Belonging to the winery are vineyards in the Würzburger sites, like the “Innere Leiste” and “Stein” – as well as in Stetten, Randersacker and Thüngersheim. We work cumbersomely on steep slopes to revitalize old, exposed parcels and fertilize the ancient vine stocks. We keep our focus geared towards the eco-system and the terroir; both key elements for authentic, lively organic farming.
„I was basically planted into the vineyards when I was a child. Today I am a deep-seated vine, ready to generate plenty more fine wines like our “Alte Reben” (Ancient Vines)!“
DANIEL FULL, WINZERMEISTER
The steep, south facing sites of the Würzburger Stein are shaped like a shell that looks down on the city of Würzburg. At a height between 210 and 250 m above sea level the steepness reaches from 30% to 80%. The ground developed from the weathering of Upper and Middle shell-bearing limestone layers called Muschelkalk, or ‘Mussel Chalk’, which is sporadically inter-veined with clay. A very thin layer of top soil provides for a high heat storage capacity while a forest belt atop the vineyards protects the vines from northerly winds. Together all of these factors contribute to creating the ideal microclimatic situation for the development and ripening of our grapes.
Innere Leiste loosely translated means ‘inner crest’. This particular site sits on a small valley at the south side of the former bishop’s residence, Marienberg, positioned on the left side of the River Main. The hot nature of the valley acts as protection from the cold north winds. The Innere Leiste is another prime example of the ideal microclimate for our regions top varietals which makes it one of the best vineyard sites in the entire Franconian wine region along with the Würzburger Stein.
Among experts the Stettener Stein is considered to be one of Franconia’s most intriguing sites, especially regarding terroir. 80 meters above the River Main on top of rocky layers of Lower Muschelkalk is home to our ‘Großes Gewächs’ or ‘Grand Cru’ level vines. These steep parcels range from 50 to 80 % incline and benefit enormously from the concave shape of the valley. This craggy escarpment quickly heats up the air which then rises and helps to create a warm, sheltered microclimate. The top soil, bleak but rich in skeletal structure, is a great heat reservoir and difficult to penetrate. This forces the vines to have a slow, patient development and helps the roots to grow deeper into the karstic layers of the Muschelkalk which gives the wines fantastic minerality and elegance. Weingut am Stein cultivates the greater part of the best vineyards directly above the escarpment. Our Silvaner, Pinot Blanc and Scheurebe vines are all older than 40 years of age, in fact, a lot of them are up to 70 years old. These vines have an extraordinary ability to take on the prime terroir in which they grow and from among them come our top wines VINZ, MONTONIA and our Große Gewächs/Grand Cru’s.
From a geological point of view the Sonnenstuhl, or “sun-seat”, belongs to the Upper Muschelkalk which is topped with layers of clay and humus-rich sands that warm up easily. With an inclination of up to 70% these slopes face south and southwest towards the Main Valley and are supported by several retaining walls since the footslope is made up predominately of alluvial land. The site was first documented as a wine-growing area in the year 1240 as ‘mont Rode adut Randersacker’ - “atop Mount Rode by Randersacker”. Today the site Sonnenstuhl includes the formerly separate fields of Hohe Roth, Paradies and Rückersell.
