Location and municipal area
Frickenhausen lies south of Nürtingen at the foot of the Alb escarpment of the Swabian Jura. The municipality includes Frickenhausen, Linsenhofen and Tischardt. The municipal area covers 1,134 hectares and lies between 323 and 369 metres above sea level; the town hall is located at 323 metres.
Viticulture in the Schlosssteige
The Schlosssteige is a single site of 43 hectares, stretching over Beuren, Frickenhausen, Metzingen, Neuffen and Weilheim. It lies in the Jura landscape near the Swabian Jura and includes, among other things, brown Jurassic marl. Dark clay soils store heat and contribute to a special local microclimate.
Grape varieties and soil development
In the Schlosssteige, Silvaner accounts for a little more than 25 percent of the planted area. After that come Spätburgunder, Kerner, Schwarzriesling and Müller-Thurgau. Rigolled trenches and long-term cultivation have changed the original soil profile, improved rooting depth and increased the humus content through organic material.
Historic viticulture
Historically, Frickenhausen was strongly shaped by viticulture. The area under vines grew in the second half of the 16th century, falling from 118 Morgen in 1634 to 52 Morgen in 1655, before reaching 90 Morgen again in 1733 to 1734. Viticulture has been documented in Linsenhofen since 1359; the local press house had three wooden presses in 1526 and was expanded to six presses between 1556 and 1577. The historic Linsenhofen sand wine was described together with Neuffen wine as popular.
