Werderaner Wachtelberg

The Werder Wachtelberg is a 6.2 -hectare vineyard in the city of Werder / Havel in Brandenburg. It belongs to the area of Mansfeld lakes in the region Saale -Unstrut. She is one of the northernmost registered documents for quality wine ( psr) in the Federal Republic of Germany.

Location, climate and soil

The individual layer Werderaner Wachtelberg is on a sixty meter high hill of the embossed by the last Ice Age Zauche, west of the Havel. The ridge is a remnant of a moraine of the Weichsel glaciation, the most recent of which occurred in northern Europe and northern Central Europe Vergletscherungsphasen of the Pleistocene Ice Age.

On Werderaner Wachtelberg has a temperate climate, which is influenced by both the north and west by the Atlantic climate and a continental climate from the east. Weather extremes, such as storms, strong hail or heavy snowfalls are rare. The temperature variation is approximately equal to the national average. The seasonal temperature fluctuations are smaller than the usual continental climate, but higher than in the balanced marine climate of the coastal regions. The rainfall is relatively low, with an annual total of 519 mm. The individual layer is surrounded by the Havel lakes Havel and Big Zernsee and from Glindow Lake and the Great Plessower lake. Due to its location in the middle of a lake on an annual average slightly higher temperature is measured in this area. The average frost- free period is given from April 19 to October 24, with 187 days.

The specificity of the vineyard is that the vines on slightly loamy, diluvial sandy soils that are easily heatable grow. They have a clay content of 3.4 percent and a lime / marl share of 11 percent. This sandy soil brings mild, produce low-acid wines. In 1991, this vineyard was recorded as " Great location Free Single location " in the wine growing region of Saale -Unstrut and endorsed by the EU. The Werder Wachtelberg heard viticulture law on the specified region of Saale- Unstrut and is registered as a large location -free single location in the vineyard role under No. 11.1.5. -017. All wines have been " monastery Pforta " vinified and aged in the country estate of Saxony- Anhalt. The Reading 2012 is processed in our own winery of winemaker at Plessower corner on the main road 1 in Werder.

Origin of the wine culture in the Mark

The introduction of wine culture in the Mark Brandenburg was part of the German eastward expansion, the. Around 1125 by King Lothar III was continued. As a result of this policy Albrecht established the bear from 1150 his rule in Brandenburg and in Havelgau. Past studies show that grape and wine culture were introduced from the West to Brandenburg. This introduction is part of a west-east spread of wine culture in the Middle Ages in connection with the expansion of the Frankish and German rule and the spread of Christianity in Europe. During the whole period of the Middle Ages, the Roman Catholic Church and its monasteries of the sponsors of the wine culture in the Mark Brandenburg was. The church promoted the wine because the wine was used for the Holy Communion in the Christianization. In addition to the Franconian and Lower Rhine -Flemish settlers, the Cistercians have had a decisive role in the spread of wine culture on the Havel. This may be regarded as the origin of the wine in Werder.

→ see also: History of viticulture in Germany

History of mountain quail Werderaner

The Werder Wachtelberg belongs to one of the hills between the running of the Potsdamer Havel, the Glindow Lake and the Great Plessower lake. The from southeast to southwest gently sloping slopes of the mountain were entirely cultivated in the 17th and 18th century with vines. Adverse weather conditions, the poor market situation by cut-throat competition due to the improvement of transport links and the resulting decline in prices for wines from the Rhine region displaced viticulture. In the previous vineyards fruit trees were planted. In the 1950s, the grape variety Chasselas vines still grew on the mountain quail. Many of them froze to death in the winter of 1955 /56, but in the 1970s it was on the wild mountain a few sticks with grapes. The land was in the possession of small horticultural enterprises; they were incorporated under strong social pressure in the early 1960s in the wake of collectivization in Horticulture Production Cooperatives ( GPG). The difficult to farm land on the mountain quail lay fallow soon. Reason for this was the barren sandy soil with low yields in fruit tree culture. From 1983, the use of the brownfields was requested by the city of Werder. A first concept was the planting of sea buckthorn, wild roses and wine. In the spring of 1984 it was decided in the city for the Aufrebung an area of ​​4.7 hectares, to recall the historical roots of winemaking in Werder. With this pioneering decision in principle, work began and it began DDR typical, but solvable problems. Until 1987 17.200 grafted vines of the variety Müller-Thurgau were set that were concerned from Hungary and Saxony. 3500 concrete piles were asked for the wire frame structure. In September 1987, the first harvest took place on a section of the plant. Read was 342 kg grapes. It emerged 274 bottles of wine in the Saxon wine cooperative. Mid- September 1989 began the first reading of all vines on the mountain quail. 22,740 kg grapes with a must weight of 70 ° Oechsle harvested. Part of the vintage was vinified already in the state Kloster Pforta, the present land Kloster Pforta.

With the reunification of Germany, the question arose after receipt or disposal of the vineyard, but was automatically the German wine law. In December 1991 the vineyard Wachtelberg was declared worthy of preservation in a report of the State Training and Research Institute for Agriculture, Viticulture and Horticulture Bad Kreuznach to viticultural review. Due to its uniqueness in the region of the vineyard was the title " worthy of protection " granted. The location is suitable for growing grapes and temperature history and sunshine duration during the growing phase and the annual rainfall there were no significant deviations from Würzburg or Ahrweiler. A disadvantage of the slightly lower winter temperatures and the associated possibility of frost damage, the later bud break and the shorter growing season are called. The great lakes of the Havel and the surrounding Werder lakes, however, offer good conditions for a micro-climate because they act regulates temperature. A special feature of the ground is mentioned in the opinion. It is almost pure sand soil, which is very easy to be heated, but very poor in nutrients and low water -retentive. In 1993, once again the question of existence of the vineyard with the search for a new owner. Which is being liquidated GPG fruit production Werder handed over on 28 June 1993 free their property of 17,200 vines, the scaffolding, the Weinberg building and a more than a mile long fence to the city of Werder, who expressed then its interest in obtaining the vineyard and in him a tenant handed. After setbacks through the complete infestation of downy mildew (Plasmopara viticola ) of the vineyard and the loss of the 1995 harvest and marketing difficulties due to lack of experience in marketing was founded in November 1995 by the city and the tenant of the Association for the Promotion of the historical viticulture in space Werder ( Havel ) eV as a new tenant and a club member took over the fruit-growing consultant M. Lindicke in January 1996 the vineyard to tie in with the club to the tradition of centuries-old winemaking Havel.

Variety shares on the Werderaner Wachtelberg

Air table

More Brandenburg vineyards and planted grape varieties

• See main article: List of Vineyards in Brandenburg