The centre of Franconia is not only from a wine-growing point of view the baroque city of Würzburg, where the famous vineyard "Würzburger Stein" is located - probably one of the most famous German single vineyard sites. A winged word in the Middle Ages was "Franconian wine is sick wine". The writer Kurt Tucholsky (1890-1935) considered Franconian wine to be "deep and pure like a bell tone". The climate is continental with dry, warm summers and cold winters. Over 40% of the wines are bottled in Bocksbeutel. This bottle shape is legally protected for Franconian quality wines and a wine route is named after it. An important Franconian winegrowing pioneer was the owner of the winery Sebastian Englerth (1804-1880).
Areas, municipalities and locations
Franconia used to be divided into the three areas Maindreieck, Mainviereck and Steigerwald with 23 major sites and 216 individual sites. In November 2011, the members of the Franconian Winegrowers' Association adopted a new regulation. The three old areas will be replaced by 12 much smaller ones. These will also replace the 23 large sites in the medium to long term. The old areas once played a role in the predominant marketing of Franconian table wine, which they had lost for some time. The 12 new areas correspond analogously to the wine designation PDO (protected designation of origin), which has been valid since 2009:
Abbot Degen Weintal
The area named after Alberich Degen (1625-1686), the abbot of the Cistercian monastery of Ebrach, lies between Haßfurt and Bamberg in the northeast of the Steigerwald and on the southern edge of the Haßberge. The vineyards cover 115 hectares of vineyard area. The communities with their individual sites:
- Bamberg: Alter Graben, Michaelsberg
- Eltmann: Castle management
- Haßfurt: Henneberg
- Knetzgau-Oberschwappach: Summer Valley
- Krum: Kingdom of heaven
- Sand on the Main: Himmelsbühl, Kronberg
- Schmachtenberg: Eulenberg
- Staffelbach: Spitzelberg
- Steinbach: Nonnenberg
- Unfind: Kinnleitenberg
- Unterhaid: Röthla
- Pond: Vineyards
- Zeil am Main: Mönchshang, Pfarrerspflöckn
- Ziegelanger: oil beak
Alzenau wine region
This area comprises the vineyards of the City of Aschaffenburg incl. OT Damm and OT Obernau, the City of Alzenau incl. OT Hörstein, OT Wasserlos, OT Michelbach and OT Dörsthofe, the Markt Hösbach incl. OT Rottenberg. The vineyards cover 90 hectares of vineyard area. The communities with their individual sites:
- Aschaffenburg: Badberg, Godelsberg, Pompeii
- Hörstein: Abtsberg, Reuschberg (Großlage)
- Dorsthöfe: Aloisengarten
- Michelbach: Aloisengarten, Apostles' Garden, Steinberg
- Obernau: Sanderberg
- Rottenberg: Gräfenstein
- Waterless: Lohmännchen, Schlossberg
Chur Franconia
The area stretches along the Main, from Großostheim in the north to Weilbach in the south, and from Großostheim in the west to Dorfprozelten in the east. The vineyards cover 255 hectares. The municipalities with their individual sites:
- Bürgstadt: Centgrafenberg, Hundsrück, Main Hell
- Village protests: Preaching Chair
- Engelberg: monastery garden
- Erlenbach on the Main: Hochberg
- Großheubach: Bischofsberg, Main Hell, Steingrübler
- Großostheim: Harstell, Reischklingeberg
- Großwallstadt: Lützeltalerberg
- Klingenberg am Main: Einsiedel, Hochberg, Schlossberg
- Miltenberg: Steingrübler
- Mömlingen: Orlis
- Röllbach: Deutschordensberg
- Back: Jesuit Mountain, Johannis Mountain, Schalk
- Wörth am Main: Campestres, gallows hump
Franconia's hall piece
The area Frankens Saalestück extends along the Franconian Saale with the city of Hammelburg and its districts in the centre. It extends from Obererthal (north) to Hammelburg (south) and from Obereschenbach (west) to Ramsthal (east). The vineyards cover 155 hectares of vineyard area. The municipalities with their individual sites:
- Elfershausen: castle hill
- Engenthal: Castle hill
- Feuerthal: Altenberg, cross
- Fox town: Rubenhöll
- Hammelburg: Altenberg, Heroldsberg, Trautlestal
- Machtilshausen: Summer management
- Ramsthal: St. Klausen
- Saaleck: Schlossberg
- Sulzthal: Schlangenberg, St. Klausen
- Westheim: Altenberg, Längberg
- Wirmsthal: Scheinberg
Main Kingdom of Heaven
The area extends from Marktheidenfeld in the north to Neubrunn, OT Böttigheim, in the south and from Kreuzwertheim in the west to Uettingen in the east. The vineyards cover 125 hectares of vineyard area. The municipalities with their individual sites:
- Böttigheim: Wurmberg
- Erlenbach near Marktheidenfeld: crow's beak
- Homburg am Main: noblewoman, Kallmuth
- Kreuzwertheim: Kaffelstein
- Lengfurt: Old mountain, Oberrot
- Marktheidenfeld: Kreuzberg
- Remlingen: Crow's beak, sun grove
- Uettingen: Kirchberg
South Main
The area can be described as a triangle with the corners of Würzburg, Frickenhausen am Main and Mainstockheim. It also includes the areas along the Tauber river. The vineyards cover more than 1,300 hectares. The municipalities with their individual sites:
- Albertshofen: Hergottsweg
- Aub: Mountain of lambs
- Buchbrunn: Hot stone
- Eibelstadt: Mönchsleite, Kapellenberg, Steinbach
- Frickenhausen: Fishermen, Kapellenberg
- Gerbrunn: Hummelberg
- Kitzingen: Eherieder mountain, Eselsberg, Wilhelmsberg
- Small ox ford: Herrenberg
- Mainstockheim: Mountain-Rondell, courtyard
- Marktbreit: Sonnenberg
- Martinsheim: Langenstein
- Obernbreit: Pulpit
- Randersacker: Dabug, Lämmerberg, Marsberg, Pfülben, Sonnenstuhl, Teufelskeller
- Repperndorf: Emperor Karl
- Röttingen: Flintstone
- Segnitz: Pfaffensteig, Sable Mountain
- Sickershausen: Stork fountain
- Sommerhausen: Tire stone, Steinbach
- Sulzfeld am Main: Cyriakusberg (with mountain I), Maustal, Sonnenberg
- Tauberrettersheim: Queen
- Theilheim: Altenberg
- Winterhausen: Emperor Wilhelm
- Würzburg: Abtsleite, View of the fortress, Inner ledge, Pfaffenberg, Schlossberg, Stein (with stone harp)
- Würzburg-Heidingsfeld: Kirchberg
Central Franconian Bocksbeutelstrasse
The area extends from Rothenburg ob der Tauber in the south to Neundorf in the north and from Tauberzell in the west to Dietersheim in the east. The vineyards cover more than 200 hectares. The municipalities with their individual sites:
- Bad Windsheim: Rosenberg
- Ergersheim: Altenberg
- Ickelheim: Castle hill
- Ingolstadt: Rotenberg
- Ipsheim: Hoheneck Castle
- Krassolzheim: Pfaffenberg
- Markt-Nordheim: Hohenkottenheim
- Neundorf: Hüßberg, Mönchsbuck, Sonneberg, Wonne, Rothenburg ob der Tauber: Eich
- Tauberzell: Rabbit's nest
- Ulsenheim: Huttenberg
- Weimersheim: Red Mountain
Middle Main
The area extends along the Main from Gemünden am Main in the north to Veitshöchheim in the south, the westernmost extension reaches the area near Greußenheim, the easternmost near Arnstein. The vineyards cover 760 hectares of vineyard area. The municipalities with their individual sites:
- Adelsberg: Wernleite
- Erlabrunn: Wine path
- Eußenheim: First
- Gambach: Calvary
- Gemünden am Main: Scherenberg
- Gössenheim: Homburg
- Greußenheim: Geisberg
- Güntersleben: Summer chair
- Halsheim: Bischofsberg
- Heugrumbach: Bischofsberg
- Himmelstadt: Press
- Karlstadt: In stone
- Laudenbach: Castle
- Leinach: Himmelberg
- Margetshöchheim: Bear valley
- Müdesheim: Bischofsberg
- Mühlbach: Fronberg
- Oberleinach: Himmelberg, wine path
- Retzbach: Benedictus Mountain
- Retzstadt: Langenberg (with wins The Shepherd and Heaven's Path)
- Reuchelheim: Bischofsberg
- Rimpar: Kobersberg
- Stetten: stone
- Thüngersheim: Johannisberg(won Rothlauf), Scarlet mountain
- Veitshöchheim: Sunshine, little wolf
- Meadow field: Herbstthal
- Zellingen: Sunshine page
Schwanberger Land
The area is limited by the cities and communities Tiefenstockheim (southwest), Mainbernheim, Rödelsee, Großlangheim, Kleinlangheim (northwest), Rüdenhausen, Abtswind (northeast), Castell OT Greuth and Markt Einersheim (southeast). Within this area are the city of Iphofen incl. OT Possenheim and the communities Castell and Wiesenbronn. The vineyards cover 735 hectares of vineyard area. The municipalities with their individual sites:
- Abtswind: Altenberg
- Castell: Feuerbach, Hohnart, Kirchberg, Kugelspiel, riding path, castle hill, Trautberg
- Greuth: Handicrafts
- Großlangheim: Kiliansberg, Schwanleite
- Iphofen: Canon, Julius-Echter-Berg, Kalb, Kronsberg, Mönchshütte
- Kleinlangheim: Wutschenberg
- Mainbernheim: Dornberg
- Markt Einersheim: Stüblein, Vogelsang
- Rödelsee: chef, Schwanleite
- Tiefenstockheim: Boots
- Wiesenbronn: Geißberg, Heller Berg, Wachhügel
Volkacher Main Loop
The area begins in the south at Dettelbach, includes the "wine island" with the communities of Nordheim am Main and Sommerach and ends in the north at Wipfeld. The vineyards cover about 2,000 hectares of vine area. The municipalities with their individual sites:
- Astheim: Carthusian houses
- Bergtheim: Harp playing
- Dettelbach: Mountain-Rondell, Sonnenleite
- Escherndorf: Mountain, Fürstenberg, Lump
- Frankenwinheim: Rosenberg
- Gaiberg: Kapellenberg, castle park
- Hallburg: Kreuzberg, Rosenberg, Schlossberg
- Krautheim: Solar guide
- Lindach: cross path
- Mainberg: Castle hill
- Neuses am Berg: Balding
- Nordheim: Kreuzberg, little bird
- Obereisenheim: Höll
- Obervolkach: Lansquenet
- Rimberg: Lansquenet
- Schwanfeld: Mühlberg
- Schwarzenau: Rose garden
- Schweinfurt: Mainleite, Peterstirn
- Sommerach: cat's head, Rosenberg
- Stammheim: Eselsberg
- Untereisenheim: Mountain, Sonnenberg
- Vogelsburg: Gate
- Volkach: Carthusian houses, councilman
- Waigolshausen (OT Theilheim): Mainleite
- Tenth Count
- Zeilitzheim: Heiligenberg
Wine panorama Steigerwald
The southernmost town in the area is Prichsenstadt, the northernmost Donnersdorf. The widest extension is at the level of Gerolzhofen (west) and Michelau in the Steigerwald (east). The vineyards cover 250 hectares of vineyard area. The municipalities with their individual sites:
- Altmannsdorf: Sonnenwinkel
- Dingolshausen: Coalfish
- Falkenstein: Falkenberg
- Gerolzhofen: Arlesgarten, charcoal burner
- Handthal: Stollberg
- Chamber Forest: Devil
- Kirchschönbach: Mariengarten
- Michelau: Full castle
- Mönchstockheim: Mönchberg
- Oberschwarzach: Herrenberg
- Prichsenstadt: Crown
- Wiebelsberg: Badger
Wine Paradise
The area is located on the western edge of the Steigerwald Nature Park. The vineyards cover about 285 hectares. The municipalities with their individual sites:
- Bullenheim: Paradise
- Hüttenheim: Tannenberg
- Ippesheim: Dominion mountain
- Seinsheim: Hohenbühl
- Weigenheim: Hohenlandsberg
List of vine varieties
There were no major changes compared to 2009. The proportion of red wine varieties has fallen slightly in line with the general trend. The Müller-Thurgau, first planted here in Retzstadt in 1925, is still in the lead, but has reduced its share from 42% to 25% in the last 20 years. The second rank of the Green Silvaner, known as the "King of Franconia", remained unchanged. The status 2018 (0 = less than 0.5 ha):
Producers
Well known producers are Arnold Wilhelm, Baldauf, Bickel-Stumpf, Blendel Michael, Bocksbeutel-Hof, Braun Heinz, Braun Waldemar, Brennfleck, Breunig, Brügel Harald, Bürgerspital, Burrlein, Dahms, Deppisch Johannes, DIVINO Nordheim Thüngersheim, Emmerich Werner, Erhard Walter, Felshof - Wenninger, Fendt Wine Family, Fischer Joachim, Fröhlich Clemens, Fröhlich Michael, Fürstlich Castell'sches Domänenamt, Fürst Löwenstein, Fürst Rudolf, Göbel Martin, Grebner - Der Patrizierhof, Gunther Harald, Hart Privat-Weingut, H. Deppisch, Hemberger Roland, Höfler Bernd, Höfling Klaus, Hofmann Alois, Hofmann Helmut & Bernd, Hofmann Mario, Ilmbacher Hof, Juliusspital, Krämer Hermann & Stephan, Kreglinger, Kremers Winzerhof, LandArt, Leininger Walter, Max Müller I May Rudolf, Meier Markus, Reiss Christian, Römmert, Rothe Manfred, Roth Gerhard, Ruck Johann, Rudloff, Ruppert, Sauer Horst, Sauer Rainer, Schäffer Egon, Schloss Sommerhausen, Schmachtenberger Berthold, Schmidt Frank & Lukas, Schmitts Children, Schwab Thomas, State Hofkeller Würzburg, Stahl Albrecht, Steinmann Artur, Steintal, Stich Gerhard, Störrlein, Stritzinger, Trockene Schmitts, Walter Josef, Weigand, Winery Am Lump, Winery Am Stein, Weinmanufaktur 3 Zeilen, Wein von 3, Weltner Paul, Wengerter Rainer, Winzerfamilie Koch, Winzer Sommerach, Wirsching Hans, Wörners Schloss, Zang Otmar, Zehnthof Familie Luckert, Zehnthof Familie Weickert, Zehntkeller, Zur Schwane. About 80% of the Bavarian winegrowers are organized in the Franconian wine growing ring. A well-known winegrowers' association is Frank & Frei.
Map: DWI (German Wine Institute)
Main: From Lencer - own work, in Co-Operation with DieBuche, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link
Escherndorf: DWI (German Wine Institute)