Location and Landscape
Kohlberg is a municipality in the district of Esslingen in Baden-Württemberg and belongs to the wine region Württemberg. The town is situated on the slope of the Jusi at the northern edge of the Swabian Jura and entirely within the Biosphere Reserve of the Swabian Alb. The municipal area ranges from 357 to 673 metres above sea level; the Jusi reaches 673 metres.
The Jusi and Winegrowing
The Jusi is a significant volcanic plug of the Swabian Alb. Its rock consists of basaltic and tuff-containing volcanic material, which includes, among other things, fragments of various Jurassic and Triassic rocks as well as granite and gneiss. Valleys that slope down towards Kohlberg allow cold air to drain away, which is why late frosts are considered relatively rare despite the town’s elevation.
Historical Development
Winegrowing in Kohlberg has been documented since the Middle Ages. The Zwiefalten monastery founded in 1102 a lay brotherhood settlement for the establishment and care of vineyards; a chronicle from 1135 records wine from Kohlberg. A winery building (Kelterhaus) is first documented in 1525; the present wine-press building dates from 1579. The vineyard area covered around 22 hectares in 1863, fell to roughly 6 hectares after the Second World War, and by 1993 had declined to about 1.5 hectares. Today, about 1.5 hectares of vineyards are cultivated in Kohlberg.
Schlosssteige and Grape Varieties
The volcanic vineyard area Bernbold in Kohlberg is assigned to the single-vineyard site of Schlosssteige, which covers 43 hectares. Long-term cultivation and rigoling have significantly altered the original soil profile there, improved root penetration, and increased the humus content through organic additions. In Kohlberg, Trollinger is documented as a grape variety; for the Schlosssteige, Silvaner, Spätburgunder, Kerner, Schwarzriesling and Müller-Thurgau are listed above all.
