Location and landscape
Abtswind is a market municipality in the district of Kitzingen in Lower Franconia. The town lies at the foot of the Friedrichsberg on the west side of the Steigerwald Nature Park and belongs to the wine-growing region Franken.
Vine cultivation and the Abtswinder Altenberg
In Abtswind there are around 70 hectares of vineyard land; viticulture here has a long tradition. The Abtswinder Altenberg lies on the slopes of the Friedrichsberg, is 6.00 hectares in size and is oriented to the south to south-west. The vineyard site is at an altitude of about 230 metres and has a slope of 20 to 45 per cent. Silvaner and Scheurebe are listed for the site.
Soils and wine style
The Abtswinder Altenberg is classified as Middle Gipskeuper. The soils are described as heavy, clay-rich and calcareous. The Gipskeuper sequence consists of alternating calcareous, partly gypsum-containing marl and sandstone from deposits of a Triassic basin. Wines from the southern Friedrichsberg slopes are characterised as robust, tasting dry Keuper wines; Gipskeuper wines are considered mineral, savoury, fresh, full-bodied and deeply aromatic.
History
Abtswind was first documented in 783 under the name Abbatissaewinden. The Altenberg is listed as an old name for wine-growing sites. As part of the land consolidation in the areas Altenberg and Schild, new vineyard holdings were created; the first wine from the newly planted vines was harvested in 1964.
