The " Landesweingut Kloster Pforta" is located in the municipality of Bad Kösen-Saalhäuser in the German wine-growing region of Saale-Unstrut. In 1137 (one year after the foundation of Eberbach Monastery), Cistercian monks settled not far from Naumburg and founded the monastery of St. Mariae ad Portam (St. Mary's at the Gate). As early as 1154, the Köppelberg was mentioned in a document as the monastery's first vineyard. The complex developed into one of the richest monasteries in the East Thuringian region. There were estates in 192 places with 260 hectares of vineyards. The end of the monastery came in the 16th century with the Reformation. The roots of today's winery go back to the Augustinian monks of the Moritz Monastery in Naumburg. In the 14th century, they cultivated vineyards on the north-western bank of the Saale in the arc of the Saale between Bad Kösen and Naumburg. A hermitage was built as accommodation for the monks working in the vineyards, from which "Saalhäuser" is derived. In the GDR, the estate had the status of "Volkseigenes Weingut" (People's Own Vineyard). The business was taken over by the state of Saxony-Anhalt after reunification in 1993, the vineyards were reduced and the cellar and storage rooms were moved back into the historic Saalhäuser buildings in 2002. Bastian Remkes has been responsible as managing director since the beginning of 2020, and Olaf Stintzing as cellar master.
The vineyards cover 55 hectares in the single vineyard sites Dechantenberg in sole ownership (Goseck), Pfortenser Köppelberg and Paradies (Naumburg), Heideberg (Eulau), as well as Saalhäuser in sole ownership (Bad Kösen). They are planted with the white wine varieties Müller-Thurgau, Silvaner, Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Roter Traminer, Bacchus, Kerner, Blauer Silvaner, Elbling, Heunisch (Gouais Blanc) and Pinot Gris, as well as the red wine varieties Blauer Portugieser, Zweigelt, Pinot Noir, André and Dornfelder. The environmentally friendly cultivation of the vineyards is carried out according to the principles of natural viticulture. The wide range of wines is marketed in three quality categories: Estate Wines, Site Wines and Edition Wines. Bottle-fermented sparkling wines and noble brandies are also produced (marc, grape, fruit). Kloster Pforta is a member of the associations "Breitengrad 51"(terroir-oriented Saale-Unstrut vintners) and Generation Riesling.
