Walheim

Walheim is a municipality in the district of Ludwigsburg in Württemberg and lies at the confluence of the Enz and Neckar. The landscape ranges from a loess-covered Lettenkeuper plateau to the Muschelkalk valley of the Neckar. Vineyard slopes and terraced steep vineyards shape the riverbanks of both rivers.

A major part of Walheim’s vineyard area is located on terraced steep slopes. Muschelkalk terraces and dry stone walls characterise this wine-growing landscape; the walls reduce erosion and make cultivation possible on very steep hillsides. The Felsengarten and Wurmberg vineyards belong to the documented wine sites of Walheim.

In Walheim, among others, Trollinger, Lemberger, Spätburgunder, Zweigelt, Merlot, Schwarzriesling, Riesling, Grauburgunder, Traminer and Chardonnay are grown. At a Walheim producer, red wines are prepared using traditional vat fermentation and matured in wooden barrels, while white wines are vinified in stainless-steel tanks and barriques. The white wines and some red wines ferment spontaneously; in the case of red wines, vat fermentation lasts 15 to 20 days. The farmed steep slopes are permanently covered with vegetation and are cultivated without herbicides.

Walheim was first mentioned in records in 1071 and in 1595 became part of a Württemberg municipal constitution. From Roman times, traces of settlement have been preserved, including a Roman military camp and an associated archaeological discovery site. In 1939, the Walheimer Wengerter joined the Besigheimer group, from which the Felsengartenkellerei Besigheim later emerged.