Location and natural region
Willanzheim is located in the Steigerwald foothills within the natural region unit of the Mainfränkische Platten in northern Bavaria and belongs to the region Franken. The geological subsoil includes the Lower and Middle Keuper, including the Gipskeuper. Locally, loess clay and blown sand lie on top of this.
Climate and winegrowing
The area is characterised by a warm, dry, sub-continental climate. Long growing seasons and low precipitation describe the conditions; for the period 1961 to 1990, a mean annual temperature of 8.4 °C and an annual rainfall of 624 mm are given.
The municipality includes the wine-growing area of Hüttenheimer Tannenberg, with around 75 hectares of vineyard land. The vineyard plots are assigned to the Franconian winegrowing region, the Weinparadies area, and the Großlage Burgweg (Iphofen).
Grape varieties and winegrowing tradition
On the Hüttenheimer Tannenberg, the white grape varieties documented include Müller-Thurgau, Silvaner, Bacchus, Kerner, Traminer and Scheurebe. The red varieties include Domina, Spätburgunder, Schwarzriesling and Dornfelder. Wine production includes white wines as well as rosé, Weißherbst and red wine.
The winegrowing tradition in Hüttenheim has been documented since 1199. Historically, the wines were stored in the cellar buildings of the fortified church complex.
