Top 100 wines of Württemberg

Discover the top 100 best wines of Württemberg as well as the best winemakers in the region. Explore the varietals of the wines that are popular of Württemberg and the best vintages to taste in this region.

Discovering the wine region of Württemberg

Württemberg is known as Germany's premier red wine region. With almost 11,500 hectares (28,500 acres) of vineyards, it is the fourth-largest wine region in the country. Found adjacent to Baden and South of Franken, Wüttemberg is a particularly hilly and rural wine-region. Almost 70-percent of Württemberg wines are red, predominantly made from Trollinger, SchwarzRiesling and Lemberger.

These red wines tend to be light and Fruity, due to the cool temperatures in this region. While more winemakers are beginning to make higher-alcohol, more heavily extracted examples, the local consumers are well accustomed to the style. While Riesling represents nearly two-thirds of the white wines produced in Württemberg, Müller-Thurgau and Kerner are also traditionally grown here. Riesling from the Village of Flein (which means "Hard pebble") is particularly well regarded.

Württemberg’s main viticultural areas line the Neckar river, and spread up into tributary valleys such as the Rems, Enz, Kocher, Jagst and Tauber. There is also an isolated outcrop of vineyards around Friedrichshafen, on the shores of the Bodensee (Lake Constance). In the North of the region, steep riverside slopes provide the dramatic and labor-intensive landscape on which most Württemberg vines are grown, making use of sunny, south-facing aspects wherever possible. They provide the region with a growing wine tourism industry.

Discover the grape variety: Pinot gris

Pinot Gris is a grey grape variety mutated from Pinot Noir. It has its origins in Burgundy, where it is called pinot-beurot in reference to the colour of the grey robes worn by the monks of the region. Established in Alsace since the 17th century, pinot gris was called tokay until 2007. It is made up of bunches of small berries that vary in colour from pink to blue-grey. It is particularly well suited to the continental climate because it is resistant to the cold in winter and to spring frosts. This variety also likes dry limestone soils with plenty of sunshine in the summer. Pinot Gris is well suited to late harvesting or to the selection of noble grapes, depending on the year and the concentration of sugars in the berries. Pinot Gris wines are distinguished by their aromatic complexity of white fruits, mushrooms, honey, vanilla, cinnamon, etc., and their great finesse. In the Loire Valley, pinot gris is used in the Coteaux-d'Ancenis appellations. It gives dry or sweet wines with pear and peach aromas.