Landsknecht

The Franconian vineyard Landsknecht is assigned to the Obervolkach districts of Volkach, Obervolkach, and Rimbach. The vineyards near Rimbach do not have their own site name and belong to the Obervolkacher Landsknecht. Above Obervolkach, the site extends to the north and east between meadows, streams and woodland; the Rimbach section lies close to the village. Obervolkacher Landsknecht comprises about 80 hectares, the Rimbach viticultural area about 10 hectares. The site belongs to the quality wine-growing region Franconia, to the Volkacher Mainschleife area and to the Großlage Kirchberg.

In the Obervolkach part, Upper Muschelkalk, Keuper and reed sandstone occur. Reed sandstone forms a transitional layer between Muschelkalk and Keuper. The documented Rimbacher Alte-Satz plot consists predominantly of Lettenkeuper with Upper Muschelkalk; about one metre below the surface there are layers of stone. It has a south-westerly aspect and a slope of about ten per cent. The climate in the Rimbach section is continental with maritime influences, with a mean annual temperature of about 9 °C and around 580 mm of annual precipitation. Because of the open south-western exposure, there is a risk there of winter and spring frosts.

For the Obervolkacher Landsknecht, Müller-Thurgau and Silvaner are especially known. The Rimbacher Alte Satz is planted mixed with at least ten old varieties and several more recent crosses, including White Elbling, Green and Blue Silvaner, Gewürztraminer, Yellow Traminer, Riesling, White and Red Gutedel, Yellow Muscateller, Aligoté, Pinot Blanc, Spätburgunder, Müller-Thurgau, Kerner and Ortega. The wine produced from this is documented as Gemischter Satz. In Obervolkach, wine-growing has been documented since 906; the Rimbacher Alte Satz has existed since 1835 and, according to the Bavarian State Institute for Agriculture, remained in the same family for at least four generations.

The Rimbacher Alte-Satz plot was converted in 1952 from short cross rows to 15 long rows with simple wire-and-post trellis training. In 1970, every second row was removed and a modern wire training system was established; since then, eight rows have been in place with a row spacing of about two metres. Cultivation includes extensive soil cultivation and temporary natural ground cover to reduce erosion. Straw, compost and fertiliser are used as manuring; in the past, manure and pomace were usual. After the appearance of phylloxera, the current plantings were established on phylloxera-resistant rootstocks; the Alte Satz belongs to the vineyards that survived the losses after the First World War.