Bayreuth - Wine Bars

You can actually find wine taverns pretty much everywhere, especially in areas where viticulture is practised. The majority of Germany's wine taverns are found in the south-western part of the country. Climatic conditions play a very significant role here.

11 of the 13 German wine regions are located in Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate and Hesse. Wine plays an important role in these regions, which is why so many wine taverns are found there. German wines are enjoyed not only around the world but also throughout the rest of Germany.

Wine taverns invite you to linger and enjoy yourself thanks to their natural charm. They exude a special character that makes them so unique. The great thing about them is that as soon as you're out and about in a wine-growing region, you'll find a wine tavern in almost every village - no matter how small.

Wine taverns on the Roter Main

What actually is a wine tavern? As the name suggests, wine plays a very significant role. Everyone can imagine what goes on in such a tavern - after all, everyone knows the saying "Come on in, make yourself at home". A wine tavern is a gathering place for socialising, drinking and eating together.

Wine taverns are usually found in centuries-old half-timbered houses, which are often listed buildings. In rustic vaulted cellars, regional home cooking meets cosy get-togethers amid a rustic atmosphere.

You can experience this distinctive atmosphere at Toni´s Weinbar.

That said, it should also be mentioned that, logically, not all of the country's wine taverns can be located within a wine-growing region. Where this is the case, carefully selected wines from the wine regions are bought in and served. Two different approaches can be followed here:

Either wines are sourced exclusively from the nearest wine region, or - the second option - fine wines are selected from several of the 13 wine-growing areas.

Particularly with this geographical selection, wines from abroad - such as Italy, France or Spain, but also from overseas - are often found on the wine list.

What's on offer in Bayreuth

Local wines are, of course, guaranteed to be served, especially since most wine taverns are linked to wine-growing estates. The wines on the menu are naturally chosen with great care, as wine taverns often have limited space available. Nevertheless, taverns also serve wines from elsewhere alongside their own. As a result, visitors are likely to take a case or two home with them.

Some wine taverns even give guest wines their own page on the wine list.

For legal reasons, food menus in wine taverns tend to be quite simple. Only dishes that require little preparation may be offered alongside wine. This is the case, for example, at Oskar - Das Wirtshaus am Markt.

In the French-influenced south-west of Rhineland-Palatinate and in small parts of Hesse, flammkuchen and zwiebelkuchen - the latter served only during the grape harvest season with so-called Federweißer, a young wine - are regional stars of the menu.

So-called Spundekäs, a cream cheese preparation often served with hearty bread, can be found in almost every tavern in the Rheinhessen and Rheingau regions in the north-east of Rhineland-Palatinate.

In Franconia, particularly along the Main, "angemachter Camembert", "Kochkäse" or "blauer Zipfel" feature on the menu.

In the Saxony wine-growing region, Fettbemmchen - a baguette spread with pork dripping - is on offer.

Generally speaking, you'll also often find bacon-wrapped dates, feta cheese, mixed platters (usually Mediterranean-style) or sausage salad with bread. The Winzerplatte, a platter of cold cuts and cheese, is also a firm favourite in wine taverns.

Wines for Bayreuth

The villages in and around the wine regions have - in some cases for many centuries - been shaped by the cultivation of the surrounding vineyards. Accordingly, the historic village centres charm visitors with lovingly maintained half-timbered buildings and romantic lanes that invite you to linger.

In some cases, only individual buildings are listed, while sometimes entire village centres are protected. The surrounding countryside of the wine villages is often worth seeing too.

Extensive field paths through the vineyards and hiking trails are both romantic and demanding. Depending on the region, several ruined castles, palaces and fortresses lie along the way.

When you look out over the surrounding landscape from there, you'll naturally see a sea of vines, and often forest too: lush green in summer, and in autumn a mosaic of glorious colours - from rich yellows and oranges to deep red.

The wine-growing areas

As already described, most wine-growing areas are located in the south-west of Germany. Apart from Saale-Unstrut and Saxony, all wine regions lie in Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate or Hesse. Why are the individual regions so special? Where can you find the best red or white wine? Why, for example, is Goldriesling so special? We have the answer:

Germany's largest wine-growing region is Rheinhessen, covering around 26,000 hectares. This makes up a good quarter of Germany's total wine-growing area of 100,000 hectares. Thanks to the mild climate and varied soils, excellent conditions prevail there for white wines. The world's largest area under Silvaner cultivation is in Rheinhessen.

The Pfalz region is the second largest, covering a good 23,000 hectares. Red and white wines thrive along the German Wine Route thanks to the consistently mild climate and varied soils. The grape varieties Müller-Thurgau, Riesling and Dornfelder are grown here in particular.

At just under 16,000 hectares, the Baden wine-growing region is considerably smaller, yet at 400 kilometres long, it's the longest. According to an EU regulation classifying wine-growing zones by climatic characteristics, Baden is the warmest of all German wine regions. Weißburgunder, Blauer Spätburgunder and Grauburgunder/Ruländer - in other words, Burgundy-style wines in general - are predominantly grown here.

The red grape varieties Trollinger, Schwarzriesling and Lemberger are mainly found in Württemberg, a wine-growing region covering around 11,000 hectares. In this region, Rotling, also known as Schillerwein, is the speciality. For this wine, red and white grapes are pressed together. The wine is often mistaken for a rosé because of its colour.

The world's steepest vineyard has a gradient of a whopping 65 degrees - and belongs to the Mosel wine-growing region, which covers a total area of 9,000 hectares.

Rheinhessen, Pfalz, Mosel and others

The Franconia wine-growing region covers a good 6,000 hectares. It's also home to the world's largest Riesling-growing area. In total, 80% of the harvest in Franconia consists of white wine. Silvaner and Müller-Thurgau are the most commonly grown varieties. Higher-quality Franconian wines are bottled in rounded, flat bottles with a short neck - the Bocksbeutel is very well known for this region.

The Nahe wine-growing region, covering 4,000 hectares, is a paradise for winemakers. Due to past volcanic activity, around 180 different soil types can be found here. This diversity is reflected in the wines. Both white wines such as Riesling or Müller-Thurgau, and red wines such as Dornfelder or Spätburgunder, thrive here.

In the Rheingau wine-growing region, the Riesling grape variety is used mainly to produce white wine. In this 3,000-hectare wine-growing region, Riesling accounts for around 80% of the wine produced. This is also home to the largest contiguous area for Spätburgunder in Germany.

The Saale-Unstrut wine region is the larger of the two wine-growing areas located in the new federal states, and also the northernmost of Germany's wine regions. At exactly 800 hectares, it's more than half the size of Rheingau. Due to its northern location and weather conditions, mainly early to mid-ripening varieties are cultivated there, such as Silvaner and Müller-Thurgau. Three quarters of the total yield consists of wines from white grapes.

Despite its comparatively modest size of 560 hectares, the Ahr wine-growing region produces more red wine than any other region in Germany. The slate rock soil provides an excellent basis for top-quality wines. Spätburgunder in particular thrives here.

Smaller regions

Goldriesling is grown exclusively in Saxony, a wine-growing region of around 500 hectares, which is what makes it so special. Saxony is the easternmost wine-growing region in the country. Aside from the distinctive Goldriesling, mainly Grauburgunder, Weißburgunder and Traminer are cultivated here.

Cultivating the Mittelrhein wine-growing region is quite labour-intensive and costly. The sun shines optimally on the steep terraces, which makes the winemakers' hard work truly worthwhile. This is particularly beneficial for Riesling, which accounts for around two-thirds of the total harvest as a white wine.

The smallest wine region in Germany, at just 460 hectares, is the Hessische Bergstraße. Riesling also plays a major role here, accounting for almost 50% of the yield. The red wine from this wine-growing region is also highly valued everywhere.