Location in Franconian wine country
Rödelsee lies in the wine-growing region Franconia and together with Iphofen forms the geographical centre of the Schwanberger Land wine-growing area. The vineyards are located at the foot of the Schwanberg, which belongs to the Steigerwald and marks the transition between the low mountain range and the foothills.
Climate and soils
The vineyard sites are oriented from south to west, so that afternoon and evening sunshine contributes to the ripening of the grapes. The area opened to the south-west is largely protected from cold easterly and north-easterly winds by the steep slopes of the Schwanberg and the adjacent Steigerwald heights. Precipitation is around 300 to 500 millimetres per year and falls mainly in the winter months; the forests above the vineyards can store water.
The deep-rooting vineyard soils are Keuper soils from the Triassic period, dating back about 180 million years. For the Rödelseer Küchenmeister, gypsum Keuper and Middle Keuper are mentioned as geological subsoils, while for the Rödelseer Schwanleite gypsum Keuper is given.
Viticulture with a long history
Viticulture around Rödelsee has existed for more than 1,000 years. The first documented mention of the vineyards dates from 1040. After land consolidation in the 1960s, Küchenmeister and Schwanleite remained established as names from 32 historical individual vineyard names. Today the vineyards cover about 110 hectares and thus around ten per cent of the municipal area.
Sites and grape varieties
Depending on the demarcation, the Rödelseer Küchenmeister lies at around 240 to 380 metres above sea level, has a slope of 20 to 50 per cent and is oriented from south-west to west-south-west. The Schwanleite lies at 270 to 360 metres above sea level, with a slope of 20 to 40 per cent and a west to west-south-west orientation. Both sites are classified as VDP.ERSTE LAGE®.
Silvaner and Müller-Thurgau shape the cultivation. In addition, among others Bacchus, Scheurebe, Kerner, Traminer, Riesling and red grape varieties are documented. For Küchenmeister, White Burgundy, Rieslaner, Sauvignon Blanc and Spätburgunder are also mentioned, while for Schwanleite Chardonnay, Grauburgunder and Spätburgunder are listed. The municipality describes the wines as fruity, clearly mineral and suitable for longer ageing.
