Location and designation
Kapellenberg is a registered single vineyard in the area of the town of Rottenburg am Neckar and its districts Wendelsheim and Wurmlingen. The vineyards are located in the wine-growing region Württemberg, in the Neckar-Alb area, which was formerly known as the Upper Neckar. The wine-growing region is regarded as a climatic and historical border region. The name Kapellenberg refers to the Wurmlingen chapel.
Terraces and soils
The vineyards consist of small, terraced steep slopes. Individual parcels are often about five to ten ares. The terrain makes the use of machinery difficult to a large extent. Historic dry-stone walls and stone steps form the terraces and are preserved as part of the vineyard landscape.
Geologically, shell limestone and gypsum marl Keuper occur. Soils formed from shell limestone are dry, stony, calcareous and well-drained. Keuper soils contain more clay and can store both heat and moisture.
Wine-growing history and wine law
Wine-growing in Rottenburg am Neckar has been documented since the 13th century. In 1401, the Austrian administration established the St.-Urban guild as a supervisory body for wine-growing. For the year 1425, around 710,000 litres of wine from the local vineyards have been handed down.
The single-vineyard designation Kapellenberg remained unchanged when the region was renamed from Upper Neckar to Neckar-Alb. The Rottenburg vineyards still do not belong to any Großlage. Wines may be marketed, in accordance with the applicable Württemberg designation rules, either as Ortswein under Rottenburger Wein or as Regionalwein under Neckar-Alb.
Grape varieties and quality work
For the vineyards in the Rottenburg area, among others Müller-Thurgau, Kerner, Riesling, Silvaner, Schwarzriesling, Spätburgunder, Lemberger and Portugieser have been documented. Producers often have musts and wines examined in a wine laboratory. Analyses for malolactic fermentation and for free sulphur dioxide are used to plan further treatment and ageing steps. Some producers also submit their wines for the official quality wine assessment at the State Teaching and Research Institute for Winegrowing and Fruitgrowing in Weinsberg.
