Location and geology
Brensbach is a village and a district of the municipality of Brensbach in the Odenwaldkreis in Hesse. The settlement lies at an altitude of about 178 metres in a one-sided valley setting and is located in a granite area.
Wine-growing area and single vineyard site
Brensbach belongs to the legally defined German quality wine-growing area Hessische Bergstraße and there to the Umstadt area. The single vineyard site Heilige Tanne is registered as Brensbacher Heilige Tanne and is not assigned to a Großlage.
Climate and wine style
In the Hessische Bergstraße, the annual average is about 12 °C, more than 1,700 hours of sunshine and around 690 millimetres of precipitation. The Odenwald provides protection from harsh north and east winds; at the same time, there is a long growing season. Riesling is the leading white grape variety; in addition, red Riesling, Müller-Thurgau, Ruländer and Grüner Silvaner are regionally important. The area is known for fresh, full-bodied wines and, increasingly, for fine-fruited white wine styles.
History of viticulture
Viticulture on the Bergstraße is documented in the eighth century in the Codex Laureshamensis. After the division of the former Bergstraße wine-growing area in 1971, the Hessische Bergstraße became an independent German wine-growing area.
