Location and Classification
Herrnberg is a single vineyard site in the wine-growing area of Umstadt on the Hessische Bergstraße. The vineyard lies within the cadastral districts of Groß-Umstadt and Heubach and covers an area of 48 hectares. It is located at around 200 to 240 metres above sea level on hilly to steep terrain with a south-easterly to south-south-westerly orientation. The documented geological subsoils are porphyry and loess clay.
Grape Varieties and Wine Style
For Herrnberg and the Groß-Umstadt site Steingerück, Müller-Thurgau and Silvaner are documented. The wines produced from this are compared in their character with Franconian wines. The wine education trail at Herrnberg also names Dornfelder, Red Riesling and Schwarzriesling as grape varieties planted there.
Viticulture and Infrastructure
Land consolidation and the expansion of vineyard infrastructure at Herrnberg began on 18 December 1981 and were completed in 2013. The documented objectives included improved access, the limitation of surface runoff and erosion, and separating the vineyard areas from other uses. To protect against soil sealing, turf grid pavers were used and drainage and retention measures were implemented.
Historical Notes
In 2010, the town of Groß-Umstadt set up an approximately two-kilometre-long wine education trail at Herrnberg. In 2000, the private winemakers Willi Diehl and Joachim Emmerich planted a wedding vineyard there with vines of the Saint Laurent variety. A documented dry Umstadt Herrnberg Regent from 2022 was matured in a stainless-steel tank.
