Location and Terroir
The Saalhäuser wine-growing site is located in Bad Kösen, a district of Naumburg (Saale), in the wine-growing region Saale-Unstrut. It lies above the Saale near the state-owned wine estate Kloster Pforta. The site comprises steep slopes facing south along the Saale valley, with moderately sloping to steep sections. The vineyard is planted on shell-bearing limestone; in addition, deep, stony and strongly lime-containing slope scree soils are documented. For viticulture, the microclimatic conditions are considered favourable.
Cultivation and Grape Varieties
The currently documented vineyard area is about 9.6 hectares; the 2024 vineyard directory lists 9.6315 hectares. The site is cultivated by the state-owned wine estate Kloster Pforta. The planted grape varieties are Blauer Zweigelt, Riesling, Blauer Spätburgunder and Weißburgunder. As wines from the site, the state-owned wine estate produces dry Blauer Zweigelt and dry Weißburgunder.
History
The Saalhäuser vineyards were first documented in 1378 in an arbitration agreement between Augustinian and Cistercian monks. Parts of the site were laid out as model vineyards in the 1830s. In 1899, a state wine-growing administration set up its headquarters here in order to combat phylloxera and to conduct viticultural research.
