The Silvaner

With a share of almost 25%, Franconia cultivates its Silvaner with true dedication, proudly calling itself the home of Silvaner. The variety first arrived in Franconia from Austria in 1659. Typical of Silvaner wines is their balanced, elegant character, without a cheesy bouquet and with a restrained, well-balanced, unobtrusive acidity.

The lifeline Main

It's the Main River, meandering through Franconia, partly past lovely vineyards and partly past limestone rock formations. And in the middle of it all sits the metropolis of Würzburg.

The Triassic soils

"Others talk about terroir, we talk about Triassic," is the Franconian self-confidence – which is already highly developed. red sandstone, shell limestone, and red marl are the Triassic soils, formed successively by deposits in primordial oceans, which can be imagined like layers of cake: Red sandstone at the bottom, shell limestone over it and red marl on top, which consists of smaller layers of mudstone interspersed with smaller sandstones and also slate. In later geological times, the region was tectonically uplifted, obliquely and then eroded into a gently undulating plain, essentially creating the diagonal section we find today, dissected in wide loops by the Main River and its tributaries. Thus, in western Franconia, we find sandstone soils, shell limestone in the center, and red marl soils in the east and southeast. A highly interesting three-dimensional division, each of which characterizes the wines. Of course, one has to imagine the rock weathering soils more on steeper slopes, while on flatter terrain there are loess deposits and also sandier soils.

Wonderful Silvaners:

2023 Silvaner Kabinett dry Weingut Max Markert

Eibelstadt Kapellenberg, Prädikatswein, 12.5% ABV, about which I noted: Floral notes like woodruff and spring forest on the nose; smooth on the palate with a gentle sweetness; a very appealing wine, very appealing. I liked it very much. The almost 12-hectare vineyard in Eibelstadt is quite new, and Max Markert can certainly be considered an up-and-coming winemaker, also offering Scheurebe, Riesling, Pinot Noir, Domina, and other varieties.

“Am Lumpen 1655” 2023 Escherndorf Silvaner VDP Weingut Max Müller I

A quality wine, 12.5% ​​ABV, whereat the Association of German Prädikat Wine Estates (VDP) registered parts of the Escherndorfer Lump vineyard as the Große Lage (Great Groth) "Am Lumpen 1655" as a brand. The nearly 20-hectare VDP winery is managed by the cousins ​​Rainer & Christian Müller. Christian's comment on this wine: "These are old vineyards that we're leaving as they are. It grows as it grows!" My notes are: The old vines are noticeable on the palate, a wine that tells a story and offers a lot. In addition to Silvaner, they also offer Pinot Blanc, Riesling, and Scheurebe. The wine estate also boasts a beautiful reception and tasting room, ideal for smaller events.

2023 Silvaner Großes Gewächs "R" Randersacker Sonnenstuhl Weingut Trockene Schmitts

Dry, from a steep slope and old vines: Very fine fragrance, delicate, brilliant; rich on the palate, engaging, slightly salty; highly elegant finish, a wine of elegant power. Grown on shell limestone, where the brothers Bruno and Lothar Schmitt and their families cultivate 14 hectares of vineyards around Randersacker. With a restaurant and vacation apartments.

Superb quality: 2023 Silvaner “Schilfsandstein” (reed sandstone) Obervolkacher Landsknecht, dry, Peter Leipold Winery

Franconian quality wine, 13.5%: Intense, slightly floral fragrance with notes of blossom honey and moss; a melting, full-bodied palate with a lively, full-bodied finish; plenty of juice and power on the finish, with more floral notes. The small village of Obervolkach, above the famous region, offers interesting terroirs. Peter Leipold: "Here, the shell lmestone  and the red marl are meeting." Teh reea sandstone are forming a smaller separating layer between shell limestone and red marl. The wine estate is still young, but very remarkable. It wasn't until 1984 that father Paul Leipold ventured into self-marketing. Peter Leipold began his winemaking training in 2007 and subsequently spent his journeyman years at various top international wineries.

Special mention must be made of:

2020 Silvaner Reserve from the steep Escherndorfer Lump vineyard, Markus Meier Winery

Dry, quality wine, 13.5%, grown on shell limestone and aged for three years in a tonneau (wooden barrel of around 500 liters): Fine bouquet with hints of dried fruit, slightly mineral and with a touch of vanilla - a nose that arouses curiosity; on the palate full, lush, robust, caressing the tongue and palate with fruit notes reminiscent of honeydew melon; magnificent finish with a well-ripened, restrained temperament with very subtle, interesting and lively bitter notes.

Meier, a technical business economist in the automotive industry, came from a farming family in Ulsenheim in the deep southeast of the Franconian wine-growing region and was a career changer. In 1990, his parents planted their first vineyard, initially for their own use. From donations and sales to friends and acquaintances, the business quickly grew. In 2005, after completing his winemaking apprenticeship, Meier founded the current wine estate, which now boasts a substantial 38 hectares in renowned Franconian locations such as Escherndorfer Lump, Randersackerer Pfülben and Sonnenstuhl, Sommerhäuser Steinbach, and Würzburger Kirchberg – partly leased and partly purchased, to name just the most important, with 38% Silvaner, typical for Franconia, but also 25% Riesling, 18% Burgundy varieties, and others. With the 2025 harvest, Meier fully leased the 18 hectares from Schloss Frankenstein.

Würzburg, the Franconian wine metropolis

Würzburg, the regional metropolis, is located in the heart of the Franconian wine-growing region. Its central location in the south of Germany makes it a popular tourist destination and hosts many conferences. Highlights include the popular old Main Bridge, overlooked by the Marienberg Fortress with its Schlossberg and Innere Leiste vineyards. Both the Main Bridge and the old town, which you enter from the bridge via Domstraße, are ideal for strolling. Other highlights include the Residenz Palace with its magnificent Baroque halls, once the residence of the prince-bishops. And of course, Würzburg is synonymous with enjoying a Franconian wine in one of the cozy wine taverns, such as the Juliusspital Weinstuben. There is even a wine bistro on the old Main Bridge. Würzburg's three major wineries are notable: the Juliusspital and the Bürgerspital – both founded as hospitals which are still in operation today – and the Staatlicher Hofkeller.

The Staatliche Hofkeller Würzburg

The Staatlicher Hofkeller Würzburg – the counterpart to the Staatliches Hofbräuhaus in Munich – belongs to the Association of German Prädikat Wine Estates (VDP) and occupies the spacious cellars of the Würzburg Residence. Numerous historic and romantic cellar rooms are inviting, especially for events. The winery, managed by Thilo Heuft, cultivates over 120 hectares of vineyards spread across numerous locations, encompassing both sandstone and shell limestone soils, as well as red marl. The winery is proud of its over 850-year history, beginning with the donation by the Würzburg Bishop Embricho to the "brothers John and Henry and the other friars" in 1128.

I really liked the:

2023 Silvaner Würzburger Stein, VDP Erste Lage, Staatlicher Hofkeller

Dry, quality wine, 13%, grown on shell limestone: Fine floral fragrance on a solid base with notes of mirabelle plum compote; on the palate, juicy, powerful, expressive, with hints of wine cream and more mirabelle plum compote.

2022 Riesling Würzburger Stein-Berg Großes Gewächs, VDP Große Lage, Staatlicher Hofkeller

Also from shell limestone, dry, 12.5%: captivating aroma with a hint of petrol and memories of snowdrops, limes, and kumquats; on the tongue, a virulent Riesling paired with power and substance and hints of ripe lemons; on the finish entertainingly salty with a further pairing of breed and substance – only 30 hl/ha harvested.

2021 Pinot Noir Großes Gewächs, Großheubacher Bischofsberg, VDP Große Lage, Staatlicher Hofkeller

Dry, from the red sandstone region with 12.5% ​​ABV: A magnificent red wine from vines up to 65 years old, with an overwhelming aroma with notes of tar, dark chocolate, plum jam, and a hint of olive; on the tongue, a wonderful harmony with memories of rosehip jam and toast with caressingly harmonious tannins; on the finish, a lasting experience with a hint of roasted almonds—it's no surprise that it costs €45.

Since we are already talking about red wines, two more great ones:

2022 Spätburgunder Großes Gewächs Sommeracher Katzenkopf, Weingut Daniel Then

Dry, 13.5%: Wonderful fruit on the nose with hints of cherry compote and chocolate; a full, engaging, warm body with notes of ripe black cherries and black pepper; a magnificent finish that combines power and harmony. The family winery in Sommerach comprises 9 hectares of organically cultivated vineyards. The village and the Katzenkopf vineyard are located on the so-called Main Island, formed by a shipping canal from Volkach to Gerlachshausen, shortening the large bend in the Main River near Escherndorf. Daniel Then also offers a very fine Pinot Blanc sparkling wine, naturally very good Silvaners, and a Sauvignon Blanc that you won't soon forget.

2023 Pinot Noir Obervolkacher Landsknecht Weingut Peter Leipold

A fantastic red wine! Dry, aged for 18 months in barriques and on the lees, unfiltered – quality wine, 13% ABV. Leipold, about whom I already wrote above, said: "Due to global warming, we have practically the same conditions as in Burgundy, also because of the shell limestone." I found this clearly noticeable and can fully confirm it: A very noble aroma with notes of morello cherries compote and cherry jam, uplifting; a full body, powerfully attacking and rising throughout the mouth; a robust finish, slightly peppery.

The wine country of Franconia is a popular tourist destination, too - worth a trip

Many picturesque towns along the Main River, with their charming wine shops and tranquil wine taverns, beckon. For active travelers, the Main Cycle Path is a notable attraction, measuring over 600 km in total and following the river, also leading through the Franconian wine region.

Silvaner and much more

I've already featured red wines and a Riesling. I discovered a very fine Pinot Gris and a Pinot Blanc at the Neder wine estate in Ramsthal, in the very north of Franconia's wine region, in a side valley of the Main River that almost borders the Rhön Mountains. It's a dry region, so Lorenz Neder typically harvests only 60 hl/ha, but also requires less pest control. The many events to which the winemaking family invites guests are remarkable. Here are two Burgundies—but of course, Neder also has excellent Silvaners.

2024 Pinot Gris Old Vines Weingut Neder

Ramsthaler St. Klausen, dry, quality wine, 12.5%: A finely ripe nose with hints of dried figs and a touch each of mango and cashew nuts; on the palate, it's very full with notes of pear and even lime.

2018 Weißer Burgunder Barrique Weingut Neder
Ramsthaler St. Klausen, dry, quality wine, 14.5%: A subtle, almost aristocratic aroma with hints of mirabelle plum and pear compote underscored by herbal and vanilla notes; on the palate, a full-bodied wine that nevertheless maintains a high level of elegance, with delicate notes of honey and mango, which linger on the finish and evoke a feeling of well-being.

2024 and 2023 Sauvignon Blanc Kabinett Weingut Trockene Schmitts

From the Randersackerer Ewig Leben great vineyard, dry, premium wine, 13%: A distinctly mineral aroma, you can practically feel the shell limestone; on the palate, confidently individual, which is something you'd enjoy, with a well-coated crispness; on the finish, a further minerality that lingers. A pleasant individuality that I really enjoyed.

2024 Chardonnay Sulzfelder Sonnenberg Weingut Brennfleck

Dry, quality wine, 12.5%: Beautifully rounded aroma with notes of mirabelle plum compote; a smooth, easy-drinking wine on the tongue – a "drinky wine"! The Brennfleck wine estate in Sulzfeld is a well-established, larger winery, managed by Hugo Brennfleck, with 22 hectares plus the marketing of fellow estates, totaling 31 hectares. The Sonnenberg vineyard is classified as a Erste Lage by the VDP (German Winegrowing Association).

Franconia also means good food

A classic in Franconia is, of course, the bratwurst (freid sausage), whether the smalle authentic Nuremberg sausage or larger ones, thes are going perfectly with a Silvaner. As for sauerkraut, I wouldn't choose one that's too dry, as that would overemphasize the acidity. Another delicious Franconian specialty is Schäufele (pork shoulder), roasted, not cured as is common elsewhere. This goes perfectly with a red wine, or even a rosé.

For those who like something particularly delicate, including fish, a Main-Zander awaits them, depending on the season, which goes perfectly with a dry, not too heavy Silvaner or Riesling.

Of course, there are also Michelin-starred restaurants. One such highlight is "LeFrankenberg" at Frankenberg Castle.

The Altfränkische Satz (old Franconian type of planting)

In earlier centuries, no value was placed on single-varietal wines and vineyards. Vines were planted randomly mixed up. One advantage is their improved resistance to disease, but a major disadvantage is that the grapes do not ripen uniformly. I don't know whether any selection was made during the harvest at that time. If not, the varying ripeness had a negative impact on the wine quality. Thus, from the 19th century onward, single-varietal viticulture gradually prevailed and by the end of the century had largely replaced mixed vineyards. Today, however, such vineyards constitute a unique feature, indeed a specialty, called "Altfränkischer Satz" (Old Franconian Set), which are now being replanted in this way by some dedicated winemakers as a cultural heritage. I was able to taste two such wines:

VDP Weingut Max Müller I. Volkach: Alter Satz planted in 1964, 2019 Escherndorfer Lump

Dry, 13%, described as "wild, strong together." The vines are 70% Silvaner and Riesling, with Traminer and Muscat also growing there. Christian Müller comments: "The rest is unknown." A wine which I noted: A highly interesting wine! Drinkable, full-bodied, round, smooth, elegant—simply enjoyable!

Altfränkischer Satz 2023 Sommeracher Katzenkopf Winery Daniel Then

Dry, 12%. Daniel Then: "Newly planted from 30 to 40 grape varieties." My notes: Very elegant fruity aroma—with a mischievous guessing game: what variety am I? With notes of apple compote and a hint of asparagus. Beautifully smooth from the lip to the palate; quite salty on the finish, and once again the guessing game: who am I?

The Magical Places 'terroirs f' of Franconian Wine

Truly fascinating are the magical places of Franconian wine, also called "terroirs f," located in and above the vines, often with magnificent views. Topics include wine geology, wine and the Bible, wine history, wine and art or wine literature, to name just a few.

They were created in collaboration with the Bavarian State Institute for Viticulture and Horticulture (LWG), the Franconian Winegrowers' Association, and with support from the Bavarian State Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Forestry. The concept was developed as part of the wine tourism concept "Franconia – Wine.Beautiful.Land – Travel to Franconian Wine. "

Finally, three special Silvaners

2021 Silvaner “Natur”, fermented on the skins, Weingut Johannes Zang

Long barrel aging, dry, quality wine, 12.5%: Mint, toast, and nutty pastries on the nose; very lively on the palate with further toasted notes, a very lively finish. A must-try!

2018 Silvaner Reserve Ramsthaler St. Klausen, Weingut Neder

A dry, quality wine with a mighty 15.5% ABV, aged for four years in barrels: A full-bodied aroma with hints of candy and gooseberry jam, and a hint of raspberry. A magnificent wine on the tongue with a finish you'd want to bathe in. A wine that demonstrates what a high-quality, aged Silvaner can do!

And to top it all off, a very nice dessert wine:

2023 Silvaner Auslese 'Edelsüß' Weingut Hugo Brennfleck

Sulzfelder Maustal, Prädikatswein, 7.5% alcohol, 160 g/l residual sweetness and a considerable acidity, which is needed for elegance to buffer the residual sugar, creating a magnificent harmony. Harvested at 130° Oechsle: The bouquet displays fine ripeness with notes of pear compote, passion fruit, and a hint of baked apple; on the palate, a bouquet of exotic fruits; this continues into the long finish, all with lively elegance. A great Auslese bordering on a Beerenauslese or ice wine, but with a more restrained sweetness.

Text: Dieter Simon, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of bonvinitas; Photos: Dieter Simon / bonvinitas, unless otherwise stated.