supply and plant protection that is gentle on beneficial insects. The limited amount of pruning and careful care of the vines result in low yields of only 75 hectolitres per hectare on average over many years. With 108 hectares of vineyards (41%), Riesling clearly dominates the white wine varieties, followed by Ruländer (Pinot Gris), Müller-Thurgau and, as a special feature, Roter Riesling. Among the red wine varieties, Blauer Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) dominates with 46 hectares of vineyards (18%), followed by Dornfelder, Saint Laurent (St. Laurent), Regent, Cabernet Mitos, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
70% of the wines are vinified dry. Specialities are noble sweet Prädikat wines from Auslese to Trockenbeerenauslese as well as ice wine. Around 1.9 million bottles are produced annually. The extensive wine archive includes around 12,000 bottles from the top vintage 1959 onwards. Bottle-fermented sparkling wines (e.g. from the Goldmuskateller variety) and sparkling wines with the name Primasecco ® are also produced. In 2019, the Bergsträßer Winzer eG's young winegrowers' association VINAS® was named Young Winegrowers' Association of the Year by the DLG for the second time in a row, as well as being awarded first place as Young Winegrowers' Organisation of the Year by the German Raiffeisen Association.
