Franconia

Franconia is a 11 German wine regions located in the north-west of Bavaria, along the bends of the river Main. It has a decidedly continental climate with harsh winters and hot summers. The cultivation of the vine dates back to Roman times, evidenced by numerous historical artifacts. Franconia is divided into three subareas, called Bereich, which are distinguished by their different terrain. The first Bereich is called Maindreieck, and is located along the river Main on a calcareous soil. The second one, called Steigerwald, is situated on the east side of the river on a chalky-marmoso soil. The last is Mainviereck, located downstream, and has a lighter ground. The most cultivated grape varieties are the German classics such as Muller-Thurgau, the Sylvaner, which here gives excellent results, Riesling, and Rieslaner. In Franconia you also get interesting red wines based on Spatburgunder and Portugieser. In Franconia the classic round shaped bottle called bocksbeutel should be used for bottling.