Location and wine-growing region
Schallstadt is located in the Baden wine-growing region of Markgräflerland, south of Freiburg. The municipality lies at the transition between the Upper Rhine Plain and the foothills of the Black Forest. The Wolfenweiler wine-growing area is characterised by a mild, sunny climate, adequate rainfall and a long growing season.
Vineyards and soils
The vineyards associated with Schallstadt include Alemannenbuck and Batzenberg; the Dürrenberg is located in Schallstadt-Wolfenweiler. The Batzenberg is an approximately four-kilometre-long hill running in a north-south direction, with a vineyard area of around 376 hectares and an elevation of up to 326 metres. Differences in microclimate, aspect and altitude create various growing conditions there. The vineyard soils include calcareous loess, loess clay and marl.
Grape varieties and wine-growing
The Batzenberg’s surface is predominantly free of woodland and has been used exclusively for wine-growing since land consolidation. Around 375 wine-growing families farm about 380 hectares of vineyard land in the vicinity of the Wolfenweiler wine cooperative, mainly on the Batzenberg. The characteristic grape variety of the Markgräflerland is Gutedel; in addition, Pinot varieties are widespread. Cultivated varieties also include Weißburgunder, Grauburgunder, Müller-Thurgau, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Auxerrois, Muskateller, Gewürztraminer and Spätburgunder.
Wine-making and origin
From the Batzenberg and Dürrenberg vineyards, varietal quality and Prädikat wines are produced, including dry wines and wines from Pinot varieties. Documented wine-making styles include, among other things, cold maceration of a Gutedel wine, ripening selected wines from older vines in large wooden casks, and biological acid breakdown with longer ageing on fine lees. Selected Pinot wines ripen in Barrique and Tonneau casks. The wines from Schallstadt fall under the protected Baden designation of origin framework.
