Location and microclimate
Bürgstadt lies at the confluence of the Erf and the Main on the south-western bend of the Mainviereck in Franconia. The vineyards are located between the Odenwald and the Spessart; to the south-west, Miltenberg borders it. The sheltered Main valley and the surrounding ridges create a warm local microclimate.
Soils and vineyards
The vineyard soils are predominantly characterised by red Buntsandstein and its weathering products. They warm up quickly, are porous and well aerated, but at the same time are relatively low in nutrients. The Centgrafenberg is situated on south-exposed slopes at around 160 to 250 metres above sea level, with gradients of roughly 10 to 40 per cent. There, Braunearth has been documented with strongly gravelly, sandy-loamy horizons made of Buntsandstein material.
Grape varieties and wine-growing tradition
Spätburgunder is the most important grape variety in Bürgstadt; according to information from the municipality, roughly every second vine is Spätburgunder. The tradition of red wine is closely linked to this grape variety and the Buntsandstein soils. For the Centgrafenberg, Spätburgunder and Riesling have been documented, with the western and somewhat cooler areas considered suitable for Riesling.
History and terracing
Winegrowing in Bürgstadt has been documented since the 13th century. Bürgstadter red wine is also mentioned in a hereditary inventory from 1540. A cadastral map from 1792 recorded around 200 hectares of vineyard area; in the 19th century, cultivation declined sharply due to phylloxera. The steep historic vineyards were farmed in dry-stone terrace walls that cannot be worked mechanically and therefore require hand labour. The Hundsrück is documented as a steep, south-exposed site with gradients of up to 40 per cent; Mainhölle is entered as a single-vineyard site in the area of Churfranken.
