Location and Classification
Backofen is a registered single vineyard in Kaub in the wine-growing region Mittelrhein. The site belongs to the Loreley area and to the Großlage Herrenberg. The official wine-site identification number is 320403; the municipality and cadastral district are Kaub.
Area and Topography
In the 2024 wine-site directory, the planted vineyard area is recorded as 1.1 hectares. According to statements by local winemakers, Backofen is about 70 metres from the River Rhine and stretches from around 80 to 180 metres above sea level. The slope gradient is approximately 50 to 65 percent.
Soil and Grape Varieties
According to descriptions by local winemakers, the vineyards are on weathered slate or on slate rock. Slate is credited with storing warmth during the day and releasing it again in the evening and at night. In Backofen, Riesling and Chardonnay are planted; according to one winemaker, Chardonnay was first harvested there in 2015.
Cultivation and Vineyard Stock
A parcel with Riesling vines over 100 years old that are still growing on their own roots is accessible only on foot and is farmed without tillage, so that herbs and vines grow together. Backofen is farmed as a steep-slope vineyard; hand work is part of working in the steep vineyards. It is also reported that participation in the Rhineland-Palatinate programme for environmentally friendly farming of steep-slope and very steep-slope sites is undertaken.
