Baden (wine region)
Encyclopedia
Baden is a region for quality wine in Germany
, and is located in the historical region of Baden
in southwestern Germany
, which today forms part of the federal state of Baden-Württemberg
. Under German wine legislation, Baden and Württemberg
are separate wine regions.
With 15906 hectares (39,304.5 acre) under vine in 2008, Baden is Germany's third largest wine region, but seems to be much less known on export markets in comparison to many smaller German regions, and in comparison to the neighbouring French
region of Alsace
, which is of similar size. Winemaking cooperatives are very common in Baden, number around 100, and are responsible for 85% of the region's production.
received their title and were famous for supporting viticulture since the 12th. century. Later they showed up in the history of wine again when they planted Riesling for the first time in Rüsselsheim
.
Much of Baden is situated in the Rhine rift, which is protected by the Black Forest
and the Vosges mountains
to the west of Rhine, and is therefore one of Germany's warmest location. Therefore, its wines are usually more full-bodied and higher in alcohol than wines from many other German regions, and it is the only German wine region situated in European Union wine growing zone B rather than A. On the other side of Rhine from Baden, Alsace is situated.
Due to its very large north-south length, Baden is divided into nine districts (Bereiche), which is more than any other German wine region. From north to south, these districts are:
family are responsible for almost 55% of the vineyards of Baden, with Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir
) covering 36.8% of Baden's vineyards in 2008 or 5855 hectares (14,468 acre), Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris
) 10.5% and Weißburgunder (Pinot Blanc
) 7.3%. Baden thus has larger total plantations of these three Pinot varieties than any other German wine region. Correspondingly, Riesling
(7.3% in 2008) plays a smaller role than in most other regions, although it is more common around some villages. Müller-Thurgau
is grown on 17.2% of Baden's vineyards, and plantings have decreased considerably in recent years to be replaced by Spätburgunder and other red grape varieties. Gutedel (Chasselas
) is also grown on 6.9% of the vineyard surface, making Baden practically the only region in Germany where Gutedel wines are produced, and the region accounts for over 97% of Germany's plantings of this variety. In total, there are 44% red grape varieties in Baden, and 56% white.
The most cultivated grape varieties, by area in 2008, were:
German wine
German wine is primarily produced in the west of Germany, along the river Rhine and its tributaries, with the oldest plantations going back to the Roman era. Approximately 60 percent of the German wine production is situated in the federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate, where 6 of the 13 regions ...
, and is located in the historical region of Baden
Baden
Baden is a historical state on the east bank of the Rhine in the southwest of Germany, now the western part of the Baden-Württemberg of Germany....
in southwestern Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, which today forms part of the federal state of Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg is one of the 16 states of Germany. Baden-Württemberg is in the southwestern part of the country to the east of the Upper Rhine, and is the third largest in both area and population of Germany's sixteen states, with an area of and 10.7 million inhabitants...
. Under German wine legislation, Baden and Württemberg
Württemberg (wine region)
Württemberg is a region for quality wine in Germany, and is located in the historical region of Württemberg in southwestern Germany, which today forms part of the federal state of Baden-Württemberg. Under German wine legislation, Württemberg and Baden are separate wine regions.With under vine in...
are separate wine regions.
With 15906 hectares (39,304.5 acre) under vine in 2008, Baden is Germany's third largest wine region, but seems to be much less known on export markets in comparison to many smaller German regions, and in comparison to the neighbouring French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
region of Alsace
Alsace wine
Alsace wine or Alsatian wine is produced in the Alsace region in France and is primarily white. These wines, which for historical reasons have a strong Germanic influence, are produced under three different Appellations d'Origine Contrôlées : Alsace AOC for white, rosé and red wines, Alsace Grand...
, which is of similar size. Winemaking cooperatives are very common in Baden, number around 100, and are responsible for 85% of the region's production.
History
Although this wine region has a long history of winemaking neither the colour nor quality of the earliest wines is now known. In the Kraichgau the high noble Counts of KatzenelnbogenKatzenelnbogen
Katzenelnbogen is the name of a castle and small city in the district of Rhein-Lahn-Kreis in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Katzenelnbogen is the seat of the Verbandsgemeinde Katzenelnbogen.-History:...
received their title and were famous for supporting viticulture since the 12th. century. Later they showed up in the history of wine again when they planted Riesling for the first time in Rüsselsheim
Rüsselsheim
Rüsselsheim is the largest town in the Groß-Gerau district in the Rhein-Main region of Germany. It is one of seven special status towns in Hesse and is located on the Main, only a few kilometres from its mouth in Mainz. The suburbs of Bauschheim and Königstädten are included in Rüsselsheim...
.
Geography
From north to south, Baden spans approximately 200 kilometers, and is primarily situated on the eastern bank of river Rhine.Much of Baden is situated in the Rhine rift, which is protected by the Black Forest
Black Forest
The Black Forest is a wooded mountain range in Baden-Württemberg, southwestern Germany. It is bordered by the Rhine valley to the west and south. The highest peak is the Feldberg with an elevation of 1,493 metres ....
and the Vosges mountains
Vosges mountains
For the department of France of the same name, see Vosges.The Vosges are a range of low mountains in eastern France, near its border with Germany. They extend along the west side of the Rhine valley in a northnortheast direction, mainly from Belfort to Saverne...
to the west of Rhine, and is therefore one of Germany's warmest location. Therefore, its wines are usually more full-bodied and higher in alcohol than wines from many other German regions, and it is the only German wine region situated in European Union wine growing zone B rather than A. On the other side of Rhine from Baden, Alsace is situated.
Due to its very large north-south length, Baden is divided into nine districts (Bereiche), which is more than any other German wine region. From north to south, these districts are:
- Tauberfranken, in the northeastern outskirts of the region and neighbouring FranconiaFranconia (wine region)Franconia is a region for quality wine in Germany situated in the north west of Bavaria in the district of Franconia, and is the only wine region in the federal state of Bavaria...
. The wines are similar to the wines of Franconia, and are sold in the round BocksbeutelBocksbeutelThe Bocksbeutel is a type of wine bottle with the form of a flattened ellipsoid. It is commonly used for wines from Franconia in Germany, but is also used for some Portuguese wines, in particular rosés, where the bottle is called cantil, and in rare cases for Italian wine and Greek wine.- History...
bottle characteristic of Franconia. - Badische Bergstrasse, the vineyards of which is a continuation of those of the small region Hessische Bergstrasse. This district is situated around the city of HeidelbergHeidelberg-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
. - Kraichgau, just to the south of Badische Bergstrasse, and north-east of the city of KarlsruheKarlsruheThe City of Karlsruhe is a city in the southwest of Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg, located near the French-German border.Karlsruhe was founded in 1715 as Karlsruhe Palace, when Germany was a series of principalities and city states...
. - Ortenau, from Baden-BadenBaden-BadenBaden-Baden is a spa town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is located on the western foothills of the Black Forest, on the banks of the Oos River, in the region of Karlsruhe...
to just south of OffenburgOffenburgOffenburg is a city located in the state of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. With about 60,000 inhabitants, it is the largest city and the capital of the Ortenaukreis.Offenburg also houses University of Applied Sciences Offenburg...
is one of the more well-known districts. - Breisgau, from just south of Offenburg and to FreiburgFreiburgFreiburg im Breisgau is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. In the extreme south-west of the country, it straddles the Dreisam river, at the foot of the Schlossberg. Historically, the city has acted as the hub of the Breisgau region on the western edge of the Black Forest in the Upper Rhine Plain...
. According to meteorological statistics, it has the highest average temperature and the number of sunshine hours of the region. - KaiserstuhlKaiserstuhlThe „Kaiserstuhl“ is a relatively low mountain range – a Mittelgebirge – with a maximal height of 556.6 m above sea level. It is of volcanic origin and located in the South West of Baden-Württemberg, Germany in the districts of Emmendingen and Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald...
, a cluster of hills of volcanicVolcano2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
origin northwest of Freiburg with characteristic terraced vineyards. Its wines are powerful and it is probably the best-known district of Baden. - Tuniberg is situated on flatter land just south of Kaiserstuhl and west of Freiburg, and produces wines of a lighter style.
- Markgräflerland stretches from Freiburg to the SwissSwitzerlandSwitzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
border at BaselBaselBasel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...
, and is known for its easy-drinking Gutedel wines. - Bodensee is situated in the southeastern outskirts of the region, on the northwestern shores of Lake ConstanceLake ConstanceLake Constance is a lake on the Rhine at the northern foot of the Alps, and consists of three bodies of water: the Obersee , the Untersee , and a connecting stretch of the Rhine, called the Seerhein.The lake is situated in Germany, Switzerland and Austria near the Alps...
, which is known as Bodensee in German.
Grape varieties
Grape varieties of the PinotPinot
-Grape varieties:* One of several grape varieties and associated wines** Pinot blanc ** Pinot gris ** Pinot meunier** Pinot noir...
family are responsible for almost 55% of the vineyards of Baden, with Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir
Pinot noir is a black wine grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera. The name may also refer to wines created predominantly from Pinot noir grapes...
) covering 36.8% of Baden's vineyards in 2008 or 5855 hectares (14,468 acre), Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris
Pinot Gris
Pinot gris is a white wine grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera. Thought to be a mutant clone of the Pinot noir grape, it normally has a grayish-blue fruit, accounting for its name but the grape can have a brownish pink to black and even white appearance...
) 10.5% and Weißburgunder (Pinot Blanc
Pinot Blanc
Pinot blanc is a white wine grape. It is a point genetic mutation of Pinot noir. Pinot noir is genetically unstable and will occasionally experience a point mutation in which a vine bears all black fruit except for one cane which produced white fruit....
) 7.3%. Baden thus has larger total plantations of these three Pinot varieties than any other German wine region. Correspondingly, Riesling
Riesling
Riesling is a white grape variety which originated in the Rhine region of Germany. Riesling is an aromatic grape variety displaying flowery, almost perfumed, aromas as well as high acidity. It is used to make dry, semi-sweet, sweet and sparkling white wines. Riesling wines are usually varietally...
(7.3% in 2008) plays a smaller role than in most other regions, although it is more common around some villages. Müller-Thurgau
Müller-Thurgau
Müller-Thurgau is a variety of white grape which was created by Hermann Müller from the Swiss Canton of Thurgau in 1882. It is a crossing of Riesling with Madeleine Royale. It is used to make white wine in Germany, Austria, Northern Italy, Hungary, England, in Australia, Czech Republic, Slovakia,...
is grown on 17.2% of Baden's vineyards, and plantings have decreased considerably in recent years to be replaced by Spätburgunder and other red grape varieties. Gutedel (Chasselas
Chasselas
Chasselas or Chasselas Blanc is a wine grape variety grown in Switzerland, France, Germany, Portugal, Baja Norte, Mexico, Hungary and New Zealand.Theories of its origin vary. Pierre Galet believes it is a native Swiss variety....
) is also grown on 6.9% of the vineyard surface, making Baden practically the only region in Germany where Gutedel wines are produced, and the region accounts for over 97% of Germany's plantings of this variety. In total, there are 44% red grape varieties in Baden, and 56% white.
The most cultivated grape varieties, by area in 2008, were:
|
Regent (grape) Regent is a dark-skinned inter-specific hybrid grape variety, used for making wine. It has both European and American vine species in its pedigree and a broad resistance against the most significant fungal diseases which affect grapes, such as downy mildew.Regent was created in 1967 by Professor... , 320 ha (2.0%) Silvaner Sylvaner or Silvaner is a variety of white wine grape grown primarily in Alsace and Germany, where its official name is Grüner Silvaner. In Germany it is best known as a component of Liebfraumilch and production boomed in the 1970s to the detriment of quality, but it has long enjoyed a better... , 161 ha (1.0%) Chardonnay Chardonnay is a green-skinned grape variety used to make white wine. It is originated from the Burgundy wine region of eastern France but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand... , 156 ha (1.0%) Cabernet Mitos Cabernet Mitos is a dark-skinned variety of grape used for red wine. It was created at a grape breeding institute in Weinsberg in the Württemberg wine region, Germany in 1970 by crossing Blaufränkisch and Cabernet Sauvignon . "Mitos" is the German word for mitosis, a stage in the cell cycle... , 134 ha (0.8%) |