Location and landscape
Öhringen is a large district town in the Hohenlohe district in Baden-Württemberg and forms part of the region Württemberg. The municipal area extends from the southern foothills of the Kocher-Jagst region via the Hohenlohe plain to the edge of the Keuper escarpment and includes, among others, Michelbach am Wald and Verrenberg. Elevations range from 167.83 metres in the Kochertal to 484.13 metres in the south-east. The average annual temperature is 8.7 °C, and the average annual precipitation is 734 mm.
Keuper and vineyards
In the south of Öhringen, Lettenkeuper, Gipskeuper and reed sandstone occur. The Verrenberg and Goldberg elevations form there plateau-like single sites; Verrenberg reaches 294.9 metres, and the Goldberg 325 metres. Vineyards are located on the south-facing slope of Verrenberg and on all slopes of Goldberg. Gypsum from the Gipskeuper is currently used in the vineyards as marl.
Sites and grape varieties
The Verrenberger Goldberg is exposed to the west to south-west, lies at an altitude of 240 to 270 metres and has a slope gradient of 25 to 40 per cent as well as Keuper soil. The Verrenberg consists of heavy Keuper with a high clay content; on the ridge there is a small Muschelkalk horizon. The VDP classifies the Verrenberger Goldberg as VDP.ERSTE LAGE® and Verrenberg as VDP.GROSSE LAGE®. For the Verrenberger Goldberg, Riesling is listed as the classified grape variety. In the local vineyards, Lemberger, Spätburgunder, Sauvignon Blanc, Weissburgunder, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc and Merlot are also grown.
Development and winegrowing
The area around Öhringen came to Württemberg in 1806. The present districts were incorporated between 1972 and 1975; Verrenberg has belonged to Öhringen since 1 February 1972. The winegrowing of the Fürst Hohenlohe Oehringen has been certified as organic since 2008. In the red wine cellar in Öhringen-Verrenberg there is a wooden vat barrel with the family coat of arms, which was first filled in 1704.
