Location and Site
The Hemsbach Herrwingert is a single vineyard within the Großlage Rittersberg in the wine-growing region of Baden. The documented parcels are located in Hemsbach on the sunny west-facing slope of the Hemsbacher Alteberg and are oriented from south to south-west. The site on the Badische Bergstraße receives around 750 to 850 millimetres of rainfall per year, has a mean annual temperature of 9.5 °C and, from April to October, up to 1,600 hours of sunshine.
Soil and Cultivation
The vines grow on granodiorite, granodiorite gravel formed from it and loess deposits of varying thickness. The parcels associated with the single vineyard, belonging to the IG Bürgerwingert, were restored between 2015 and 2017 from previously neglected or abandoned vineyard areas. Cultivation is carried out in a nature-friendly way and according to the rules of organic viticulture, without organic certification. The harvest is done by hand; during this process, unripe or rotten berries are sorted out.
Grape Varieties and Wine Production
Riesling was the original main variety in Bürgerwingert 1 and 2. Due to climatic pressure, it is planned to replace part of the Riesling areas with fungal disease-resistant varieties. Spätburgunder is grown for red wine production. Depending on the length of pressing and maceration time, Spätburgunder red wine, Blanc de Noir as well as rosé or Weißherbst are produced. For the red wine, the grapes are destemmed and crushed, then left on the skins for about one to two weeks and afterwards pressed. Fermentation begins spontaneously before the yeast culture 1895C is added.
Historical Reference
Winegrowing in Hemsbach is already documented in the Lorscher Codex of the 8th century. Historical vineyard designations in connection with the area are Berling, Umbühl, Espersbach, Zeilberg and Alteberg.
