“Goethe´s most wanted” –
Vineyard excursion in the Würzburger Stein
Be inspired to discover Würzburg and the wine country with me! Here is the hotspot of Franconian wine culture! Around 200 years ago the well known German poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe got addicted to the wines of the Würzburger Stein – the Würzburg “Stone Hill”. Anytime he ran out of wine bottles from here, it left him in a very unpleasant mood. For centuries the “Stein” has been the most famous vineyard in the Franconian Wine Country, if not in Germany. On our walking tour you will see how the wine grows there, who grows it and what makes this vineyard so special.
Believe it or not: There exists a last bottle of a Stone Hill wine from the legendary vintage year 1540! It is displayed in the historic cellar of a Würzburg wine estate. As the US wine expert Hugh Johnson tasted the second last bottle of that 500 year old rarity, he commented: „That Stone Hill Wine was still alive…“
Additional offers: Smaller groups can request a wine tasting up in the vineyard or in a winery at the Stone Hill
Meeting point: Parking lot or info pavilion at the winery Weingut am Stein (Navi: Mittlerer Steinbergweg 5) or Schlosshotel Steinburg
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“Of Wine, Rebels, and Robbers” –
Vineyard hike at the Fortress Marienberg
Following the vineyard path winding through the Würzburg vineyards “Innere Leiste” and “Schlossberg” we begin our tour at the heights of the Fortress Marienberg. Then we make our way past the Maschikuli tower, the Höllenschlund and past the statue of St. Kilian, and end at the St. Burkard church in the old Mainviertel quarter. We will learn how the plants and grapes grow and develop, find out what the meaning of “Franconian terroir” is, and what it is exactly that makes our Franconian wines so special. We will also get to meet the man that brought the “Silvaner” vine to Franconia.
Stories and anecdotes will help bring the historic beginnings of the city of Würzburg, the history of Franconian wine culture, the city’s colourful and sometimes rebellious residents to life who once tried to storm the fortress. Plenty of lovely views over the Main River valley, to the Käppele, and of Würzburg’s highlights will sweeten our way.
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Getting there: By bus, car, or using Würzburg’s public transportation system (Bus No. 9) along Residence/Juliuspromenade/Zellerau arriving at the Fortress Marienberg parking lot.
General information about guided tours in the vineyard:
The tours take place in all weathers. Weather-adapted behavior (for rain or sun protection and sturdy shoes without high heels provide, on hot days sufficient water supply, etc.) is requested. On request, a wine tasting in the vineyard is also possible. Prices and conditions on request.
(Photos on this page: S. Wagenbrenner)
„The river, the wine, the stone“ –
Trip to the Main Triangle, Spessart or Steigerwald
Are you planning a bus tour with a group and would like to discover the Franconian wine region using Würzburg as the base? I would love to accompany and guide your group on such a tour – half or all day. We can also make arrangements with local wine producers or vinotecas for wine tastings and tours of the wine cellars.
Optionally, the tour will lead us through several romantic towns along the Main triangle, up to the Steigerwald forest or to the Volkach Main Curve – the center of Franconian viticulture. Alternatively we can also drive to the lower Main region with the historic towns Miltenberg and Klingenberg, famous for its red wine production.
We will find out about the conditions and soils needed to grow wine during a short walking tour of a vineyard and learn about the Franconian “Trias” geology and the resulting stone segments important for the character of our wines. Of course, cultural highlights along these tours like the church “Mary in the Vineyard” will not be missed out on.
Notes: Tour groups with group-own bus, maximum 50 persons
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“Franconian Wine Architecture” –
Highlights between Würzburg and Sommerach
To offer “wine experiences” also means to risk new things and set trends today. That is why innovative winegrowers and cooperatives no longer present themselves only in old wooden barrel cellars and traditional buildings made of wood and stone, but also in glass and steel vinotecas, in chic tasting rooms or in front of illuminated stainless steel backdrops.
High-quality material and modern design are only natural – from the facade to the special wine fridge. The results are very individual, sometimes spectacular objects, which blend surprisingly harmoniously into evolved town centers. It pays to go on tour – expertly commented and charmingly accompanied – to the highlights of wine architecture in Würzburg, Iphofen, Sommerach, Nordheim or Sulzfeld!
The program provides tastings of top wines and encounters with interesting winegrower personalities such as Ludwig Knoll, Hugo Brennfleck or Hans Wirsching.
Note: Excursions are also possible in Chinese, suitable for larger and smaller groups as well as a trip in the winter months. Ride in group coaches or in a car with driver.
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(Photos on this page: S. Wagenbrenner, Weingut Brennfleck, Weingut am Stein, Winzer Sommerach)