Location and landscape
Brackenheim is located in the Zabergäu, about 40 kilometres north of Stuttgart and 15 kilometres south-west of Heilbronn, between the Stromberg and Heuchelberg. The region is named after the Zaber, which flows eastwards towards the Neckar near Lauffen.
The southern slopes of Stromberg and Heuchelberg are used predominantly for viticulture, while the northern slopes and ridges are more heavily forested. The vineyard landscape includes slopes, terraces and steep vineyards. Geologically, among other formations, reed sandstone, Keuper formations and marine limestone shape the Zabergäu.
Viticulture in Württemberg
Brackenheim has around 840 hectares of vineyard area and is described by the town as the largest wine-growing municipality in Württemberg as well as the largest red-wine municipality in Germany. The town lies in the legally designated quality wine-growing region Württemberg. A mild climate helps viticulture.
The documented white grape varieties include Riesling, Muscatel, Rivaner and Kerner. For the red grape varieties, Lemberger, Trollinger and Spätburgunder are documented. Full-bodied white wines and full, rounded red wines are produced; the Lemberger is particularly associated with local soil and climatic conditions.
History and vineyard sites
Viticulture in today’s municipal area is documented for the years 950 to 976 in Dürrenzimmern and Stockheim. For Brackenheim’s core town, the earliest recorded reference to vineyards dates from 1289. In the 16th century, Muscat from Brackenheim and Traminer wines from Stockheim were in demand.
The documented vineyard sites in the municipal area include, among others, Altenberg, Dachsberg, Grafenberg and Zweifelberg. West of Haberschlacht there are terraced vineyards with dry stone walls on Gipskeuper, described as the last major contiguous terraced vineyard site of this kind in the surrounding area.
Cultivation and development
A state-supported land consolidation project in Brackenheim-Haberschlacht is intended to preserve dry stone walls, vineyard cottages and water channels while also enabling more efficient cultivation. Three cooperatives and 34 producers who market directly work with modern cellar technology at grape ripening as well as inherited knowledge from several generations.
