Location and landscape
Sternenfels is the northernmost municipality in the Enzkreis district in Baden-Württemberg and lies between the Kraichgau and the Württemberg. The municipal area extends from around 219 to 415 metres above sea level. To the east, a steep, wooded Stromberg escarpment shapes the landscape; below it are vineyards on the marl slopes.
Soils and vineyards
The Stromberg foreland is characterised by reed sand-limestone and colourful marl, while the eastern upland is covered by stubensandstone. The vineyards at König, Sandberg and Augenberg are on sun-rich slopes. The vineyard König corresponds to the Diefenbacher König and is located around the Königsbückele viewpoint in the Diefenbach district.
Winegrowing
In Sternenfels and Diefenbach, a total of around 60 hectares of vineyard area are cultivated, of which about 20 hectares are in Sternenfels and 40 hectares in Diefenbach. Around 70 per cent of production goes to red wine and 30 per cent to white wine. The cultivated grape varieties include, among others, Trollinger, Riesling, Lemberger, Schwarzriesling, Spätburgunder, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, as well as white and grey Burgunder. Specialities include, among others, Sauvignon Blanc, Muscateller, Gewürztraminer and Chardonnay.
History and cultivation
In Diefenbach, winegrowing was an important basis of life. According to information from the municipality, at the Burrianhof wine has been served since 1765; as a result, the village is among the oldest documented Besenwirtschaft traditions in the region. The local winemakers’ cooperative describes its winegrowing as being ecologically oriented and links work in the vineyards with the preservation of the cultural landscape.
