Location and geology
Oberau is a district of the municipality of Niederau in the district of Meißen in Saxony. To the east of the town lies the Gellertberg, which reaches an elevation of 177.8 metres. At Oberau, the Meißner Hornblende-biotite granite of the Lusatian thrust comes to the surface over flat-lying Cretaceous Pläner marl; near the fault, the marl has been deformed.
Viticulture on the Gellertberg
The Gellertberg is a legally registered single vineyard (Einzellage) in the Meißen area of the Saxon wine-growing region. On the Oberau Gellertberg, around 2.5 hectares are cultivated. The documented main grape varieties include Müller-Thurgau, Kerner and Dornfelder; Müller-Thurgau is listed as the leading variety.
History of viticulture
According to the municipality, on the Gellertberg wine was already grown by monks in the 12th century. In 1929, a plan was created for replanting; in 1934 a local wine-growing group was founded, and in 1935 the vineyard was reopened with a ceremonial event.
Community and climate
The vineyard is cultivated by a local winemakers’ community. Its activities include joint harvests, wine hikes and events in the open vineyard. For the Elbtalkessel wine-growing region, a mean annual temperature of 9.2 °C, 600 to 700 millimetres of annual precipitation and about 1,750 hours of sunshine are described.
