Location and extent
The wine-growing site of Burg Hoheneck, locally also known as Ipsheimer Burg Hoheneck, lies below Burg Hoheneck near Ipsheim in Franken. The roughly 35 hectares of vineyard area extend along pronounced south-facing slopes behind the Kesselberg in the Hohenecker Rangen, Höll and Sonnenberg areas, on the edge of the Frankenhöhe. From the vineyards, the view reaches over the Windsheim basin and the upper Aisch valley.
Soils and landscape
The soils are described as red loam, blue Keuper and, for this site, heavy loam soils. The belt of woodland around the castle protects the vineyards. During land consolidation (Flurbereinigung), protective plantings, larger areas of biotope and planting on hedges along paths, ditches and retention basins were created in order to integrate the vineyards into the landscape and improve the local microclimate.
Viticulture and history
Viticulture on the Burg-Hoheneck slope has been documented since the Middle Ages. A land consolidation project began in the autumn of 1979 and involved 68 winegrowers. The reasons included, among other things, inadequate access, irregular water conditions, unsuitable grape varieties and outdated plot structures. The castle, after which the wine-growing site is named, was first mentioned in a document in 1132.
Grape varieties and wine style
For the slopes below Burg Hoheneck, Bacchus, Kerner, Riesling, Spätburgunder, Domina, Regent and Dornfelder are documented. Silvaner is also produced under the site name. The Engel wine estate describes wines from its parcels with an influence of gypsum Keuper, as well as freshness and fine acidity; the grapes are harvested in the autumn and vinified in its own cellar.
