Location and landscape
Metzingen lies in the northern part of the district of Reutlingen and belongs to the natural region of Ermstal–Steinach–Alb foothills in Württemberg. The municipal area comprises Metzingen, Neuhausen and Glems. The elevation ranges from about 322 metres in the Ermstal to 802 metres on the Alb escarpment. The vineyards are on the sunny side of the Ermstal.
Soils and vineyard sites
The wine-growing landscape extends across the slopes of the broad Ermstal. Lower slope areas are used for meadows and fruit growing, while the upper slopes are often wooded. The vineyard hills include the Metzingen vineyard, Florian and Hofbühl. Geologically, formations of the Middle Jurassic shape the surrounding area; on the further south-located Alb escarpment, white Jurassic limestone occurs. The vineyard soils consist predominantly of dark, calcareous marl-clays; volcanic tuff occurs locally.
Winegrowing on Hofsteige and Schlosssteige
The approximately 34 hectares of Hofsteige lie near Metzingen and Neuhausen. Its most important grape varieties are Spätburgunder, Schwarzriesling and Silvaner. The approximately 43 hectares of Schlosssteige are classified as a single vineyard within the Remstal-Stuttgart quality wine region in Württemberg. There, Silvaner takes up more than a quarter of the vineyard area, followed by Spätburgunder, Kerner, Schwarzriesling and Müller-Thurgau.
The soils of both vineyard sites have been significantly altered by long-term cultivation and rigole trenches. Deep soil loosening improved root penetration, and organic material increased the humus content. Dark, clay-rich soils can store heat and thereby influence the vineyard climate at altitudes of up to about 450 metres.
History and wine styles
Winegrowing in Metzingen has been documented since 1089. The seven cider presses were first mentioned in 1281 and housed large press trees; most of the press trees were removed in 1929 following the introduction of modern pressing methods. Around 1840, there were about 19,000 to 22,000 vines per hectare in the vineyards, trained on a trunk and two downward-bent fruiting shoots. Historical wine farming also included wooden presses, cooperage, barrel care and maturation in the cellar. Documented wines today range from dry Silvaner, Chardonnay and Spätburgunder wines and cuvées to Auslese, Beerenauslese, Trockenbeerenauslese, ice wine and dry Chardonnay sparkling wine.
