Location and soils
The Jesuitenberg is an officially designated vineyard site in Elsenfeld, in the district of Rück, in the wine-growing region Franken in Bavaria. The soils comprise weathered Buntsandstein with loess or loess marl.
Topography and wine character
Parts of the site are so steep that mechanical grape harvesting is not possible. Wines from Rück, which also include those from the Jesuitenberg, are associated with a spicy and aromatic character.
History and re-cultivation
Winegrowing in Rück has been documented as an important activity since the first written mention of the settlement in the 14th century. After damage caused by phylloxera and frost, the Jesuitenberg was largely abandoned. From the early 1970s, as part of land consolidation, systematic re-cultivation began; between 1974 and 1979, around 22 hectares of contiguous vineyards were created in the project area on Johannisberg and Jesuitenberg.
Cultivation and marketing
A winery based in Rück grows on the sites Jesuitenberg, Johannisberg and Schalk Müller-Thurgau, Weissburgunder, Silvaner, Spätburgunder, Portugieser and Zweigelt. The varieties are not assigned to individual plots. From 1976 to 1999, most of the grapes from Rück were processed and marketed via the Thüngersheim wine cooperative; after that, local private winegrowers took over these tasks.
