Location in the Maintal
Eibelstadt is a town in the district of Würzburg in Bavaria. It lies on the Main in the Maintal and belongs to the region Franken. The municipal area covers 706 hectares, of which 91 hectares are vineyards.
Vineyards and soils
The vineyards around Eibelstadt extend over slopes and hills above the Maintal. The Eibelstädter Kapellenberg faces south-west, lies at about 180 to 220 metres above sea level, and shows slope gradients of roughly 20 to 40 per cent. Its soil consists of Middle Muschelkalk from the Triassic.
The Eibelstädter Mönchsleite runs along the Main between Eibelstadt and Sommerhausen. Its south-west-facing slopes lie at around 230 metres above sea level and reach gradients of roughly 45 to 65 per cent. A massive block limestone from the Triassic is characteristic. The Bachsgraben stream separates the Mönchsleite from the Kapellenberg.
Vineyard areas and winegrowing
For the Eibelstädter Kapellenberg, Frühburgunder, Spätburgunder, Grauburgunder and Weißburgunder are listed as classified grape varieties. An Eibelstadt winery cultivates steep and very steep sites on more than half of its vineyard area and tends old Silvaner, Riesling and Spätburgunder vines, many of which are over 40 years old. The grapes are hand-harvested, pressed gently, and then grown separately according to vineyard sites in small batches.
Historical references
A municipal account of history reports that, in 1309, the Würzburg cathedral chapter requested wine from Eibelstadt together with Würzburg stone. The vineyard name Altenberg, which is associated with the Mönchsleite today, is documented in official records for the year 1172. Under German wine law, for quality wine, a single-vineyard name must be accompanied by the name of the municipality or local area to which it belongs. The term Steillage or Steillagenwein is restricted to wines from vineyard areas with at least 30 per cent slope gradient.
