Location and classification
Sonnenwinkel is a registered vineyard site near Altmannsdorf in the Franconian winegrowing region. The official Bavarian vineyard register assigns the site to the protected winegrowing region Franken, area Weinpanorama Steigerwald, Großlage Zabelstein.
Landscape and elevations
A vineyard operation working on Sonnenwinkel describes the vineyards as part of the Franconian Keuper stage landscape of the Steigerwald. A vineyard survey from 1994 recorded Sonnenwinkel on 30 hectares alongside hedges or windbreak strips. The soil surfaces were partly covered by cover crops sown in autumn and partly left bare.
Grape varieties
The 1994 survey documented Bacchus, Müller-Thurgau and Portugieser. Kerner and Silvaner were recorded on less than five per cent of the affected area. Vinted wines with the designation Altmannsdorfer Sonnenwinkel also include Spätburgunder and Regent.
Wine styles and vinification
Bacchus is documented as a semi-dry quality wine or Kabinett, Spätburgunder rosé, Regent dry from the barrique, as well as Müller-Thurgau Beerenauslese and Spätburgunder ice wine. According to information from a producer associated with Sonnenwinkel, fruity wines are stored in stainless steel vessels, while red wines ripen in traditional wooden casks or small barriques.
