Regions

Franken

Key German Terms

A northern Bavarian wine region along the Main River, where Silvaner is the most planted grape and the flat, round Bocksbeutel, depicted on a Würzburg stone relief of 1576, is the trademark of Franconian wine.

Franken (Franconia) is one of the 13 specified wine-growing regions listed in Germany's Weingesetz (Wine Act), lying east of Frankfurt on south-facing slopes along the Main River and its tributaries. The German Wine Institute (DWI) counts 6,040 hectares of vineyards in 2025, with a white-to-red variety split of 83 to 17 percent and Silvaner leading on 1,536 hectares, about a quarter of the area. VDP.Franken divides the region by soil into the Mainviereck (Buntsandstein), the Maindreieck around Würzburg (Muschelkalk) and the Steigerwald (Keuper), all Triassic formations. The flat, round Bocksbeutel, which the DWI calls the trademark of Franconian wine, was protected in the European Community in 1989, according to the regional wine body Gebietsweinwerbung Frankenwein-Frankenland.

Geography and Districts

The DWI describes Franconian wine country as framed by the Rhön Mountains to the north, the Steigerwald to the east, the Tauber Valley to the south and the Spessart to the west, with vineyards east of Frankfurt on south-facing slopes lining the Main River and its tributaries. VDP.Franken describes the region as stretching along the Main from Hörstein near Aschaffenburg to Iphofen, between Würzburg and Nuremberg, just under 100 kilometres apart as the crow flies, and as divided unusually clearly by soil type. In the Mainviereck, Buntsandstein (red sandstone) dominates, and this is where Franken's great red wine villages such as Klingenberg and Bürgstadt lie; in the Maindreieck, centred on Würzburg, Muschelkalk (shell limestone) shapes the soils; and in the Steigerwald around Iphofen the vines grow on Keuper. All three formations date from the Triassic. The DWI adds weathered primitive rock and colored sandstone in the Spessart Hills north of Miltenberg, and heavier gypsum and Keuper soils further east near the Steiger Forest. Weingut Hans Wirsching describes the Iphöfer Julius-Echter-Berg, on the south-west side of the Schwanberg, as a pure south-facing slope at 280 to 380 metres, where the Keuper is crossed by underground layers of Schilfsandstein.

Mainviereck: Buntsandstein (red sandstone), home to red wine villages such as Klingenberg and Bürgstadt (VDP.Franken)
Maindreieck: Muschelkalk (shell limestone), centred on Würzburg and its Würzburger Stein vineyard (VDP.Franken, DWI)
Steigerwald: Keuper around Iphofen (VDP.Franken), with heavier gypsum and Keuper soils near the Steiger Forest (DWI)
Vineyards named by the regional wine body include Würzburger Stein, Randersackerer Ewig Leben, Escherndorfer Lump, Iphöfer Julius-Echter-Berg, Nordheimer Vögelein and Klingenberger Schlossberg

Key Facts

The DWI gives Franken 6,040 hectares of vineyards in 2025, organised into 3 districts, 23 collective vineyard sites and more than 200 individual sites
Silvaner covers 1,536 hectares, about a quarter of the vineyard, ahead of Müller-Thurgau on 1,298 hectares (DWI, 2025)
The DWI's 2025 variety split is 83 percent white to 17 percent red
VDP.Franken divides Franken by Triassic soils: Mainviereck (Buntsandstein), Maindreieck around Würzburg (Muschelkalk) and Steigerwald around Iphofen (Keuper)
Silvaner was planted at Castell on 6 April 1659, a planting documented in the archives of the Fürstlich Castell'sches Domänenamt (DWI)
Charlemagne gave properties around Hammelburg, including vineyards, to Fulda Abbey on 7 January 777, which makes Hammelburg the oldest documented wine town in Franken, according to Gebietsweinwerbung Frankenwein-Frankenland
Four out of five bottles of Franken wine are drunk within a 250-kilometre radius of where they are produced, and exports play a minor role (DWI)

Climate

The DWI describes Franken's climate as continental, with warm, dry summers and cold winters. VDP.Franken likewise calls the region continental overall because of its long extent, while noting that the microclimates of individual sites are above all decisive. JancisRobinson.com's guide to the region says winters can be so severe this far east that frost is a real danger every year, and that the size of the harvest varies enormously. Horst Sauer describes the Escherndorfer Lump as a steep slope that opens to the south like a parabolic mirror, gathering sunlight through the year and protecting the vines in winter from cold north and east winds. JancisRobinson.com also notes that Silvaner, like Riesling, has benefited from the rising temperatures of the last decade to reach full ripeness.

Continental, with warm, dry summers and cold winters (DWI)
Frost is a real danger every year, and harvest size varies enormously (JancisRobinson.com)
The microclimates of individual sites are above all decisive, according to VDP.Franken
Silvaner has benefited from rising temperatures to reach full ripeness (JancisRobinson.com)

Ad hidden for this session.

Grapes and Wine Style

The DWI counts 1,536 hectares of Silvaner in Franken in 2025, a quarter of the region's vineyard, and calls Franken the growing region with the highest proportion of the variety; the regional wine body records that Silvaner overtook Müller-Thurgau as the most planted variety in 2019. Müller-Thurgau is second with 1,298 hectares, Bacchus plays a major role as a regional specialty, and the DWI also names Riesling and Kerner among the main varieties. According to the DWI, on 6 April 1659 Johann Georg Körner had 25 'Austrian' cuttings, namely Silvaner, planted at the foot of the Schlossberg in Castell, a fact documented in the archives of the Fürstlich Castell'sches Domänenamt. The DWI adds that genetic studies show Silvaner to be a cross between Traminer and the autochthonous variety 'Austrian White'. JancisRobinson.com describes Rieslaner, the local crossing of Silvaner with Riesling, as able to produce impressive late-harvest wines, and names Rudolf Fürst and Fürst Löwenstein as Spätburgunder producers in the more westerly Mainviereck. The same guide characterises the region's wines as earthy, dry whites quite different from the German norm. Writing in Decanter in 2017, Andrew Jefford reported that in Franconia trocken meant a maximum of 5 g/l sugar regardless of acidity, and that the region can, with some justice, claim to be the original home of dry German wine.

Silvaner: 1,536 ha in 2025, about a quarter of the vineyard (DWI); the most planted variety again since overtaking Müller-Thurgau in 2019 (Frankenwein-Frankenland)
Silvaner planted at Castell on 6 April 1659, documented in the Fürstlich Castell'sches Domänenamt archives (DWI)
Also important: Müller-Thurgau (1,298 ha), Bacchus, Riesling and Kerner (DWI, 2025), plus Rieslaner, a local Silvaner and Riesling crossing (JancisRobinson.com)
The DWI's varietal list for Franken also includes Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir), Domina, Portugieser and Regent; red varieties take 17 percent of the 2025 split

History and Heritage

The regional wine body, Gebietsweinwerbung Frankenwein-Frankenland, dates Franken's first documentary wine record to 7 January 777, when Charlemagne gave several properties around Hammelburg, including vineyards, to Fulda Abbey, making Hammelburg the oldest documented wine town in Franken; viticulture in the Alandsgrund between Würzburg and Randersacker is first recorded in 779. The same history credits Gottfried von Franken, from the Würzburg area, with writing Germany's oldest wine book in the 13th century, and describes the Kitzingen wine law of 1482, issued to curb widespread wine adulteration, as the oldest German wine law. In 1576 Julius Echter von Mespelbrunn, Bishop of Würzburg, founded the Juliusspital there, and the Bocksbeutel is depicted on the stone relief of its foundation charter. According to the regional body, a Würzburg council record of 1726 required Stein wines to be filled only into glass Bocksbeutel bottles of 1 Maß (1.22 litres) bearing the city seal, to stop fraud. The Fränkischer Weinbauverband was founded on 29 May 1836, and in 1989, after long legal disputes, the Bocksbeutel was protected in the European Community for quality and Prädikat wines from Franken and a few other narrowly defined wine areas. The DWI notes that Würzburg, the centre of the region, is home to the Würzburg Residence and the medieval Marienberg Fortress, and that the Würzburger Stein was already among Goethe's favorite wines.

7 January 777: Charlemagne gives properties around Hammelburg, including vineyards, to Fulda Abbey (Frankenwein-Frankenland)
1482: the Kitzingen wine law, which the regional body calls the oldest German wine law, is issued against adulteration
1726: a Würzburg council record restricts Stein wines to sealed glass Bocksbeutel bottles of 1.22 litres
1989: the Bocksbeutel is protected in the European Community for quality wines from Franken and a few other areas

From the WineShopAffiliate

The book I hand to someone starting out.

Wine Folly: Magnum Edition explains wine without reading like a textbook, and the charts do more teaching than most paragraphs.$35.

See Wine Folly

Classification and Production

Classification ladders

Ripeness scale

German Prädikat

Germany Full article 6 tiers, lowest to highest

6 Trockenbeerenauslese

Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA), the pinnacle, requires a minimum of 150°Oe from individually selected, botrytis-shrivelled, raisin-like berries.

min 150 Oe150-154°Oe

Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA), the pinnacle, requires a minimum of 150°Oe from individually selected, botrytis-shrivelled, raisin-like berries.

From German Prädikatswein Classification
5 Eiswein

Eiswein, at the same ripeness level as Beerenauslese (minimum 110-128°Oe), requires only healthy, botrytis-free grapes frozen naturally on the vine to at least -7 degrees Celsius and pressed while frozen.

min 110 Oeharvested at minus 7 degrees Celsius or colder

Eiswein, at the same ripeness level as Beerenauslese (minimum 110-128°Oe), is unique in that it requires only healthy, botrytis-free grapes frozen naturally on the vine to at least -7 degrees Celsius; the ice concentrates sugars and acids to produce wines of extraordinary purity and freshness.

From German Prädikatswein Classification
4 Beerenauslese

Beerenauslese (BA) requires 110-128°Oe by region and grapes must be individually hand-selected overripe berries typically affected by noble rot (Botrytis cinerea).

min 110 Oe110-128°Oe by region

Beerenauslese (BA) requires 110-128°Oe by region; grapes must be individually hand-selected overripe berries typically affected by noble rot (Botrytis cinerea), producing intensely sweet, honey-laced wines that age for decades.

From German Prädikatswein Classification
3 Auslese

Auslese ('selected harvest') requires 83-100°Oe, with grapes hand-selected from very ripe bunches, sometimes touched by botrytis.

min 83 Oe83 to 100 degrees Oechsle

Auslese ('selected harvest') requires 83-100°Oe; grapes are hand-selected from very ripe bunches, sometimes touched by botrytis, and can range from off-dry to lusciously sweet.

From German Prädikatswein Classification
2 Spätlese

Spätlese, meaning 'late harvest,' requires a minimum of 76-90°Oe, with the grapes picked after the main harvest.

min 76 Oe

Spätlese, meaning 'late harvest,' requires a minimum of 76-90°Oe; the grapes are picked after the main harvest and tend to show richer, more concentrated flavors, though they too can be vinified dry.

From German Prädikatswein Classification
1 Kabinett

Kabinett is the entry level of Prädikatswein, made from fully ripened grapes at 67-82°Oe depending on region.

min 67 Oe67-82°Oe depending on region

Kabinett is the entry level of Prädikatswein, made from fully ripened grapes at 67-82°Oe depending on region.

From German Prädikatswein Classification

A Prädikat indicates the ripeness of grapes at harvest, not the sugar remaining in the wine; Kabinett, Spätlese and Auslese can all be vinified fully dry.
Eiswein was used in conjunction with other Prädikate before 1982, when it became its own independent category.
There are no upper ripeness limits for any Prädikat level, so a producer may harvest at Spätlese ripeness but label the wine as Kabinett.

Tiers, criteria and figures come only from German Prädikatswein Classification own text. Tap a rung for its criteria and the sentence behind it.

Geographic tiers

German Wine Quality Categories

Germany Full article 4 tiers, lowest to highest

4 Prädikatswein

Prädikatswein, the top tier, cannot be chaptalized and must meet specific minimum Oechsle readings depending on region and grape variety.

100% from named areaKabinett 70 - 85, Spätlese 76 - 95, Auslese 83 - 105, Beerenauslese and Eiswein 110 - 128, Trockenbeerenauslese 150 - 154 Oechsle

Prädikatswein, the top tier, cannot be chaptalized and must meet specific minimum Oechsle readings depending on region and grape variety.

From German Wine Classification
3 Qualitätswein

Qualitätswein must originate entirely from one of Germany's 13 designated regions and is wine with a protected designation of origin that has passed an official analytical and sensory quality examination, with chaptalization permitted.

100% from named area

Qualitätswein must originate entirely from one of Germany's 13 designated regions and accounts for the vast majority of German production.

From German Wine Classification, read from two or more sentences
2 Landwein

Landwein, equivalent to a protected geographical indication, requires at least 85 percent of grapes from the named region.

85% from named area

Landwein, equivalent to a protected geographical indication, requires at least 85 percent of grapes from the named region.

From German Wine Classification
1 Deutscher Wein

Deutscher Wein is the basic table wine category requiring only that grapes be grown in Germany, with a minimum of 8.5% alcohol and total acidity of at least 3.5 g/l and no geographic designation required on the label.

minimum 8.5% alcohol and total acidity of at least 3.5 g/l

At the base sits Deutscher Wein, the basic table wine category requiring only that grapes be grown in Germany.

From German Wine Classification, read from two or more sentences

The Prädikat describes ripeness at harvest, not sweetness in the finished wine; wines up to and including Auslese can be vinified dry, off-dry, or sweet.
The top category was known as Qualitätswein mit Prädikat (QmP) until officially renamed Prädikatswein on August 1, 2007.
The 2021 Wine Law, in force from 27 January 2021 and binding from the 2026 vintage, added a parallel geographic pyramid of Anbaugebiet, Region, Ortswein and Lagenwein.

Tiers, criteria and figures come only from German Wine Classification own text. Tap a rung for its criteria and the sentence behind it.

Geographic tiers

VDP Classification

Germany Full article 5 tiers, lowest to highest

5 Grosses Gewächs Grosses Gewächs (GG)

The article names this tier without stating its criteria.

Grosses Gewächs must contain no more than 9 g/L residual sugar and are released no earlier than September 1 of the year following harvest for whites, and a year later for reds

From VDP Classification, read from two or more sentences
4 Grosse Lage

Grosse Lage (grand cru equivalent) represents Germany's finest sites: yields are limited to 50 hl/ha, harvesting must be done selectively by hand, and dry wines from these sites carry the Grosses Gewächs (GG) designation.

yields limited to 50 hl/ha

Examples Erbach

Grosse Lage (grand cru equivalent) represents Germany's finest sites: yields are limited to 50 hl/ha, harvesting must be done selectively by hand, and dry wines from these sites carry the Grosses Gewächs (GG) designation.

From VDP Classification
3 Erste Lage

Erste Lage (premier cru equivalent) requires optimal growing conditions, hand harvesting, and a yield ceiling of 60 hl/ha.

yield ceiling of 60 hl/ha

Erste Lage (premier cru equivalent) requires optimal growing conditions, hand harvesting, and a yield ceiling of 60 hl/ha.

From VDP Classification
2 Ortswein

Ortswein (village wine) must originate from a single village using regionally defined varieties.

same yield ceiling as Gutswein (75 hl/ha)

Ortswein (village wine) must originate from a single village using regionally defined varieties.

From VDP Classification
1 Gutswein

Gutswein (estate wine) forms the base, with grapes from estate-owned vineyards and a maximum yield of 75 hl/ha.

maximum yield of 75 hl/ha

Gutswein (estate wine) forms the base, with grapes from estate-owned vineyards and a maximum yield of 75 hl/ha.

From VDP Classification

The four-tier classification was unanimously adopted at an extraordinary general meeting in 2012, building on the Grosses Gewächs concept first defined in 2002.
The tiers are based purely on vineyard origin, paralleling the Burgundian approach of Premier Cru and Grand Cru.
VDP standards consistently exceed German wine law, mandating lower yields, hand harvesting at top tiers, and strict tasting panel approval.

Tiers, criteria and figures come only from VDP Classification own text. Tap a rung for its criteria and the sentence behind it.

Sweetness levels

German Sweetness Designations

Germany Full article 4 tiers, lowest to highest

4 Süß

Süß is the German label term for any wine whose residual sugar exceeds the Halbtrocken threshold of 18 g/L, with no legal ceiling imposed on sweetness.

above 18 g/L RS with no upper legal limit

Süß is the German label term for any wine whose residual sugar exceeds the Halbtrocken threshold of 18 g/L, with no legal ceiling imposed on sweetness.

From Süß (Sweet — No Legal Maximum RS)
3 Lieblich lieblich

The article names this tier without stating its criteria.

An informal intermediate term, lieblich, sometimes describes wines in the 18 to 45 g/L RS range, while süß in the strictest EU sense refers to wines above 45 g/L.

From Süß (Sweet — No Legal Maximum RS), read from two or more sentences
2 Halbtrocken

Halbtrocken (off-dry) is the legally defined sweetness category with a maximum of 18 g/L residual sugar.

maximum 18 g/L RS

German wine law establishes three legally defined sweetness categories based on residual sugar in the finished wine: Trocken (dry, maximum 9 g/L RS), Halbtrocken (off-dry, maximum 18 g/L RS), and Süß (sweet, above 18 g/L RS with no upper legal limit).

From Süß (Sweet — No Legal Maximum RS)
1 Trocken

Trocken (dry) is a legally defined sweetness category with a maximum of 9 g/L residual sugar (up to 4 g/L strictly, with an acidity-based allowance to 9 g/L).

maximum 9 g/L RS

Trocken: maximum 9 g/L RS (up to 4 g/L strictly, with acidity-based allowance to 9 g/L); Halbtrocken: maximum 18 g/L RS; Süß: above 18 g/L RS with no ceiling

From Süß (Sweet — No Legal Maximum RS)

The sweetness designations operate on an entirely separate axis from the Prädikat ripeness system, which measures must weight at harvest.
Lieblich is an informal term, not a legally defined category; EU regulation formally defines süß as above 45 g/L RS, though German labeling practice uses Süß for the entire above-Halbtrocken range.
The Weingesetz of 14 July 1971 codified the Trocken/Halbtrocken/Süß framework that still governs German labeling.

Tiers, criteria and figures come only from Süß (Sweet — No Legal Maximum RS) own text. Tap a rung for its criteria and the sentence behind it.

Franken is one of the 13 specified wine-growing regions (bestimmte Anbaugebiete) for quality wines listed in Section 3 of Germany's Weingesetz. Gebietsweinwerbung Frankenwein-Frankenland states that naming the region, the protected designation of origin (g.U.) FRANKEN, is mandatory for Qualitätswein and Prädikatswein, and that its aim is a four-tier origin model within the PDO; from the 2026 vintage, wines labelled with a Großlage or a Bereich must carry the term 'Region'. The same body notes that the quality pyramid of the 1971 wine law tied the Prädikate to natural alcohol content, and it lists Kabinett as well as Spätlese, Auslese, BA, TBA and Eiswein. Wine filled into the Bocksbeutel must reach a minimum must weight of 72 degrees Oechsle and pass the official quality wine test, according to the regional body; Section 33a of the federal Weinverordnung allows the state governments of Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria to restrict the Bocksbeutel to wines meeting set requirements. The DWI's glossary lists where the bottle is traditional: Franken, four villages near Baden-Baden (Neuweier, Steinbach, Umweg and Varnhalt) and the Baden district of Tauberfranken. Since 2015 an angular Bocksbeutel PS by designer Peter Schmidt has been used alongside the original, and the regional body says about two-thirds of Franconian Bocksbeutel wines now go into it; in Decanter in 2017, Andrew Jefford put Bocksbeutel use at about 27 percent of the region's wines. The DWI reports that the regional cooperative cellars in Kitzingen and smaller cooperatives produce and market about 40 percent of the region's wine, with private and state-owned estates handling the rest. VDP.Franken's member estates include Bürgerspital zum Hl. Geist, Juliusspital, Staatlicher Hofkeller Würzburg, Fürstlich Castell'sche Domäne, Rudolf Fürst, Horst Sauer and Wirsching.

One of 13 bestimmte Anbaugebiete in Section 3 of the Weingesetz; g.U. FRANKEN must appear on Qualitätswein and Prädikatswein labels
From the 2026 vintage, Großlage and Bereich wines must carry the term 'Region' (Frankenwein-Frankenland)
Bocksbeutel wines need at least 72 degrees Oechsle and official quality testing; about two-thirds now use the Bocksbeutel PS introduced in 2015
Cooperatives market about 40 percent of the wine, and four out of five bottles are drunk within 250 km (DWI)

Sources and last verified

Primary sources (German Wine Institute, the Weingesetz and Weinverordnung, Gebietsweinwerbung Frankenwein-Frankenland, VDP.Franken, and producers' own sites for their own facts): https://www.winesofgermany.com/our-regions/growing-area/66/franken, https://www.winesofgermany.com/our-regions/highlight-of-wine-culture/149/castell, https://www.winesofgermany.com/our-wine/grape-varieties/grape-variety/108/silvaner, https://www.winesofgermany.com/glossary-entries?tx_dpnglossary_glossary%5Baction%5D=show&tx_dpnglossary_glossary%5Bcontroller%5D=Term&tx_dpnglossary_glossary%5Bterm%5D=2&cHash=48894daae43bb3d46dd42f77f85d3c23, https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/weing_1994/__3.html, https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/weinv_1995/BJNR063010995.html, https://franken-silvanerheimat.de/geschichte/, https://franken-silvanerheimat.de/bocksbeutel/, https://franken-silvanerheimat.de/herkunftsmodell-franken/, https://franken-silvanerheimat.de/, https://www.vdp.de/de/die-weine/die-vdp-regionen/franken, https://www.wirsching.de/lagen/, https://www.wirsching.de/wp-content/uploads/Weinliste-2-2026.pdf, https://www.juliusspital-weingut.de/media/www.juliusspital-weingut.de/org/med_2415/4870_2026_preisliste_web.pdf, https://www.weingut-horst-sauer.de/index.php?content=weine&p=88, https://weingut-rudolf-fuerst.de/weine/, https://weingut-rudolf-fuerst.de/weinlagen/. Secondary sources: https://www.decanter.com/wine-news/opinion/jefford-on-monday/silvaner-wines-desperately-seeking-372604/, https://www.decanter.com/wine-news/opinion/jefford-on-monday/franconia-wines-screwcap-kings-europe-373020/, https://www.jancisrobinson.com/learn/wine-regions/germany/franken. Last verified 2026-09-28

Ad hidden for this session.

Flavor Profile

Dry, full-bodied whites with pronounced minerality, earthy texture, and firm acidity. Silvaner delivers stone fruit, herbs, and a distinctive stony, mineral freshness. Wines from Muschelkalk soils carry chalky precision; those from Buntsandstein show broader, earthier character. Residual sugar stays below 4 g/L in the typical dry style.

Food Pairings

Asparagus (white asparagus is a Franconian classic pairing with Silvaner)Freshwater fish such as carp and pikeWeisswurst and Bavarian charcuterieGoat's cheese and mild rind-washed cheesesRoast pork and schnitzelVegetable-forward dishes with herb sauces

Wines to Try

Weingut Hans Wirsching Iphöfer Julius-Echter-Berg Silvaner trocken€16.00 (estate wine list 2/2026, 2024 vintage)
From the Julius-Echter-Berg, which the estate describes as a south-facing slope at 280 to 380 metres where Keuper and Schilfsandstein give the wines high extract and herbal spice.
Buy on Wine.com Compare prices
Juliusspital Würzburger Stein Silvaner trocken€18.00 (estate price list 2026, 2025 vintage)
A Silvaner from the Würzburger Stein that the estate's 2026 price list describes as a complex Steinwein with pear and minerality.
Buy on Wine.com Compare prices
Horst Sauer Escherndorfer Lump Silvaner trocken
A VDP.Erste Lage wine from the steep, south-facing Escherndorfer Lump, whose Muschelkalk soil the estate says brings intense fruit and complex minerality.
Buy on Wine.com Compare prices
Rudolf Fürst Centgrafenberg Spätburgunder GG
From the Centgrafenberg in Bürgstadt, on strongly iron-rich red sandstone; the estate calls the wine its timeless classic, with cool power, iron-toned minerality and elegance.
Buy on Wine.com Compare prices

New to Wine.com? $15 off $150+ with codeFALLHAUL15

Wine with Seth may earn a commission on Wine.com purchases at no cost to you. Wine links are for adults 21 and over.

How to Say It

FrankenFRAN-ken

Silvanerzil-VAH-ner

BocksbeutelBOKS-boy-tel

MuschelkalkMOO-shel-kalk

BuntsandsteinBUNT-zant-shtyne

SpätburgunderSHPAYT-boor-gun-der

TrockenbeerenausleseTROK-en-BAY-ren-ows-lay-zuh

Exam Study NotesWSET / CMS

Franken is one of Germany's 13 bestimmte Anbaugebiete (Weingesetz Section 3); 6,040 ha in 2025, 83 percent white by variety (DWI)
Three soil zones, all Triassic: Mainviereck (Buntsandstein), Maindreieck (Muschelkalk), Steigerwald (Keuper) (VDP.Franken)
Silvaner: 1,536 ha, about a quarter of the vineyard (DWI, 2025); planted at Castell in 1659; Müller-Thurgau second with 1,298 ha
Bocksbeutel: the DWI calls it the trademark of Franconian wine; EC-protected since 1989; minimum 72 degrees Oechsle (Frankenwein-Frankenland)
Climate is continental with warm, dry summers and cold winters (DWI); four out of five bottles are drunk within 250 km

Drinking your way through Franken?

Track every bottle in your Tasting Journal in the Wine with Seth app.

Start your Journal