The "Weingut & Edelobstbrennerei Fischer" is located in the municipality of Wiesentheid (Steigerwald area) in the German growing region of Franconia. It was founded in 1948 as "Weinhandlung Fischer" by Martin Fischer. In 1964, the inn "Zur Krone" was acquired as the new company headquarters. The first vineyard was bought in 1979 and the Fischer wine estate was founded. In 1990 Joachim Fischer took over the business from his father. After practical training in German and European wineries, his son Thomas completed his training as a state-certified wine technologist. After further practice in Australian and New Zealand wineries, he has been responsible for the entire cultivation and development of the wines since 2010. Since 2014, the wine tavern has been joined by a newly built vinotheque that forms a harmonious unit with the old manor house.
The vineyards cover almost nine hectares of vineyards in the Teufel (Kammerforst), Stollberg (Handthal), Wutschenberg (Kleinlangheim), Herrenberg (Oberschwarzach) and Wachhügel (Wiesenbronn) vineyards. They are planted with the white wine varieties Silvaner, Müller-Thurgau, Bacchus, Scheurebe, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc and Gewürztraminer, as well as with the red wine varieties Pinot Noir, Domina, Portugieser, Dornfelder, Schwarzriesling and Regent.
The vineyards are cultivated as close to nature as possible "in harmony with nature". For soil conservation, the resulting marc and manure are brought in. Weeds are only controlled mechanically, pests are controlled using agents that are gentle on beneficial insects. Quality criteria are targeted pruning, foliage care, thinning out and selective harvesting for ripe, healthy grapes. During vinification, grapes, mash, must and wine are treated as gently as possible. The white wines ferment temperature-controlled in stainless steel and some specialities in barrique. The red wines mature in large wooden barrels or in barrique after traditional, open mash fermentation. Constant tasting determines the best possible bottling time.
The in-house quality pyramid includes at the top the "3-star wines" from selected vineyards with a significant reduction in yield, hand-picked grapes and gentle ageing in barrique barrels. Then come the "Großen & Edelsüßen Franken", these are top Franconian wines with targeted yield limitation from selective hand harvesting. This is followed by the three levels of "Classic Franconians" with single vineyards, the "Fischers Fritz" line with young, sparkling varietal wines and the basic "Local Wines" line in litre bottles. Around 170,000 bottles of wine are produced annually.
The second mainstay of the business is its own noble fruit distillery. A wide range of noble brandies (e.g. sloe, Williams, raspberry, rowanberry, wild cherry, hazelnut) as well as liqueurs are produced. After the distillation process, the distillates are stored and matured in large clay pots or small wooden barrels until they are ready to drink. The farm is a member of the Rosenhut association of noble fruit distilleries, which guarantees production according to strict quality guidelines without sugar.
