Location and landscape
Niederstetten is located in Hohenlohe in the north-eastern part of Baden-Württemberg and belongs to the Main-Tauber district. The municipal area covers around 104.06 km²; the officially stated elevation is 306 metres above sea level. Vineyards are found in the Vorbachtal valley and on the surrounding hillside slopes.
Muschelkalk and wine-growing history
Niederstetten is documented as a traditional wine-growing town in the Württemberg wine-growing region. In the Vorbachtal valley, numerous stone ridges on the hillsides bear witness to historical wine-growing. In Vorbachzimmer, around 1850 there were more than 100 hectares of vineyard land. Oberstetten was also previously characterised by more than 80 hectares of vineyards.
Terroir and local special features
The vineyard sites in the Tauber and Vorbachtal valleys have calcareous, stony and permeable Muschelkalk soils. In Oberstetten, the stone ridges consist of Muschelkalk and are located on south-facing slopes. They store warmth during the day and release it again on clear, often cold spring nights.
Grape varieties and vineyard sites
In the districts, Müller-Thurgau, Kerner and Schwarzriesling are documented; in Oberstetten, additionally, Silvaner, Acolon and Zweigelt. Historically, Schillerwein was produced in the region, a rosé-coloured wine made by co-fermenting red and white grapes. The Schafsteige is a single vineyard site in the area of Kocher-Jagst-Tauber and belongs to the Großlage Tauberberg. The former Niederstetten wine-growers’ cooperative later joined the Weingärtnergenossenschaft Markelsheim.
