Location and climate
Weinböhla is a municipality in the Saxon district of Meißen and lies on the hillside that rises from the Elbe valley into the foothills of the Lusatian uplands. The municipal centre is located at approximately 51°09′41″N, 13°33′49″E. Elevation ranges from 104 to 211 metres above sea level. Weinböhla belongs to the wine region Saxony.
Natural conditions
The municipality records an average annual temperature of 9.0 °C and an annual precipitation of 612 mm. Wine growing in Saxony is shaped by a continental climate with warm days, cool nights and long, sunny periods in summer and autumn. In geological terms, Weinböhla includes, among other things, the Meissen granite-syenite massif, Cretaceous formations as well as Quaternary deposits of the Elbe valley and the heath sand terrace. Parts of the municipal area are associated with Pleistocene meltwater deposits from the Saale Ice Age.
Vineyards on the Gellertberg
The Gellertberg is a vineyard hillside site in Weinböhla and is characterised as a historical wine-growing location by a south-facing hillside that benefits climatically. The Weinbau community of Weinböhla refers to its cultivation area as Weinböhlaer Gellertberg. The Gellertberg is registered as a single site within the Großlage Schlossweinberg in the Meißen area; as a municipal specification, Weinböhla or Niederau are permitted. The site produces, among other varieties, Müller-Thurgau, Goldriesling, Silvaner, Grauburgunder, Traminer, Gutedel, Morio Muskat, Weißburgunder, Kerner, Kernling, Riesling, Solaris, Perle von Zala, Spätburgunder, Dornfelder and Portugieser.
History of wine growing
Wine growing in Weinböhla has been documented at least since 1513, when the place was first mentioned under its present-day name. The Weinbau community of Weinböhla was founded on 24 May 1930 by 14 small vine growers; in the same year, the municipal vineyard area was restored with grafted vines. At that time, the growing area included Ratsweinberg and Gemeindeweinberg. The historic winegrowers’ farm was established in 1622; its main building in timber-framed construction was erected in 1794. From 1793 to 1870, limestone extraction was also an important line of business.
