Location and landscape
Volkach is the central place of the Volkacher Mainschleife, a distinctive meander of the Main in Franconia. The landscape is shaped by the river meander, steep slopes in the Main valley and flatter bank slopes.
Vineyards and soils
The wine-growing sites include the Ratsherr and the Volkachers Vogelsburger Pforte. Ratsherr lies at more than 200 metres above sea level and has south-facing slopes with a gradient of up to 60 per cent. The classified area covers 4.49 hectares. It is characterised by shell limestone and Lettenkeuper with a thin, loamy topsoil layer.
The Volkacher Vogelsburger Pforte lies at about 240 to 250 metres above sea level. Its south-easterly to southerly facing slopes have a gradient of around 30 to 40 per cent; the classified area is 1.59 hectares. The soils consist of shell limestone marl and loess loam.
Viticulture and wine styles
Volkach has about 160 hectares of vineyard area. There are 14 documented wine-growing businesses that market their own wines and a winegrowing cooperative. For the Ratsherr site, Silvaner, Riesling and Spätburgunder are classified; for the Volkacher Vogelsburger Pforte, Silvaner is classified.
The local offering includes, among others, Silvaner, Müller-Thurgau, Bacchus, Riesling, Kerner, Scheurebe, White and Grey Burgundy, as well as Domina, Dornfelder and Blauer Zweigelt. Dry and semi-dry quality wines are documented, as well as Kabinett and Spätlese, and red cuvée (Rotling). Some wines are matured in the large oak barrel cellar.
History and cultivation
Volkach was first mentioned in a document in 906. Wine-growing, craft and trade were among the defining historical activities. In 1258, Volkach was first referred to as a town in connection with the Counts of Castell.
In the area of the Volkach church hill (Kirchberg), vineyard plots with ground cover throughout the year, storage basins for surface water and drip irrigation are used. Part of the vineyard area lies within drinking water protection zone III, where restrictions apply for plant and pest protection. For the Ratsherr, a comparatively low amount of rainfall is also described, as the nearby Spessart reduces the flow of clouds.
