Location and landscape
Vaihingen an der Enz is located in Württemberg. The municipal area includes the wine-growing villages of Horrheim, Gündelbach, Roßwag and Ensingen. Horrheim lies in the Stromberg recreation area and is surrounded by forests, lakes and vineyards.
Wine-growing and terrain
With more than 300 hectares of vineyard area, Vaihingen an der Enz is one of the larger wine-growing communities in Württemberg. The vineyards are on south-facing slopes of the lower Enz valley and on the wooded Stromberg ridges; some sites are terraced. In the valleys, arable farming and grassland shape the landscape, while the north-facing slopes are predominantly forested or covered with orchards. Geologically, Keuper, exposed Muschelkalk and further Muschelkalk areas meet.
Grape varieties and vineyard sites
The vineyards are planted with Württemberg and international grape varieties. On the Horrheimer Klosterberg, for instance, Lemberger, Trollinger, Riesling, Muskattrollinger, Chardonnay, Gelber Muskateller, Grauburgunder and Sauvignon Blanc are documented. A teaching vineyard there shows, over a stretch of around 500 metres, about 40 grape varieties and explains their origin, soil requirements, ripening time and wines. The winegrowers of Horrheim-Gündelbach cultivate around 70 hectares, about 80 per cent of which are planted with red and 20 per cent with white grape varieties.
History and cultivation
In Horrheim, wine-growing has been documented since about 1147. The terraces of the Roßwager Halde were created between the late 12th and early 14th centuries and were entered into the register of monuments in 1978. The historic cultural landscape is maintained through measures to preserve its terrace structures and overall layout. On the Horrheimer Klosterberg, precise vineyard work before the harvest and yield reduction are among the documented measures of wine-growing and wine production.
