Suitable underneath the Royal Home, the Hofkeller in Würzburg (the Court Cellar of the former Prince Bishop, currently the Royal Bavarian Court Cellar) is a laby­rin­thine cellar covering 4,557 m². Bavaria’s beer has many kinds, and Bavarian occasions this kind of as Oktoberfest make its beer planet-popular. That’s why, I am interested in knowing why Würzburg, a big Bavarian town, has these an superb wine cellar functioning for about 8 centuries.

The cellar tour took place on the final working day of our Franconia weekend journey. Due to the fact the cellar is below the Würzburg Home, it is easy to blend with the visit to the grandiose castle. Amongst big wine barrels and corridors dimly lit by candlelight, we have discovered interesting facts about the stronghold of Franconian viticulture. The wine cellar stretches close to 1 kilometre in winding corridors as a result of the earth. If you check out the Franconian wine metropolis of Würzburg, you should not miss out on this labyrinth the place fine wines mature.

A limited quick of Historical past

The results tale of the Hofkellar began in 1128 when the Bishop of Würzburg Embricho donated a plot of land in Zell for the monastery development. That was also the starting of get the job done in the winery and in the cellar.

In 1540, Franconia produced the best wine of the previous hundreds of years. In 1684 during the Swedish War, the Swedes developed a new barrel to conserve wine from 1540. That barrel is now the oldest in the cellar. Almost two generations afterwards, in 1719, Prince Bishop Schönborn commissioned the development of the Würzburg Home and purchased an exceptional wine cellar to be bundled in the programs.

A single year later, the cellar construction started off. And considering the fact that 1814, Würzburg has grow to be component of Bavaria. The Prince Bishop’s Hofkeller, later on the Royal Bavarian Hofkeller, and now the Bavarian State Vineyard (Staatlicher Hofkeller Würzburg), have normally been owned by the then existing ruling ability.

Famous wine 12 months 1540

Our tour guide was a witty man or woman who sent a dry perception of humour. In just 45 minutes, he narrated several concealed tales about the wine.

Due to the fact of the best local climate and other components, the wine from 1540 was the best in the winery’s historical past. When the 30-calendar year Swedish War started, Sweden constructed a barrel to keep the rest of the wine from that year. That barrel is nevertheless in the cellar.

Later in 1814, the land of Würzburg belonged to Bavaria, and so did the vineyard. When Bavaria King Ludwig II got to know the old barrel, he claimed the barrel was not safely and securely saved. Therefore, he moved the wine to his home but marketed the the greater part of the wine in bottles secretly. King Ludwig II utilised the dollars to finance his fairy tale castle in the vicinity of Munich. On the King’s loss of life, the Bavaria authorities sold most of his house, such as the 1540 wine, to repay his personal debt.

A Jewish wine trader Simon from Wiesbaden in Germany purchased all 1540 wine bottles. During the Entire world War, he escaped to London and opened a wine shop to promote his wine collections. Sadly, Hitler also bombed London, and so did his wine shop. Right after the war, his descendants cleared away the ruins and observed some 1540 wine bottles intact inside of a protected basement cellar.

Then, the spouse and children invited ten world-well-known connoisseurs of wine to identify the origin of the wine. Having said that, the connoisseurs could only drink the 1st glass of wine. The relaxation wine got oxidized so speedily that it tasted like vinegar. Getting determined the wine, the relatives resolved to send the relaxation two bottles again to Hofkellar in Würzburg.

Surprisingly, Hofkellar did not think the bottles contained the wine from 1540. At the time, two hospitals, which operated two other wineries in Würzburg, opened one particular bottle and confirmed the wine was from 1540 just after tasting. The 2nd bottle grew to become the past acknowledged and remaining full bottle from this famous classic. One of the two hospitals is an elderly residence now and retains the remaining bottle in its basement. 

The giant wine barrier and the sponsored wine barrels

The barrels in the cellar can contain up to 1200 litres of wine every single. Many barrels in Hofkellar in Würzburg have sponsorship. The sponsors’ names, both company names or personal people, are printed on the barrels. Just about every calendar year, the Hofkellar in Würzburg invitations the sponsors to style the new wine.

At the close of the cellar tour, our group passed a substantial wine barrier. In the Middle Ages, servants bought paid out by wine, the liquid wage. At that time, people drank wine more generally than at times contaminated h2o. Individuals court servants who had a good marriage with the wine master could get the wine of good top quality. Hence, the cellar created a 50000-litre giant barrel and stored wines blended with various grades of high-quality. All servants bought the wine from the very same barrel.

Varieties of Wines from Hofkeller in Würzburg

Because of the climate problem, wineries in the Würzburg location make generally white wines. The good quality of wines is classified by the harvest quantity and the harvest place of the grapes, the VDP-specific classifications. The Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter (VDP) is a German corporation that promotes the country’s major wines and estates. In standard, there are four forms of wine: VDP. GROSSE LAGE, VDP.ERSTE LAGE, VDP.ORTSWEINE, and VDP.GUTSTEIN.

  • VDP.GROSSE LAGE wine distinguishes the maximum high quality German vineyards and uses grape versions standard for the area that matching the demands of that person winery. 
  • VDP.ERSTE LAGE expresses the character of a vineyard. 
  • VDP.ORTSWEINE wine is bottled from regional grape versions. 
  • VDP.GUTSWEIN wine is a exclusive signature of winegrowers. They are frequently the initially wines of a wine calendar year to be bottled and marketed. The wines mature in the winery’s vineyards. 

At the stop of the guided tour, we tasted the VDP. ERSTE LAGE. Getting stayed in Bamberg for a few times, I can say that the wines from Würzburg are the most effective Franconian food stuff pairing consume.

Travel Guidelines for Hofkeller in Würzburg

Be part of a tour

At present, individual human being can only join a German-guided cellar tour. English guided tour is offered for the teams. But you can be a part of a Guided Going for walks Tour with Franconian Wine to explore the previous town and the wine for a modest finances. In the winery’s store, you can buy all wines mentioned over. 

How to get to Würzburg by practice

Würzburg is only about one hour by practice from Frankfurt and is hence a perfect working day journey spot from Frankfurt. Information on the railway you can come across on www.bahn.com. It is an around 20-minute stroll from the station to the Würzburg Residence.

How to get to Würzburg by car

  • From the A7 coming from Ulm – consider the Kitzingen exit and keep on on the B8 by means of Biebelried to Würzburg.  
  • From the A7 coming from Kassel – consider the Estenfeld exit and carry on on the B19 dual carriageway to Würzburg (ca. 7 km). 
  • From the A3 coming from Nuremberg – consider the Rottendorf exit and continue on the B8 to Würzburg. 
  • From the A3 coming from Frankfurt – acquire the Heidingsfeld exit.

In entrance of the Würzburg Home, the Home car park (“Parkplatz Residenz”) 400 parking destinations. 

Wherever to stay in Würzburg

Numerous inns are in the aged town, in going for walks distance from the Würzburg Home and Hofkeller and to the Marienberg Fortification.

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