Location and landscape
Bötzingen is located in the south-eastern Kaiserstuhl, on the edge of the Upper Rhine Plain in Baden-Württemberg, and is regarded as the gateway to the Kaiserstuhl Nature Garden. The municipality is characterised by gently sloping vineyards in front of the higher, forested Kaiserstuhl hills. The mild climate and the sunny vineyard slopes determine the location. The village centre lies at about 192 metres above sea level, while the Eichelspitze, at 520 metres, is the highest elevation in the municipality’s area.
Volcanic soils and loess
The Kaiserstuhl is a volcanic massif, whose volcanic activity began around 21 million years ago and had its focus between about 19 and 15 million years ago. Closed loess areas are found around Bötzingen; in the wider surrounding area, depths of up to 30 metres were measured. In Bötzingen, phonolite is extracted and processed, among other things, for filtration technology and as a mineral additive for concrete, animal feed and horticulture.
Vine growing and grape varieties
Around 340 hectares of vineyard area shape the municipality’s wine growing and secure many families their livelihood. Cultivation takes place carefully and in line with nature according to the municipality’s information, with the aim of preserving a diverse flora and fauna in the vineyards. Documented grape varieties include, among others, Müller-Thurgau, Spätburgunder, Ruländer, Silvaner, Weißburgunder, Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Muskateller, Rivaner and Scheurebe. This results in variety-typical German quality and predicate wines. In Bötzinger eG, Pinot varieties account for a large proportion of the vineyard area.
History and wine-growing sites
Bötzingen was first mentioned in 769 in a deed of gift to the Lorsch Abbey. The document also provides evidence of wine growing and is considered the oldest written indication of wine growing in the Kaiserstuhl. The wine-growing site Eckberg is designated as a single site in Bötzingen. The site Lasenberg extends across Bötzingen and Wasenweiler in the Kaiserstuhl wine-growing region. Bötzingen belongs to the legally defined German quality wine region Baden.
