Wineck-Schlossberg is an Alsace Grand Cru vineyard and corresponding appellation split between the villages of Ammerschwihr and Katzental in Alsace, north-eastern France. One of 51 Grand Cru sites dotted along the eastern slopes of the Vosges Mountains, it sits in a cluster of five sites at the very heart of Alsace, immediately west of the region's wine capital, Colmar. The other four in the group are Brand, Florimont, Sommerberg and Kaefferkopf.
Wineck-Schlossberg gets its name from the ruined 13th-century Wineck Castle (schloss in German), which stands guard over the slopes below. It should not be confused with the larger and better-known Schlossberg site, two miles (3km) to the north.
(© CIVA)
The Wineck-Schlossberg vineyard covers 65 acres (27ha) of a hillside overlooking Katzental. The hillside is composed largely of granite (like Sommerberg, nearby), with the upper layers in an advanced state of decomposition. As a result, the topsoils contain a high proportion of granitic sand, rich in minerals not found in most other Alsace vineyards.
The slopes rise steeply at the very edge of the village from 910 to 1310ft (280–400m). They have a south-south-easterly aspect, meaning that the vines are exposed to the ripening rays of the sun throughout the morning and into the afternoon.
Wineck-Schlossberg is one of the driest vineyards in Alsace, with only 21.5 inches (550mm) of annual rainfall (nearby Colmar is the driest town in France). The climate of the area is of continental type, with particularly low rainfall – a result of the rain shadow cast by the Vosges. The mountains also provide protection from the prevailing westerly winds, making the Alsatian summer one of the driest and warmest in the northern half of France. At the other end of the temperature scale, the winters here are cold; it is not uncommon to see Alsace vineyards lined with snow.
Apart from a few notable exceptions, all Alsace Grand Cru wines are varietals and may be produced from Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris or Muscat. Wineck-Schlossberg has each of these varieties planted, but is best known for its Riesling and Gewurztraminer wines.
