Location and landscape
Sulzburg is located in the Markgräflerland at the edge of the Southern Black Forest in Baden-Württemberg. The town belongs to the wine-growing region Baden. The municipality also includes the wine village of Laufen. It lies in the Markgräfler Hügelland between the Upper Rhine Plain and the Black Forest. Vineyards shape the landscape, while the eastern heights rise into wooded Black Forest forelands.
Climate and vineyard sites
Sulzburg and Laufen share the mild climate of the southern Markgräflerland. At short distance, the mild climate of the Rhine Plain merges into the higher areas of the Black Forest. At the Altenberg, the vines are influenced by the night-time drainage of cold air from the Black Forest. The classified sub-plot Altenberg Weingarten faces south, lies at about 300 to 340 metres above sea level, and has a slope of around 15 to 25 percent.
Soils and grape varieties
The Altenberg Weingarten has calcareous marl soil with small pieces of limestone at the surface. The conditions are associated with later ripening and suitability for Pinot Noir varieties and Chardonnay. The classified grape varieties listed are Weißburgunder, Grauburgunder, Spätburgunder and Chardonnay. Further on in the Laufen Altenberg, Gutedel, Weißburgunder, Grauburgunder, Chardonnay and Spätburgunder are also grown.
Wine-growing history
Laufen has been documented as a wine-growing place since the Middle Ages; for many residents, wine-growing remained an important source of income well into the 20th century. The Laufen winegrowers’ cooperative was founded in 1931 by 21 winegrowers. After the merger with the cooperative in Auggen in 2011, the wines from the Laufen Altenberg continued to be developed separately in Laufen. The present-day Sulzburg town hall was also previously a winery, and it documents the growing importance of wine-growing in the 19th century.
