Württemberg is the fourth-largest wine region in Germany, with almost 11,500 hectares (28,500 acres) of vineyards.
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.
Indeed, the market for Württemberg's wines is predominantly local - the region has the highest wine consumption in all of Germany. This means that very little wine ever makes it on to international or even national markets.
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 throughout the region.
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). The lake is the second largest in Europe, and is located at an altitude of 1295ft (395m) above sea level.
In the north of the region, steep riverside slopes provide the dramatic, if labor-intensive, landscape on which most Württemberg vines are grown, making use of sunny, south-facing aspects wherever possible. They provide Württemberg a growing wine tourism industry.
With more than 15,000 family-owned vineyards, co-operatives are responsible for a considerable proportion of the wine produced here.
