Location on the Main
Erlenbach am Main lies on the River Main in the Bavarian Lower Main area and has direct access to the river. The town belongs to the region Franconia.
Vineyard Sites and Terroir
The wine-growing zone is shaped by a Mediterranean microclimate. The Hochberg consists of steep slopes facing south-west, with terraced sections. The terraces sit on Bunter sandstone; on the Hochberg, red Bunter sandstone is documented.
The Hochberg is established as a terraced steep slope in the area between Erlenbach and Klingenberg. Protected historic vineyard walls from the 16th and 17th centuries shape the terraces. A local nature conservation programme documents the removal of brambles and growth of shrubs; on cleared areas intended for viticulture, the use of herbicides is prohibited.
Grape Varieties and Wines
On the Hochberg, Spätburgunder, Domina, Riesling, Roter Traminer, and since 2024 Chardonnay have been planted on higher-lying steep terraced slopes. Portugieser was planted on the Erlenbacher Hochberg in 1964, and Spätburgunder in the Hochberg terraces as early as the early 1960s. The local wines include red and white expressions; documented among them are dry Portugieser, Domina and Spätburgunder, as well as Traminer-Riesling.
Wine-Growing History and Single Vineyard
The first documented mention of viticulture in Erlenbach is preserved for the year 1261. The Hochberg is listed as a single vineyard site in the Franconian quality wine-growing region, the Churfranken area, with Erlenbach a.Main as the associated municipality. Part of the Portugieser has been matured and developed in barrique since 2012; a Spätburgunder ripened for more than 15 months in barrique.
