Location on the Ilm and the Saale
Großheringen is a municipality in the Weimarer Land district in Thuringia. It is situated at the confluence of the Ilm and the Saale, and includes, in addition to the river lowlands, adjacent slopes as well as higher-lying, more exposed plateaus.
Climate and winegrowing
Großheringen belongs to the winegrowing region Saale-Unstrut. There, around 500 millimetres of rainfall per year and roughly 1,600 hours of sunshine are recorded. The river valleys create milder local conditions, while winter and spring frosts remain a risk for winegrowing.
Vineyard sites and soils
The municipality’s vineyard sites include Sonnenberg and Dachsberg. The Sonnenberg faces south-southeast, has a slope gradient of up to 30 per cent, and lies on weathered, locally very stony Muschelkalk. The Dachsberg in the Kaatschen district is located on weathered Muschelkalk with travertine layers and, in part, loess loam.
Historic vineyards
The terraced Dachsberg with its historic winegrower’s house and terraces was reconstructed in 2003. On the Sonnenberg, among other varieties, Weißburgunder, Grauburgunder and Riesling are grown; on the Dachsberg, a Silvaner stand planted in 1927 is documented. The vineyard sites of Großheringen and Kaatschen are assigned to the protected designation of origin Saale-Unstrut. Großheringen is described, on the basis of incomplete historical records, as more than 1,000 years old.
