Location and landscape
Bretzfeld is a municipality in the district of Hohenlohekreis in Baden-Württemberg and belongs to the wine-growing region Württemberg. The eleven designated districts lie between the Hohenlohe Plain and the Keuper escarpment of the Löwenstein Hills as well as the Mainhardt Forest. The municipal area includes the Brettach valley and gently rolling vineyard slopes, and extends from around 205 to 515 metres above sea level. Above Geddelsbach, a protected natural area along the Brettach runs through the area.
Winegrowing in Bretzfeld
Winegrowing has been documented in Bretzfeld since the 14th century; the first documentary mention dates from 1335. About 270 hectares of vineyard area shape the municipality, in which winegrowing constitutes a significant use of the land in most of the districts. The recognised vineyards include, among others, Siebeneich’s Himmelreich, Geddelsbach’s Schneckenhof, as well as Schlossberg and Lindelberg.
Vineyards and grape varieties
The Goldberg is documented as “Bretzfelder Goldberg”; wines from this vineyard are marketed under the regional designations Württemberg and Hohenlohe. Siebeneich’s Himmelreich lies above the town and has vineyard paths as well as a viewpoint over the Bretzfeld vineyards. In the historic vineyard at Siebeneich, 221 vines are shown with different varieties cultivated locally, including Riesling, Trollinger, Gutedel, Kerner, Silvaner, Traminer, Schwarzriesling, Spätburgunder, Dornfelder, Lemberger, Helfensteiner and Samtrot.
Development of the municipality
Bretzfeld was formed on 1 January 1975 through the voluntary amalgamation of several previously independent municipalities. Brettach was added in 1977. For the wines from the municipal area, fresh, fruity white wines as well as full-bodied, expressive red wines are described. A documented Bretzfeld Goldberg Lemberger is a dry red wine fermented on the pomace and matured in stainless steel.
