Location and classification
Sülzenberg is a single vineyard site in Oberdollendorf, a district of Königswinter, in the wine-growing region Mittelrhein. The vineyard lies on the west-facing slope of the Dollendorfer Hardt in the Siebengebirge and belongs to the vineyard complex at Hülle, which also includes Laurentiusberg and Rosenhügel.
Soils and area
The soils of the Oberdollendorfer sites, including Sülzenberg, are described as loam and loess over greywacke. The legally recorded area is 3.0 hectares; the entry relates to Oberdollendorf, Flur 11.
History and cultivation
Sülzenberg is one of the older vineyards in the Siebengebirge and used to belong to the Sülz estate, a historically significant vineyard within the Heisterbach monastery’s holdings. The present-day layout of the Oberdollendorf vineyard complex was shaped by the land consolidation (Flurbereinigung) of 1978. After that, broad paths suitable for machinery were laid out. The vines are grown mostly on wire trellises, and in steeper locations also on individual posts. A rain channel and a retention basin are used to regulate heavy rainfall and reduce erosion.
Grape varieties and wines
Historically, among others, Kleinberger, today referred to as Elbling, and Spätburgunder are documented in the Oberdollendorf vineyard complex. After the land consolidation, Riesling, Müller-Thurgau, Kerner and Portugieser were planted; later, Dornfelder, Weißburgunder, Muscaris and Regent were also documented. Under the exact designation Oberdollendorfer Sülzenberg Riesling, a semi-dry Riesling is recorded, while Oberdollendorfer Sülzenberg Portugieser is listed as a dry red wine. Sülzenberg belongs to the Siebengebirge area and is assigned to the large-scale designation Königswinterer Petersberg.
