Location and climate
Reutlingen lies on the edge of the Swabian Jura in the landscape of the Alb foreland and is regarded as the gateway to the Swabian Alb. The city area is situated in a climatic transition zone between the comparatively mild Alb and Alpine foreland and the cooler Swabian Alb. For the reference period 1981 to 2010, a mean annual temperature of 7.4 °C and a mean annual rainfall of about 940 mm are given.
Sommerhalde at the Achalm
The Sommerhalde lies on the slope of the Achalm, a landmark hill located to the east of Reutlingen. The historic name refers to a south-facing slope that is favourable for viticulture. The flanks of the Achalm consist of rocks of the Middle Jurassic; at the summit and in the upper section, hard limestones of the Wohlgeschichtete-Kalke formation from the Upper Jurassic are found.
Viticulture in Reutlingen
Viticulture on the Achalm builds on an older local tradition. References to the name Sommerhalde have been documented since 1343, and records from 1471 mention a wine tithe from three Sommerhalde areas. After a period without active cultivation, vines were planted again in the Sommerhalde-Goldloch area. The documented varieties include Müller-Thurgau, Chardonnay, Blauer Portugieser, Spätburgunder and Schwarzriesling. A wine from the Reutlingen Sommerhalde is documented as a Schillerwein cuvée made from these varieties.
Ecological structures and area designation
The project at Sommerhalde includes more than 50 standard fruit trees, a dry-stone wall, natural-stone terraces or stone ridges, a wildflower greening and hedges of dead branches; a wet biotope was also planned. The wine-growing area historically linked with Reutlingen and neighbouring vineyards previously bore the name Oberer Neckar. Since 1 August 2025, the regional name is Neckar-Alb. The city lies in the region Württemberg.
