Hofkeller in Würzburg, One of the Oldest Wineries in the World
Appropriate down below the Royal Residence, the Hofkeller in Würzburg (the Court docket Cellar of the former Prince Bishop, currently the Royal Bavarian Court docket Cellar) is a labyrinthine cellar covering 4,557 m². Bavaria’s beer has numerous versions, and Bavarian occasions these types of as Oktoberfest make its beer environment-popular. That’s why, I am interested in knowing why Würzburg, a big Bavarian city, has such an superb wine cellar running for around eight generations.
The cellar tour took place on the very last day of our Franconia weekend trip. Because the cellar is beneath the Würzburg Home, it is uncomplicated to merge with the check out to the grandiose castle. Involving big wine barrels and corridors dimly lit by candlelight, we have acquired intriguing points about the stronghold of Franconian viticulture. The wine cellar stretches close to a single kilometre in winding corridors as a result of the earth. If you check out the Franconian wine metropolis of Würzburg, you should really not overlook this labyrinth exactly where wonderful wines experienced.
A brief quick of Background
The achievements tale of the Hofkellar started in 1128 when the Bishop of Würzburg Embricho donated a plot of land in Zell for the monastery construction. That was also the beginning of operate in the vineyard and in the cellar.
In 1540, Franconia developed the best wine of the past centuries. In 1684 throughout the Swedish War, the Swedes created a new barrel to save wine from 1540. That barrel is now the oldest in the cellar. Practically two generations later, in 1719, Prince Bishop Schönborn commissioned the development of the Würzburg Home and ordered an outstanding wine cellar to be provided in the options.
One particular 12 months afterwards, the cellar construction started. And considering that 1814, Würzburg has develop into part of Bavaria. The Prince Bishop’s Hofkeller, afterwards the Royal Bavarian Hofkeller, and now the Bavarian Point out Vineyard (Staatlicher Hofkeller Würzburg), have often been owned by the then latest ruling power.
Legendary wine yr 1540
Our tour tutorial was a witty person who shipped a dry feeling of humour. In just 45 minutes, he narrated many concealed tales about the wine.
Since of the best weather and other factors, the wine from 1540 was the best in the winery’s heritage. When the 30-year Swedish War commenced, Sweden constructed a barrel to retain the relaxation of the wine from that calendar year. That barrel is continue to in the cellar.
Later on in 1814, the land of Würzburg belonged to Bavaria, and so did the vineyard. When Bavaria King Ludwig II acquired to know the aged barrel, he claimed the barrel was not safely saved. Hence, he moved the wine to his home but sold the majority of the wine in bottles secretly. King Ludwig II used the income to finance his fairy tale castle in close proximity to Munich. Upon the King’s demise, the Bavaria govt bought most of his assets, which include the 1540 wine, to repay his financial debt.
A Jewish wine trader Simon from Wiesbaden in Germany bought all 1540 wine bottles. All through the Earth War, he escaped to London and opened a wine store to market his wine collections. Sad to say, Hitler also bombed London, and so did his wine store. Right after the war, his descendants cleared absent the ruins and observed some 1540 wine bottles intact inside of a protected basement cellar.
Then, the family members invited ten globe-renowned connoisseurs of wine to establish the origin of the wine. On the other hand, the connoisseurs could only consume the very first glass of wine. The relaxation wine got oxidized so rapidly that it tasted like vinegar. Possessing recognized the wine, the household made the decision to ship the relaxation two bottles back again to Hofkellar in Würzburg.
Shockingly, Hofkellar did not imagine the bottles contained the wine from 1540. At the time, two hospitals, which operated two other wineries in Würzburg, opened just one bottle and confirmed the wine was from 1540 following tasting. The next bottle turned the final recognised and remaining whole bottle from this famous classic. A person of the two hospitals is an elderly property now and retains the closing bottle in its basement.
The big wine barrier and the sponsored wine barrels
The barrels in the cellar can include up to 1200 litres of wine just about every. A lot of barrels in Hofkellar in Würzburg carry sponsorship. The sponsors’ names, either company names or private folks, are printed on the barrels. Every calendar year, the Hofkellar in Würzburg invites the sponsors to flavor the new wine.
At the stop of the cellar tour, our team passed a enormous wine barrier. In the Center Ages, servants got paid by wine, the liquid wage. At that time, individuals drank wine much more usually than from time to time contaminated drinking water. Those courtroom servants who experienced a superior romantic relationship with the wine learn could get the wine of superior high quality. Therefore, the cellar created a 50000-litre big barrel and stored wines combined with a variety of grades of quality. All servants received the wine from the very same barrel.
Sorts of Wines from Hofkeller in Würzburg
Since of the climate concern, wineries in the Würzburg location make primarily white wines. The high-quality of wines is labeled by the harvest amount and the harvest area of the grapes, the VDP-particular classifications. The Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter (VDP) is a German organization that promotes the country’s top rated wines and estates. In basic, there are four sorts of wine: VDP. GROSSE LAGE, VDP.ERSTE LAGE, VDP.ORTSWEINE, and VDP.GUTSTEIN.
- VDP.GROSSE LAGE wine distinguishes the highest excellent German vineyards and takes advantage of grape varieties regular for the area that matching the wants of that personal winery.
- VDP.ERSTE LAGE expresses the character of a vineyard.
- VDP.ORTSWEINE wine is bottled from regional grape varieties.
- VDP.GUTSWEIN wine is a unique signature of winegrowers. They are often the 1st wines of a wine yr to be bottled and marketed. The wines mature in the winery’s vineyards.
At the conclude of the guided tour, we tasted the VDP. ERSTE LAGE. Acquiring stayed in Bamberg for a few days, I can say that the wines from Würzburg are the very best Franconian food items pairing drink.
Vacation Tips for Hofkeller in Würzburg
Be part of a tour
At the moment, individual human being can only sign up for a German-guided cellar tour. English guided tour is readily available for the teams. But you can be part of a Guided Going for walks Tour with Franconian Wine to examine the previous city and the wine for a compact spending plan. In the winery’s shop, you can acquire all wines outlined higher than.
How to get to Würzburg by practice
Würzburg is only about one hour by train from Frankfurt and is hence a excellent working day trip place from Frankfurt. Information on the railway you can find on www.bahn.com. It is an close to 20-minute stroll from the station to the Würzburg Home.
How to get to Würzburg by car or truck
- From the A7 coming from Ulm – get the Kitzingen exit and proceed on the B8 through Biebelried to Würzburg.
- From the A7 coming from Kassel – acquire the Estenfeld exit and continue on on the B19 twin carriageway to Würzburg (ca. 7 km).
- From the A3 coming from Nuremberg – consider the Rottendorf exit and keep on on the B8 to Würzburg.
- From the A3 coming from Frankfurt – get the Heidingsfeld exit.
In front of the Würzburg Home, the Home car park (“Parkplatz Residenz”) 400 parking areas.
Where by to continue to be in Würzburg
A lot of hotels are in the outdated city, inside strolling length from the Würzburg Home and Hofkeller and to the Marienberg Fortification.