📍 Württemberg

Württemberg is a wine region in south-west Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg. It runs from Weikersheim near Bad Mergentheim along the Neckar valley, through Heilbronn and Stuttgart, to Metzingen beyond Tübingen. A small part lies by Lake Constance between Friedrichshafen and Lindau, already in Bavaria. The region's main artery is the Neckar with its tributaries the Rems, Enz, Kocher, Jagst and Tauber.

On the steep riverbanks vines grow on shell limestone (Muschelkalk), and higher up on Keuper marl and loess. Altitudes range from 150–250 m on the lower Neckar to 400–510 m on the upper reaches, and average temperatures from 9.3 to 10.5 °C. On dry, warm steep slopes even late-ripening grapes come to maturity.

The area is 11,179 ha (2024), the fourth largest in the country, and 64 % is red grapes. Riesling covers 18.6 %, Trollinger 15.8 %, Lemberger (Blaufränkisch) 15.4 %, Pinot Noir 11.5 % and Schwarzriesling (Pinot Meunier) 10.0 %. Almost all of Germany's Trollinger grows here. More than 50 cooperatives sell about 80 % of the wine.

The local style is Schillerwein, a Rotling from a mix of white and red grapes, pale to light red in colour. From the 2030 vintage, the Prädikate Kabinett or Spätlese will be allowed here only for wines that are not dry.

Why it matters to you. Württemberg wine is more often red than white, and Trollinger on a label almost certainly comes from here. Schillerwein is not a grape but a local style of pinkish wine. Reds are served at 15–18 °C.