Location and history
Brauneberg is a municipality in Rhineland-Palatinate in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district and belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Bernkastel-Kues. It lies on the Moselle at 124 metres above sea level and covers 12.22 square kilometres. The municipality was first mentioned in 588 under the name Dusemond; since 1925 it has borne the name Brauneberg. The south-facing Moselle slopes contribute to a local microclimate suitable for winegrowing.
Vineyard sites and winegrowing
The Brauneberger Juffer is a steep site with slopes of up to 87 per cent. Its soils and those of the Juffer Sonnenuhr consist of Devonian slate. The Juffer Sonnenuhr is oriented from south-east to south-west, lies at around 110 to 185 metres in altitude and has a slope gradient of approximately 70 to 85 per cent. Traditional manual work is used in the steep sites; the vines are trained individually on stakes.
Grape varieties and wine styles
Riesling is documented for the Juffer Sonnenuhr and the Kammer and is also grown in Juffer, Klostergarten and Mandelgraben. The Juffer and Juffer Sonnenuhr vineyard sites together comprise, following land consolidation, 42.7 hectares. Brauneberg wines are documented in Prädikat styles from Kabinett through to Beerenauslese and belong to the protected designation of origin Mosel.
Roman press facility
At the foot of the Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr there is a Roman wine press from the second century. The facility comprised a mash tub, a collection tank set lower and a basket press. Historically, the grapes were crushed with the feet or with stampers.
