Location and Classification
The vineyard officially listed as “Dornburger Schloßberg” is located in the Dornburg cadastral area of Dornburg-Camburg in the wine-growing region Saale-Unstrut. It lies below the Dornburg palace complex, above the Saale valley.
Terraces and Area
The historic wine site comprises six vineyard terraces and is situated at the upper edge of a shell limestone escarpment. The official directory of wine sites records for the Dornburger Schloßberg, as of 31 December 2024, a planted vineyard area of 0.2360 hectares.
Cultivation and History
The Thuringian winery Bad Sulza has been cultivating the historic wine site since 2008. The steep terraces are maintained exclusively by hand because of the old training system using poles. After severe frost damage in 2009, the old vines were uprooted and the vineyard replanted; the first harvest took place in autumn 2011. Viticulture in Dornburg had already been documented in 1828 in Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s studies.
Grape Variety and Wine
For the replanting, Johanniter was selected, which has comparatively low requirements for plant protection. A documented wine from the terraces is a dry white wine made from Johanniter. Care is carried out on behalf of the Friends of the Goethe National Museum e.V. and the Foundation Thuringian Palaces and Gardens.
