Nürnberg - Wine Bars

You'll find wine taverns pretty much everywhere, especially where a lot of winegrowing takes place. Most of these regions are in the south-west of Germany. This is down to the prevailing climatic conditions.

Of the 13 wine-growing regions, 11 are located in Baden-Württemberg, Rheinland-Pfalz and Hessen. Wine plays a particularly important role here, which is why there are so many wine taverns in these areas. German wines are enjoyed both around the world and across the rest of Germany.

Wine taverns invite you in with their cosy atmosphere, encouraging you to sit back, relax and enjoy. The character they exude is truly distinctive. In any wine-growing region, you'll find a wine tavern nearby, no matter how small the village.

The Wine Tavern

But what does one actually do in a wine tavern? Well, as the first half of the word suggests, wine plays a starring role. The saying "come on in" springs to mind - and you can easily imagine what goes on in a cosy parlour. If you fancy having a drink and a bite to eat with others, a wine tavern is exactly the right place for you.

Wine taverns are usually housed in centuries-old half-timbered buildings, many of which are listed. In rustic vaulted cellars, regional fare meets convivial company amid a charmingly rustic atmosphere.

You can experience this distinctive atmosphere in Nürnberg at Weinklang.

That said, it's clear that not every wine tavern in the country can be located within a wine-growing region. When this is the case, wines are sourced and served from the wine regions instead. There are a couple of approaches here:

Either wines are sourced exclusively from the nearest wine region, or - the second option - the fine drops are selected from more than one of the 13 wine regions.

With this broader geographical selection, you'll often also find wines from abroad - such as Spain, Italy or France, and even from overseas - on the wine list.

What's on Offer in Nürnberg

Serving local wines is, of course, a matter of pride, particularly as most taverns have ties to winegrowing estates. Space in a wine tavern is often limited, which is why the wines on the list are chosen with great care. Wine taverns serve wines from various local wineries in the surrounding area. This means some tourists discover a wine they love and end up taking a case or two home with them.

Some taverns even dedicate a whole separate section of their wine list to so-called guest wines.

For legal reasons, wine taverns tend to have a fairly modest food menu. Only simple, low-effort dishes may be served alongside wine. This is the case at "Trödelstuben".

In the French-influenced south-west of Rheinland-Pfalz and parts of Hessen, onion cake and tarte flambée - the latter only during the grape harvest, served with Federweißer, the young wine - are regional staples of the menu.

In all the wine taverns across the Rheingau and Rheinhessen regions in north-eastern Rheinland-Pfalz, you'll find a cream cheese preparation called Spundekäs, usually eaten with hearty bread.

Along the Main, in the Franken wine-growing region, "spiced-up Camembert", "Kochkäse" and "blaue Zipfel" (sausages pickled in wine) all feature on the menu.

In the “Sachsen” wine-growing region, you'll find baguette served with Griebenschmalz (crackling dripping), known locally as Fettbemmchen.

You'll also commonly find bacon-wrapped dates, feta cheese, mixed - usually Mediterranean-style - platters, or sausage salad with bread. The Winzerplatte, a sausage or cheese platter, is likewise a firm favourite in wine taverns everywhere.

Surroundings and Wine Villages

The villages in wine-growing regions have been shaped by the cultivation of the surrounding vineyards for centuries. As a result, their historic village centres charm visitors with lovingly maintained half-timbered buildings and romantic little lanes perfect for a leisurely stroll.

In some cases, only individual buildings are listed, while in others entire village centres are protected. But the countryside surrounding these wine villages is well worth exploring too.

Vineyard slopes, hiking trails and sweeping country paths can be both challenging and romantic in equal measure. Along the way, you'll come across castles, castle ruins and stately homes.

A carpet of vines and often woodland too - that's the view that greets you when you look out over the landscape: lush green in summer and a mosaic of glorious colours in autumn, ranging from deep red to rich shades of yellow and orange.

Germany's Wine-Growing Regions

As mentioned, most of the vineyard regions are located in the south-west of Germany. Aside from Saale-Unstrut and Sachsen, all the wine regions lie in Baden-Württemberg, Rheinland-Pfalz or Hessen. Why are these regions so unique? Where can you find the best white or red wine? We'll explain why, for example, Goldriesling is so special, and much more besides:

Rheinhessen, at 26,000 hectares, is the largest wine-growing region in Germany. This makes it roughly a quarter of the entire area under vine (100,000 hectares).

The mild climate and varied soils provide excellent conditions for white grape varieties. The world's largest cultivation area for Silvaner is found in Rheinhessen.

The second-largest growing region is the Pfalz, spanning a good 23,000 hectares. Along the German Wine Route, white and red wines thrive thanks to varied soils and a consistently mild climate. Riesling, Dornfelder and Müller-Thurgau are the main grape varieties grown here.

Baden is the longest of all the wine-growing regions, though at nearly 16,000 hectares it's considerably smaller in size. According to an EU regulation, Baden is the warmest of all Germany's wine regions in terms of climate. The main varieties grown are Weißburgunder, Blauer Spätburgunder and Grauburgunder/Ruländer - in other words, Burgundy-style wines in general.

The red grape varieties Trollinger, Schwarzriesling and Lemberger are found chiefly in the 11,000-hectare Württemberg growing region. Schillerwein, also known as Rotling, is a speciality of this region, made by pressing red and white grapes together. Because of its colour, it's often mistakenly compared to rosé wine.

The Mosel, the largest steep-slope wine-growing region in the world, covers nearly 9,000 hectares and boasts the steepest vineyard in the world, with a gradient of 65 degrees.

Rheingau, Ahr, Franken and Others

The Franken growing region covers around 6,000 hectares. It's also home to the world's largest Riesling-growing area. In Franken, white wine makes up the majority of production, accounting for more than 80% of total output. Silvaner and Müller-Thurgau are the most widely grown varieties. The region is well known for its Bocksbeutel, a flat, round-bellied bottle with a short neck used for bottling higher-quality Franken wines.

The Nahe wine-growing region, covering around 4,000 hectares, is a dream for winemakers. Thanks to past volcanic activity, around 180 different soil types can be found here. This diversity is reflected in the wine itself. Whether it's Riesling, Müller-Thurgau, Dornfelder or Spätburgunder, all varieties thrive here.

White wines, predominantly Riesling, are grown in the Rheingau region. Riesling accounts for 80% of the wine produced in this 3,000-hectare growing region. It's also home to Germany's largest contiguous area of Spätburgunder cultivation.

The Saale-Unstrut wine region is the larger of the two growing regions found in the former East Germany, and it's also the northernmost of all Germany's wine-growing regions. At almost exactly 800 hectares, it's less than half the size of Rheingau. Due to its northern location and local weather conditions, almost exclusively early to mid-ripening varieties are grown here, chiefly Silvaner and Müller-Thurgau. White wines make up a good 75% of total production.

Despite its small size of just 560 hectares, the Ahr growing region produces more red wine than any other region in Germany. Its slate soil provides an excellent foundation for top-quality wines, and it's here that Spätburgunder feels particularly at home.

Smaller Wine-Growing Regions

Goldriesling is grown exclusively in Sachsen, a region of just under 500 hectares, which makes it something rather special. Sachsen is Germany's easternmost wine-growing region. Grauburgunder and Weißburgunder are grown here, but Traminer is the most common variety.

Cultivation in the Mittelrhein wine region is very time-consuming and costly. However, since the sun shines perfectly on the steep terraces, the winemakers' hard work pays off. The sunshine particularly benefits Riesling, which accounts for nearly 70% of total production here.

The smallest of all the regions is the Hessische Bergstraße, at just 460 hectares. Riesling accounts for almost 50% of annual production. Red wine from this growing region is also highly prized everywhere.

That concludes our information for Nürnberg, and specifically on the 13 wine-growing regions in Germany. We hope this blog post has helped give you a good overview of the country's wine regions. Enjoy exploring.