Location and winegrowing
Sommerach is located in Franconia on the wine island, an area that rises gently and is surrounded by the Main. Around 100 winegrowing families cultivate about 250 hectares of vineyard. Local wine producers include a winegrowing cooperative and 22 winegrowing estates that market their own wine.
Sites and grape varieties
As local wine sites, the Sommeracher Katzenkopf, Sommeracher Engelsberg and Rosenberg are named. The Sommeracher Katzenkopf faces south-west, lies at an altitude of between 230 and 245 metres and has a slope gradient of 30 per cent. Shell limestone shapes the vineyards; on the Katzenkopf there is a clayey-marl weathering layer with limestone marl. The classified grape variety there is Silvaner.
Classification and range of grapes
The Sommeracher Katzenkopf is classified in the Franconia winegrowing region as VDP.ERSTE LAGE® and comprises a classified area of 89 hectares. In Sommerach, among other grapes, Silvaner, Müller-Thurgau, Bacchus, Riesling, Weißburgunder, Kerner, Scheurebe, Rieslaner, Pinot Meunier, Domina and Schwarzriesling are grown or processed into wine.
History and winegrowing culture
In 1901, 35 Sommerach winegrowers founded a cooperative in order to market the products of their small vineyards jointly. Remnants of the former village fortifications have been preserved, including the Maintor dated 1585, as well as a former tithing court from around 1700. The member families of the cooperative cultivate small vineyard plots; their wines carry the sustainability seal FAIR'N GREEN.
