Staatlicher Hofkeller

The winery is located in the city of Würzburg (Maindreieick area) in the German wine-growing region of Franconia. The traditional Staatlicher Hofkeller was founded as early as 1128, making it the oldest winery in Germany. It has been owned without interruption by the ruling power since the 12th century. These were the bishops of Würzburg, who were also dukes of Franconia, from 1814 the Bavarian royal house under the name Königlich Bayerischer Hofkeller (with an interlude of Grand Duke Ferdinand of Tuscany from 1806 to 1814) and finally from 1918 the Free State of Bavaria under the name Staatlicher Hofkeller Würzburg. The farm was run as a training and model estate (see also under winegrowing domain). The Residenz, built in the baroque style between 1720 and 1744, became a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site in 1981. The treasury is located in the cellar vaults. The oldest wine stored in this wine library is a vintage from 1874. Since 1950, Bocksbeutel rarities of all sites, grape varieties and vintages have been kept there. Deep inside, the very extensive and labyrinthine wine cellars extend.

Klaus Kuhn and Friederike Voigtländer are responsible as cellar masters. The vineyards cover 120 hectares of vines in the following municipalities and single vineyards: Abtswind with Altenberg; Dorfprozelten with Predigtstuhl; Großheubach with Bischofsberg; Handthal with Stollberg; Hörstein with Abtsberg; Iphofen with Julius-Echter-Berg; Marktheidenfeld with Kreuzberg; Randersacker with Lämmerberg, Marsberg, Pfülben and Sonnenstuhl; Thüngersheim with Scharlachberg; and Würzburg with Innere Leiste, Schlossberg and Stein. They are planted with the white wine varieties Riesling, Müller-Thurgau, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Kerner, Rieslaner (crossed here in 1921), Scheurebe, Gewürztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc and Bacchus, as well as the red wine varieties Pinot Noir, Pinot Noir, Dornfelder, Domina, Portugieser and St. Laurent. Wines from VDP-classified sites are marketed as Grosses Gewächs. The winery is a member of the VDP (Association of German Prädikat Wine Estates).