Location and landscape
Bad Lauchstädt is a town in the Saalekreis district in Saxony-Anhalt. It lies about 20 kilometres from Halle (Saale) at the edge of the Querfurt Plateau. The almost level plateau slopes gently to the north-east and reaches elevations of around 110 to 120 metres in the north-east as well as about 240 metres in the south-west.
Climate and soils
The lower part of the Querfurt Plateau has a subcontinental inland climate. The annual precipitation amount is below 500 millimetres; the average annual temperature in Bad Lauchstädt is about 8.8 °C and the average July temperature is about 17.8 °C. In the subsoil, shell limestone is found in the south-west and Buntsandstein in the north-east. Widespread loess deposits form, among other things, loess-black earths, loess-pararendzinas and loess-parabraun earths.
Vine growing at Geiseltalsee
Within the town area, vine cultivation has been documented in Klobikau on the south-exposed vineyard Goldener Steiger on a spoil heap beside the Geiseltalsee. The area was created on a reclaimed brown-coal mining site. The wine-growing project began around 2000; the first planting followed an idea developed in 1997 during the early phase of reclamation. Mining in the Geiseltal ended in 1993 after about three centuries.
Vines and wine styles
The vineyard has a south exposure and a slope gradient of about 30 percent. The adjacent lake is described as a reflector of sunlight and a balancing factor for frost conditions, while woody vegetation on the north side provides wind protection. Documented varieties include Müller-Thurgau, Weißburgunder, Solaris, Spätburgunder, Cabernet Mitos, Grauburgunder, Bacchus, Gutedel and Sauvignon Blanc. The wines are listed as quality wines and German wines in dry, delicately sweet and sweet styles; individual examples mature in barrique. Klobikau belongs to the cadastral units of the protected designation of origin Saale-Unstrut.
