Location and Surroundings
Harfenspiel is a vineyard site to the east of Bergtheim in the Bergtheim cadastral district. It lies at about the halfway point between Bergtheim and Dipbach, north of the connecting road. The slope faces west; to the east, the Blankholz adjoins it, while the Pleichach runs to the west below the vineyards.
Classification and Soils
The site covers about 17 hectares and is not assigned to any large-scale growing area. In the Franken region, Harfenspiel is listed as a vineyard site within the Volkacher Mainschleife area without any large-scale designation. Documented parcels show loess clay soils with an outcrop or a continuation of the gypsum Keuper in the subsoil.
Nature Conservation and History
A large part of the vineyards lies within water and nature conservation areas. For cultivation, the abandonment of herbicides and insecticides is documented. After the last pre-modern vineyards in Bergtheim were destroyed by phylloxera in 1925, Manfred and Helene Schmitt planted the first new vines in Harfenspiel in 1974.
Grape Varieties and Production
From Harfenspiel, wines made from Silvaner, Blue Silvaner, Müller-Thurgau, Pinot Blanc, Bacchus and Spätburgunder are documented. These include dry white wines, a semi-dry Bacchus and a dry red wine made from Spätburgunder. A documented Blue Silvaner is hand-harvested, macerated and fermented in must, fermented spontaneously and aged until August in a Tonneau on the fine lees. A Sekt made from Blue Silvaner undergoes bottle fermentation and matures for 22 months on the lees in the bottle.
