Location and winegrowing
Großostheim lies on the eastern foothills of the Odenwald at the transition to the Main valley in the Bavarian Lower Main region. The vineyards are located in a side valley of the Main. Großostheim forms the westernmost part of the Franconian wine region. The climate for winegrowing is described as mild.
Soils and vineyard sites
In Großostheim, weathered Bunter sandstone and loess deposits are documented as vineyard soils. The municipality has just under 40 hectares of vineyards, including the sites Reischklingeberg and Harstell, as well as the large site Heiligenthal. Reischklingeberg and Harstell are assigned, in the official register of vineyard sites, to the Churfranken area.
History of winegrowing
A document from the year 1270 attests to a vineyard of four Juchart on Langtalsberg. The historical vineyard name “Risclinger”, which corresponds to today’s Reischklingeberg, has already been documented before 1300. Winegrowing declined around 1795, appeared again temporarily towards the end of the 1820s, and disappeared again around 1850. In 1911 and 1912, experimental plots were replanted; the first grapes from these renewed vineyards were harvested in 1917.
Designations in wine law
The vineyard roll lists in Bavaria vineyard sites whose names may be used as geographical indications for quality wine and category wine (Prädikatswein). For Großostheim, Reischklingeberg and Harstell are entered therein.
