wein.plus
Attention
You are using an old browser that may not function as expected.
For a better, safer browsing experience, please upgrade your browser.

Log in Become a Member

Main Himmelreich

Area in the German production region of Franken; see there.

The growing region is located on the northern edge of the federal state of Bavaria in Germany and is crossed by the River Main in a large W-shape. A special feature is that the Bavarian vineyards on Lake Constance around Lindau belong to the Württemberg wine-growing region. The vineyards cover 6,130 hectares, most of which extend between Aschaffenburg and Schweinfurt. All are planted on south-facing valley slopes on the banks of the Main or in side valleys of its tributaries. It is an ancient wine-growing region, as evidenced by a deed of gift from 777 to the monastery of Fulda, to which the royal estate of Hammelburg with eight vineyards (Saaleck Castle with Schlossberg) was granted. A description of the area between Randersacker and Würzburg dated 14 October 779 by Emperor Charlemagne (742-814) is documented.

The centre of Franconia is not only the baroque city of Würzburg from a viticultural point of view, where one of the most famous German single vineyards, the "Würzburger Stein", is located. A common saying in the Middle Ages was "Franconian wine is sick wine". The writer Kurt Tucholsky (1890-1935) described Franconian wine as "deep and pure like the sound of a bell". The climate is continental with dry, warm summers and cold winters. Over 40% of the wines are bottled in Bocksbeutel. This type of bottle is legally protected for Franconian quality wines and a wine route is named after it. An important Franconian winegrowing pioneer was the vineyard owner Sebastian Englerth (1804-1880).

Karte vom Anbaugebiet Franken

Areas, municipalities and vineyards

Franconia used to be divided into the three areas of Maindreieck, Mainviereck and Steigerwald with 23 large vineyards and 216 individual vineyards. In November 2011, the members of the Franconian Winegrowers' Association decided on a new system. The three old areas will be replaced by 12 much smaller ones. These will also replace the 23 large vineyards in the medium to long term. The old areas once played a role in the predominant marketing of Franconian table wine, but had lost this role some time ago. The 12 new areas correspond to the PDO wine designation (protected designation of origin), which has been in force since 2009:

Main - Flussverlauf mit Maindreieck und Mainviereck

Abt 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 north-east of the Steigerwald and on the southern edge of the Haßberge. The vineyards cover 115 hectares of vines. The municipalities with their individual vineyards:

  • Bamberg: Alter Graben, Michaelsberg
  • Eltmann: Schlossleite
  • Haßfurt: Henneberg
  • Knetzgau-Oberschwappach: Sommertal
  • Krum: Himmelreich
  • Sand am Main: Himmelsbühl, Kronberg
  • Schmachtenberg: Eulenberg
  • Staffelbach: Spitzelberg
  • Steinbach: Nonnenberg
  • Unfinden: Kinnleitenberg
  • Unterhaid: Röthla
  • Weiher: Vineyards
  • Zeil am Main: Mönchshang, Pfarrerspflöckn
  • Ziegelanger: Ölschnabel

Alzenau wine region
The area includes 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 market town of Hösbach incl. OT Rottenberg. The vineyards cover 90 hectares of vineyards. The municipalities with their individual vineyards:

  • Aschaffenburg: Badberg, Godelsberg, Pompejaner
  • Hörstein: Abtsberg, Reuschberg (Großlage)
  • Dorsthöfe: Aloisengarten
  • Michelbach: Aloisengarten, Apostelgarten, Steinberg
  • Obernau: Sanderberg
  • Rottenberg: Gräfenstein
  • Wasserlos: Lohmännchen, Schlossberg

Churfranken
The area stretches along the River 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 of vines. The municipalities with their individual vineyards:

  • Bürgstadt: Centgrafenberg, Hundsrück, Mainhölle
  • Dorfprozelten: Predigtstuhl
  • Engelberg: Klostergarten
  • Erlenbach am Main: Hochberg
  • Großheubach: Bischofsberg, Mainhölle, Steingrübler
  • Großostheim: Harstell, Reischklingeberg
  • Großwallstadt: Lützeltalerberg
  • Klingenberg am Main: Einsiedel, Hochberg, Schlossberg
  • Miltenberg: Steingrübler
  • Mömlingen: Orlis
  • Röllbach: Deutschordensberg
  • Rück: Jesuitenberg, Johannisberg, Schalk
  • Wörth am Main: Campestres, Galgenbuckel

Franconia's Saalestück
The Franconian Saalestück area stretches along the Franconian Saale with the town of Hammelburg and its districts in the centre. It stretches from Obererthal (north) to Hammelburg (south) and from Obereschenbach (west) to Ramsthal (east). The vineyards cover 155 hectares. The municipalities with their individual vineyards:

  • Elfershausen: Schlossberg
  • Engenthal: Schlossberg
  • Feuerthal: Altenberg, Kreuz
  • Fuchsstadt: Rubenhöll
  • Hammelburg: Altenberg, Heroldsberg, Trautlestal
  • Machtilshausen: Sommerleite
  • Ramsthal: St Klausen
  • Saaleck: Schlossberg
  • Sulzthal: Schlangenberg, St. Klausen
  • Westheim: Altenberg, Längberg
  • Wirmsthal: Scheinberg

Main Himmelreich
The area stretches 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 vines. The municipalities with their individual vineyards:

  • Böttigheim: Wurmberg
  • Erlenbach near Marktheidenfeld: Krähenschnabel
  • Homburg am Main: Edelfrau, Kallmuth
  • Kreuzwertheim: Kaffelstein
  • Lengfurt: Alter Berg, Oberrot
  • Marktheidenfeld: Kreuzberg
  • Remlingen: Krähenschnabel, Sonnenhain
  • Uettingen: Kirchberg

Main south
The area can be described as a triangle with the corner points of Würzburg, Frickenhausen am Main and Mainstockheim. It also includes the areas along the Tauber. The vineyards cover over 1,300 hectares of vines. The municipalities with their individual vineyards:

  • Albertshofen: Hergottsweg
  • Aub: Lämmerberg
  • Buchbrunn: Heißer Stein
  • Eibelstadt: Mönchsleite, Kapellenberg, Steinbach
  • Frickenhausen: Fischer, Kapellenberg
  • Gerbrunn: Hummelberg
  • Kitzingen: Eherieder Berg, Eselsberg, Wilhelmsberg
  • Kleinochsenfurt: Herrenberg
  • Mainstockheim: Berg-Rondell, Hofstück
  • Marktbreit: Sonnenberg
  • Martinsheim: Langenstein
  • Obernbreit: Pulpit
  • Randersacker: Dabug, Lämmerberg, Marsberg, Pfülben, Sonnenstuhl, Teufelskeller
  • Repperndorf: Kaiser Karl
  • Röttingen: Feuerstein
  • Segnitz: Pfaffensteig, Zobelsberg
  • Sickershausen: Storchenbrünnle
  • Sommerhausen: Reifenstein, Steinbach
  • Sulzfeld am Main: Cyriakusberg (with Berg I), Maustal, Sonnenberg
  • Tauberrettersheim: Königin
  • Theilheim: Altenberg
  • Winterhausen: Kaiser Wilhelm
  • WürzburgAbtsleite, Festungsblick, Innere Leiste, Pfaffenberg, Schlossberg, Stein (with Stein-Harfe)
  • Würzburg-Heidingsfeld: Kirchberg

Middle Franconian Bocksbeutelstraße
The area stretches 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 over 200 hectares. The municipalities with their individual vineyards:

  • Bad Windsheim: Rosenberg
  • Ergersheim: Altenberg
  • Ickelheim: Schlosberg
  • Ingolstadt: Rotenberg
  • Ipsheim: Hoheneck Castle
  • Krassolzheim: Pfaffenberg
  • Markt-Nordheim: Hohenkottenheim
  • Neundorf: Hüßberg, Mönchsbuck, Sonneberg, Wonne, Rothenburg ob der Tauber: Eich
  • Tauberzell: Hasennestle
  • Ulsenheim: Huttenberg
  • Weimersheim: Roter Berg

Middle Main
The area stretches along the River Main from Gemünden am Main in the north to Veitshöchheim in the south, with the westernmost extension near Greußenheim and the easternmost near Arnstein. The vineyards cover 760 hectares of vines. The municipalities with their individual vineyards:

  • Adelsberg: Wernleite
  • Erlabrunn: Weinsteig
  • Eußenheim: First
  • Gambach: Kalbenstein
  • Gemünden am Main: Scherenberg
  • Gössenheim: Homburg
  • Greußenheim: Geisberg
  • Güntersleben: Sommerstuhl
  • Halsheim: Bischofsberg
  • Heugrumbach: Bischofsberg
  • Himmelstadt: Kelter
  • Karlstadt: Im Stein
  • Laudenbach: Castle
  • Leinach: Himmelberg
  • Margetshöchheim: Bärental
  • Müdesheim: Bischofsberg
  • Mühlbach: Fronberg
  • Oberleinach: Himmelberg, Weinsteig
  • Retzbach: Benediktusberg
  • Retzstadt:...

Voices of our members

Dr. Edgar Müller

I have great respect for the scope and quality of the wein.plus encyclopaedia. It is a unique place to go for crisp, sound information on terms from the world of wine.

Dr. Edgar Müller
Dozent, Önologe und Weinbauberater, Bad Kreuznach

The world's largest Lexicon of wine terms.

26,379 Keywords · 46,983 Synonyms · 5,323 Translations · 31,713 Pronunciations · 202,091 Cross-references
made with by our author Norbert F. J. Tischelmayer. About the Lexicon

EVENTS NEAR YOU

PREMIUM PARTNERS