Saxony Wineries & Vineyards, Maps, Photos, History

MAIN Wine Europe Germany Sachsen - Saxony

Sachsen is Germany's smallest wine-growing region and the furthest east. Most of the vineyards are between Dresden and Diesbar-Seusslitz, at the northern end of the Saxon Wine Road and are planted on steep, labor-intensive stone terraces.

The region stretches for about 30 miles from Pillnitz in the south to Dresden, Radebeul and Meissen on the hilly slopes of the Elbe River. The river's waters bring some stability to the climate, but the vineyards are in the northern boundaries of the wine growing area...both early and late frosts are not unknown.

Wines made from Müller-Thurgau (Rivaner), Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc) and Traminer grapes are the most popular varieties grown here. The white wines are dry and full of character with a fruity acidity. A few distinctively soft red wines are produced from the Spätburgunder and Dornfelder grape varieties. "Elbtal-Sekt" (sparkling wines) are specialities of the Sachsen region. Most of the wines from the region are consumed locally...

Sachsen in Wein-Plus Guide - A good summary of the attributes of the climate and soil as well as the geography and grape vines you'll find in Saxony. All wineries in the wine region of Sachsen are listed and there is a clickable map to dig deeper into the region.

The Saxon Wine Trail - This site is the official tourism site for Saxony and while the information on the wine trail is not as detailed as it could be, it does offer a good overview of what is available with a few pictures to whet your appetite. If you'd like to see more, just click around the site a bit...

Wine Regions - Saxony - A simple and solid information page covers the wine region with vines listed by the percentages of each that are grown here. The page ends with several recommendations for wineries to look for when you shop for Sachsen wines.

Sachsen - Eden wines has a good summary of the area with the bonus of a listing of the 2 districts · 4 collective vineyard sites · 17 individual sites... none with links.

Weinbauverband-sachsen - This German only site reflects the fact that the wines are mainly sold locally - there is not a great push for exporting and so no need to translate the site to English or any other languages. If you do read German, you'll find a great resource and a wealth of information on the area and the wines that are made here.

also see -> Top Tourist Attractions in Germany