In Germany hardly two dozens of traditional types of white and red wine determine the wine-landscape. With the white wine these are especially riesling, sylvaner, Müller-Thurgau, white and grey burgundy; with the red wines dominate the types late burgundy, Trollinger, Lemberger, and Portuguese.

Trollinger (Groß Vernatsch)
Muskattrollinger
Schwarzriesling (Müllerrebe, Pinot Meunier)
Lemberger (Blaufränkisch)
Dornfelder
Samtrot
Clevner
Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir)

Weißer Riesling (Welschriesling, Klingelberger)
Müller-Thurgau (Rivaner)
Kerner
Weißer Burgunder (Pinot blanc)
Grauer Burgunder (Ruländer, Pinot gris)
Grüner Silvaner
Scheurebe
Gewürztraminer (Traminer)
Muskateller

Trollinger (Groß Vernatsch)

Origin:

Southern Tyrol is the original homeland of the Trollinger. Therefore the name is derived: "Tirolinger". Today almost exclusively cultivated in Württemberg.

Vine:

Bright green leaves, very strong stature. Susceptible to funghal dieseases and frost. The grapes are very big with thick and fleshy berries. Often eaten as table grape.

Wine character::

A light and fruity wine that varies in its color between salmon- and ruby-red. A good Trollinger tastes "juicy" and is served lightly cooled. Good for breaks and also excellent with Italian pasta.

Muskattrollinger

Origin:

For the first time mentioned in 1836. At that time cultivated in the "mixed set" with other types of vine. Descended presumably from the muscatel.

Vine:

Bright green leaves with strongly serrated edges. Ripens very late, big grapes with long oval berries.

Wine character:

Fruity, bright red wine with distinctive nutmeg aroma. Rare specialty, good with hors d'æuvres and desserts.

Schwarzriesling (Müllerrebe, Pinot Meunier)

Origin:

Originally from the Burgundy. Provable since 400 years. Clear quality improvement through selective cultivation of Schneider (Heilbronn) and Herold (Weinsberg). Not related to the white riesling.

Vine:

Dark green leaves, the shoot tips are whitish hairy and look like dusted with flour. Therefore the description "Müllerrebe" (Miller's vine). The grapes are compact and small-berried.

Wine character:

Presumably already selected by Charlemagne. Provable in the 18th century in Austria. Later introduced to Germany.

Lemberger (Blaufränkisch)

Origin:

A warm and aromatic wine. The color is a glowing ruby-red with some brown reflections. Good with creamy-delicate soups, pork, lamb, or mild cheese.

Vine:

Bright green leaves. Strong leaves with a smooth surface. The first type that sprouts in spring and therefore it is endangered by late frost. The berries have a strong skin.

Wine character::

Powerful red wine, one of the most noble types that grow in our region. Very non-perishable, excellent companion to game dishes. Also suitable as high-quality wine to black chocolate. An excellent wine to stimulate the conversation after dinner. In Swabia also the mixture of Trollinger plus Lemberger is known and popular (shortened form: "TL").

Dornfelder

Origin:

Cultivation of the vineyard's school in Weinsberg from the Sixties. Cross-breed between Helfensteiner and Herold vine.

Vine:

Very strong stature. Big, deep-dark green leaves with very beautiful colors in fall. The grapes are big and loose-berried and ripen very early.

Wine character:

Deep purple, dense color. Noble red wine with a full body and full smell. Excellent for the cultivation in small wooden barrels (barrique).

Samtrot

Origin:

A natural mutation of the black riesling. Discovered by Schneider (Heilbronn). Further cultivated by Herold in the vineyard's school in Weinsberg.

Vine:

The leaves have the burgundy-type typical rough surface. Small and compact grapes. Relatively low yield, but better quality.

Wine character:

Ruby-red to dark-red color. "Velvety" taste - warm and full-bodied. Often consumed in a cosy company after dinner.

Clevner

Origin:

Mutation of the late burgundy, only cultivated in Heilbronn and environment.

Vine:

Very upright stature, small and very compact grapes. Sometimes the grapes get so close together that they burst open.

Wine character:

Mystical ruby-red, an elegant and harmonic wine. Good with fried meat or short-smoked and fried fish.

Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir)

Origin:

The forefather of the burgundy vines. One of the oldest culture vines of mankind, for the first time cultivated in the Nile valley and later cultivated in Burgundy in the 4th century. From Burgundy it was brought to the Rhine and Neckar rivers in the 7th century.

Vine:

Elegant stature, the leaves are bright green and strongly structured. The berries are stuck together closely. Recently a variation of the late burgundy, the Mariafelder, is increasingly cultivated with loose-berried grapes.

Wine character:

Dark-red color, delicate aroma. Typical is a taste that reminds of blackcurrant or blackberry. These noble wines are good with game, game poultry, paté de fois gras and pasta asciutta and pizza. The color stays in the berry involucres and creates therefore a salmon-colored fresh wine that is especially consumed in summer.

Weißer Riesling (Welschriesling, Klingelberger)

Origin:

From Rhenish wild vine that existed already 650.000 BC. Cultivated by the Romans. Most cultivated type of vine in Germany with 1/3 of the total wine-growing area.

Vine:

Dark green, strong leaves. The grapes ripen late and therefore the quality strongly depends on the vintage. In good years exclusive and exquisite high-quality wines from selected berries or Eiswein (sweet wine made from grapes which have been exposed to frost) can be produced.

Wine character:

Golden-yellow color with green reflections. Fruity-fresh and with delicate acid the riesling became the major German white wine. The riesling wines are internationally greatly valued. Classically good with shrimps, prawns and salmon as hors d'œuvre or trouts, shell animals, chicken, or pork as main dish. For dessert as late high-quality wine with remaining sweetness.

Müller-Thurgau (Rivaner)

Origin:

Until a couple years ago it was assumed that the vine would come from a cross-breed of riesling and sylvaner. The cultivator, professor Dr. Müller from the canton Thurgau in Switzerland, notes this in his records. New researches found out that it is a cross-breed between Gutedel and sylvaner.

Vine:

Bright green, strong leaves with nice form. The grape berries are long and oval and they hang loose on the grape leafstalk.

Wine character:

Bright gold-yellow, mild with few acid, wines with a flowery and light bouquet. The better qualities of the Müller-Thurgau show a delicate peach aroma. Often consumed on hot days as wine and soda water mix. Better qualities are good with desserts.

Kerner

Origin:

1929 cultivated cross-breed of Trollinger and riesling. Spread strongly in the Seventies and Eighties.

Vine:

Dark green leaves, strong and bushy stature. Kerner vines sprout many so-called meanness shoots. These are secondary shoots that branch out off the first growing main shoots. The grapes look like the Trollinger grapes, but only somewhat smaller and without red colorings.

Wine character:

Soft gold-yellow, fresh and fruity wines that remind to riesling wines. But the Kerner has sometimes a delicate nutmeg note that makes the bouquet especially interesting. The Kerner brings in fall the highest specific gravities of the must and therefore almost every year special quality wines can be harvested. Kerner has many uses and is good with fish, bright meat or spicy cheese. High qualities can also be offered to sweet desserts.

Weißer Burgunder (Pinot blanc)

Origin:

Mutation from the grey burgundy. Known since the 14th century. Cultivated since 1700 in the vineyards of the Burgundy.

Vine:

Strong stature, compact grapes that are excellently suitable as table grapes.

Wine character:

Delicate aroma that shows especially to advantage with dry cultivation. Suitable to cultivation in wooden barrels. Ideal for the light kitchen, especially good with green asparagus and delicate gratins.

Grauer Burgunder (Ruländer, Pinot gris)

Origin:

Mutation of the blue burgundy, belongs to the large burgundy family. It easily mutates itself; often grapes with red, white or blue color are found on one shoot. Partially individual grape berries or segments of individual berries are mutated.

Vine:

Leaves are distinctively pentagonal. Dark green leaves, compact and grey-red grapes.

Wine character:

Always strong yellow-gold, even brown reflections with high qualities. Rich taste, glowing and spicy. As Ruländer broad and full-bodied. Especially good with roasted duck or goose, game poultry, light roast meat with cream gravy and not too piquant cheese.

Grüner Silvaner

Origin:

Cultivated from Caucasian wild vines and brought from Transylvania to Germany in the Thirty Years' War. Around 1900 cultivated on approx. 60% of the then existing wine-growing area of Germany and later replaced to a great extent by the Müller-Thurgau. There is also a variant with blue berries, the so-called blue sylvaner.

Vine:

Bright green, small and plump leaves. Due to the mild acid the fleshy berries are also popular as table grapes.

Wine character:

Yellow with a lot of green reflections. Mild and delicate fruity wines that match every occasion. In top vintages full-bodied and with a soft bouquet. Sylvaner wines have a discreet bouquet but they are therefore more deilcate. Good with freshwater fish, light poultry and veal.

Scheurebe

Origin:

Cross-breed between sylvaner and riesling in 1956 named after the cultivator Georg Scheu.

Vine:

Dark green and strong leaves, the shoots become woody in late summer and show an intensive brown coloring.

Wine character:

Expressive wines with powerful aroma and lively-fruity acid. With high ripeness excellent special quality wines are created. The high qualities are especially good as aperitifs or companions of desserts.

Gewürztraminer (Traminer)

Origin:

One of the oldest types of vines. Already cultivated by the Romans in upper Italy.

Vine:

Bushy stature, small-berried and pink-colored grapes. Excellent aroma as table grapes.

Wine character:

Glowing gold-yellow, with the riesling one of the most noble wines of the world. The mild acid and the opulent rose-like smell give this wine a distinctive character. Good as aperitif and with smoked salmon, trout, whitefish or spicy cheese. The Gewürztraminer is also popular with the ladies.

Muskateller

Origin:

Age-old type of vine that was according to the legend already on board of Noah's Ark. In the 16th century it belonged to the most mentioned types of vines. Today it is spread all over the world as a specialty.

Vine:

Sharp serrated leaves, oval berries. Late ripening, also an ideal table grape.

Wine character:

The wines are fruity and have a distinctive nutmeg aroma, excellent also with sparkling wines. Often consumed in cosy companies or with a dessert with fresh fruits.