What I Learned
The Maindreieck is a triangle of land surrounded on three sides by the Main River. The Main is a tributary to the Rhine. The river makes three dramatic curves close to the heart of Franconia, forming this “peninsula,” this triangle of land surrounded by the river as a paragon of viticulture in south central Germany.
While the riverine wine towns and villages form the most well-defined area of the Maindreieck wine district, i.e., Wuerzburg, Randersacker, Sommerhausen, Volkach, there are two lesser known wine-producing areas in this district. Both of them follow along valleys with smaller rivers, the Wern and the Fraenkische Saale. These two are tributaries entering the Main River at Schweinfurt and Gmuenden am Main respectively.
Bavaria’s northern most vineyards lie along the Fraenkische Saale – a river flowing from close to the Bavaria – Thuringen border to the Main by Gemuenden am Main. In wine speak, that would be from the Maindreieck border to the Mainviereck border in the Franconian Wine Region.
The wines produced along the Fraenkische Saale and its tributaries are the northern-most wine-producing area in Franconian Bavaria. The town of Hammelburg is known as Franconia’s oldest wine town. In 777, Charlemagne, who held a small fortress settlement on this site, donated the site and its lands to the Abbey of Fulda, some 40 miles north. Wine production for the abbey, founded about 30 years earlier, used the south facing, limestone-based slopes, overlooking the Fraenkische Saale, to grow grapes for wine. Over time, grapes also grew in neighboring settlements, and up side valleys. The Abbey built a cellar-palace, which the abbot used as a summer residence. At its height in the 18th century, the cellar stored almost three-quarters of a million liters of wine. Today the complex belongs to the major Franconian cooperative GWF. However, there are also a dozen or so independent wineries. Overall, about 70 local farmers/viticulturists grow grapes for local wine production.
The major Franconian grape varietals grow in this sub-district. Not surprisingly, they are the hardy, cold-resistant varietals. listed below.
Silvaner: This varietal has been grown in the Franconia area since the 17th century, and is one of the more important varietals for this particular area. Many locals prefer it over Riesling. For more information on Silvaner, see Wine Notes: Franconia’s Silvaner here.
Mueller-Thurgau: This hybrid varietal is also known as Rivaner, and produces a light, fruity wine. In Franconia, it is currently more widely planted than Silvaner.
Riesling: Riesling wine is the most planted varietal in Germany, but less so in Franconia. Here, true to form, many Riesling wines take on a mineral flavor determined by the soil.
Bacchus, a Silvaner-Riesling cross with a Mueller Thurgau, has only been around as a wine for about 50 years, and has been especially successful in Franconia.
What I Tasted
2018 Bacchus, Halbtrocken, Q.b.A., Weingut Mueller (Hammelburg): An off-dry white wine with a medium golden gold color; a fruity nose, with citrus and hints of gooseberry, and with gooseberry, apricot, and slight lemon flavors; medium minus acidity, with a smooth finish.
2018 Silvaner, Trocken, Qualitaetswein, Weingut Neder (Ramsthal): A dry white wine with medium plus gold color; a nose of spice and green apple, with spice, green apple, citrus and slight floral flavors; medium acidity with a refreshing tart finish
2017 Silvaner, Hammelburger Heroldsberg, Trocken, Kabinett, Weingut Mueller: A dry white wine with medium lemon-yellow color; a slightly spicy nose, with green apple, spice and slight honey flavors; medium plus acidity with a tart medium length finish.
2017 Silvaner, Hammelburger Heroldsberg, Trocken, Kabinett, Weingut Mueller: A dry white wine with medium gold color; green apple and floral nose, with flavors of the same; medium acidity, with a tart finish.