Franken Wineries & Vineyards, Reviews, Tours

MAIN Wine Europe Germany Franken (Franconia)

Franken or Franconia is further east than the other major wine growing regions in Germany.

The Main River and its tributaries provide vines with good irrigation, but unlike the Rhine, the Main does not provide a balanced climate. There are often quick changes in the weather which makes the life of the grapes in the vineyards - planted on the hilly slopes bordering the river - more difficult than in other regions. Yet is also often results in a heartier wine.

Wines from the Franken region are traditionally very dry white wines. The Stein winery, near Würzburg, gave rise to the generic term "Steinwein" by which these wines have always been known. The distinctive round shaped, flat green bottle, called a "Bocksbeutel" is also an instant visual clue to their origins.

Müller-Thurgau, and Silvaner grapes are the principal varieties grown to produce these hearty, earthy dry wines often compared to white wines from France's Burgundy region.

Bacchus and Ortega grapes are are also grown in the region, resulting in late harvest wines which are sweeter than the traditional Franken wines. Overall, Franken wines are usually consumed locally and not exported in great quantities, so if you're planning a trip through Franken, drink up! ...

More information about Franken wineries around the Web:

Franken - UK based wine seller's site with a good overview of the Franken region's geography climate and other details. The lower part of the site is an extensive listing of the wineries in the Franken region. There are no links to the individual wineries..

The Wine Web - Franken Wineries - This list of wineries in the Franconia region includes several that have online shops or export through wine handlers. The winery sites are mainly in German with no English translation. The Weingut Am Stein is among those listed.

Franken Wines - From Wein-Plus a guide to the region and its wines with links to Area Maindreieck, Area Steigerwald, Area Mainviereck and to all of the wineries in the wine region of Franken.

German Wine Regions - Franken - The section on Franken wines from the German Wine site is brief. It includes a simple map of Germany showing the region and a few paragraphs on the weather, the geography and the history of the wines.