Location and municipality
Kaiserpfalz is a municipality formed in 2009 in the Burgenlandkreis district in Saxony-Anhalt. It comprises Allerstedt, Bucha, Memleben, Wendelstein, Wohlmirstedt and Zeisdorf. The Memleben district is located in the Unstrut valley; to the north of the Unstrut, opposite the former monastery complex, lies the vineyard Memlebener Steinklöbe.
Landscape and climate
The Steinklöbe is documented as a hillside vineyard site. The landscape is shaped by striking formations of Buntsandstein and steep terrain along the Unstrut valley. The wine-growing region Saale-Unstrut has a climate with a continental influence. River valleys create locally warmer areas; over the wider area, around 500 millimetres of annual precipitation and roughly 1,686 hours of sunshine per year are recorded.
Viticulture and history
Memlebener Steinklöbe is a registered single-vineyard site within the protected geographical area Saale-Unstrut. For Memleben, a total of 6.3025 hectares of planted vineyard area are listed as at 31 December 2024. The Stiftung Kloster und Kaiserpfalz Memleben resumed winegrowing in 2012; its approximately 0.5-hectare foundation vineyard is planted with Weißburgunder. A document from 998 records the transfer of vineyards, parcels of land and settlements to the monastery of Memleben and is regarded as the oldest evidence of viticulture on the Saale and Unstrut.
