Location and landscape
Malterdingen is situated in the Emmendingen foothills zone of the northern Breisgau, about 15 kilometres north of Freiburg, between the Upper Rhine Plain and the Black Forest. The municipality belongs to the wine-growing region Baden. Its vineyards extend across the hilly foothill landscape; in the east lies the Black Forest, and in the west the Vosges can be seen.
Bienenberg vineyard
The Bienenberg is classified as VDP.GROSSE LAGE®. Its southern to south-western and western exposures lie at 200 to 280 metres above sea level, with a slope gradient of 20 to 40 per cent. The partially terraced vineyard consists of weathered shell limestone (muschelkalk) and loess; rocky areas favour deep rooting. Chardonnay and Spätburgunder are classified for this site.
Wildenstein and wine-growing
The Bienenberg “Wildenstein” is also a VDP.GROSSE LAGE® in Malterdingen. The site, which is oriented to the south to south-west, lies at 240 to 260 metres above sea level and has a gradient of 30 to 40 per cent, with red, weathered shell limestone soils. Wine-growing in Malterdingen has been documented for more than 700 years. In the 14th century, Cistercian monks from Burgundy planted Spätburgunder on the Bienenberg; “Malterdinger” was previously used as a designation for Pinot noir.
Winery and local history
At Weingut Bernhard Huber, 70 per cent of the vineyard area is given over to Spätburgunder, 15 per cent to Chardonnay, 7 per cent to Weißer Burgunder, 7 per cent to Grauer Burgunder and 1 per cent to other varieties. The winery aims for dry wines with a character of origin, and prefers Spätburgunder and Chardonnay; it is in the process of converting to organic cultivation. Malterdingen was first mentioned in 1016 in a donation deed issued by Emperor Henry II to the Schuttern monastery.
