Germany
Franconia
Put simply, Silvaner is Franken’s USP. Vinified dry or bone dry, this native white grape has a slightly spicy character that complements the region’s diverse local cuisine. Increasingly, however, the cultivation of Pinot Noir is also popular.
Franken (Franconia) is situated to the north-east of respective neighbours Baden and Württemberg. Most of its vineyards straddle the banks of the River Main or the edges of the Steiger Forest. Franken was the biggest winegrowing area in the Holy Roman Empire during the Middle Ages. It currently has some 6,100 hectares under vine and is Germany’s sixth-largest viticultural region.
Bocksbeutel
The region’s dominant grapes are white. Silvaner is very much at home in Franken’s prevailing continental climate and has replaced Müller-Thurgau as the most planted variety. A Franconian wine is often easy to spot on account of its distinctively squat, flagon-shaped bottle called the Bocksbeutel. Its inner character is just as striking, thanks to vibrant acidity and a spicy, savoury, mineral edge – born of soils consisting of red sandstone, shell limestone, and gypsum keuper.
Increasingly popular reds
The proportion of red grape varieties in Franken is growing – a trend most recently fuelled by climate change. In particular, Franken produces some of Germany’s best and most internationally acclaimed Pinot Noir, from such famed vineyards as Centgrafenberg and Schlossberg.
