Location and landscape
Cossebaude lies on the left bank of the Elbe in the Upper Elbe Valley in Saxony. The built-up area extends from about 100 to 245 metres above NHN. North of the railway, the terrain is relatively flat; to the south of it, it is more strongly sloped.
Climate and geology
The village belongs to the thermally favoured climatic zone of the Elbe Valley. The Cossebaude hillside terrace includes Cretaceous plane-bed formations that crop up locally where the loess cover has been removed.
History of viticulture
Cossebaude was first mentioned in 1071 in the Benno charter text. Historically, until the second half of the 19th century, the place was a village shaped by agriculture and viticulture. After 1880, the phylloxera destroyed the vineyards; fruit trees were planted in their place.
Already at the beginning of the 17th century, terraced vineyards with dry-stone walls and irrigation were created. A former electoral vineyard was laid out in 1604 as a model vineyard using Württemberg methods, and achieved its first harvest in 1610.
Viticulture today
For Cossebaude, vineyards cultivated at least since 1311 are documented. A local winemakers’ association lists a vineyard area of 1.5 hectares. The grape varieties grown there include Müller-Thurgau, Goldriesling, White Burgundy, Ruländer, Traminer, Riesling, Kerner and Spätburgunder. The Bauernberge is registered as a single site in connection with Cossebaude.
