Location and Landscape
Götzhalde is an officially designated single-vineyard site of the Burg Hornberg winery near Neckarzimmern in Württemberg. The vineyards lie below the castle in the Neckar valley and consist of steep terraces oriented to the south-west. The slopes are classified as belonging to the Muschelkalk.
Climate and Vineyard Work
The Neckar valley provides a mild, balanced microclimate. Thermals in the valley ventilate the vines. The steep terraces are cultivated and harvested by hand, as mechanised cultivation of the steep slopes is not possible.
Walls and Historical Development
Extensive natural stone and dry-stone walls support the terraces. They store heat, help with the drainage of rainwater and form part of the vineyard structure. Winegrowing at Gut Hornberg, to which Götzhalde belongs, is evidenced by a document from the year 1184 in which the winery’s presses and vineyards are mentioned.
Grape Varieties and Wines
For Götzhalde, Muscateller and Traminer are documented historically. As wines with the designation Burg Hornberg Götzhalde, Riesling and Trollinger were bottled. A dry Riesling Qualitätswein and a semi-dry Trollinger Rosé Qualitätswein are documented. Historically, the harvested grapes were taken directly from the vineyard to the press in the castle located below. Red wines were traditionally fermented on the skins, and the wines matured in the vaulted cellar of the castle.
