Franken

Regional Franken Silvaner and Riesling: the everyday, dry, food-friendly glass.

Plain 'Franken' wines from good growers and co-ops are the daily drinking of the Main valley: dry, fresh, herbal Silvaner, plus fruitier Müller-Thurgau and Riesling. Most of it is drunk locally in the Weinstuben.

Plain 'Franken' wines from good growers and co-ops are the daily drinking of the Main valley: dry, fresh, herbal Silvaner, plus fruitier Müller-Thurgau and Riesling. Most of it is drunk locally in the Weinstuben.

Silvaner: Franken's grape - dry, earthy, herbal and quietly mineral.

About a quarter of the region's vines. It first took root here in the 17th century and is happiest on Muschelkalk and Keuper. Expect pear, herbs, a stony edge and a firm, dry finish that is made for food.

About a quarter of the region's vines. It first took root here in the 17th century and is happiest on Muschelkalk and Keuper. Expect pear, herbs, a stony edge and a firm, dry finish that is made for food.

Fried or blue carp with a dry Franken Silvaner.

Carp is the classic autumn dish of Franconia, best from early September into November, and often needs preordering. Silvaner's acidity and herbal edge suit the delicate, slightly earthy fish.

Carp is the classic autumn dish of Franconia, best from early September into November, and often needs preordering. Silvaner's acidity and herbal edge suit the delicate, slightly earthy fish.

Würzburger Stein: the great chalk hillside, source of 'Steinwein' and the region's top Silvaner.

Right above the city, one of Germany's largest single vineyards faces south over the Main. Dry Silvaner is the star, with Riesling also good. Three historic Würzburg estates own most of it, so tasting them side by side is easy.

Right above the city, one of Germany's largest single vineyards faces south over the Main. Dry Silvaner is the star, with Riesling also good. Three historic Würzburg estates own most of it, so tasting them side by side is easy.

Spätburgunder: Franken's red - silky, red-fruited, savoury Pinot Noir.

Grown on the red sandstone of the western bend around Bürgstadt and Klingenberg. Lighter and more elegant than Baden's, with red cherry, spice and earth; top versions age well.

Grown on the red sandstone of the western bend around Bürgstadt and Klingenberg. Lighter and more elegant than Baden's, with red cherry, spice and earth; top versions age well.

Celebration: a Würzburger Stein Silvaner GG.

The region's grand-cru style, from one of the three Stein estates: Bürgerspital, Juliusspital or Staatlicher Hofkeller. It ages well and gives a lasting taste of Würzburg.

The region's grand-cru style, from one of the three Stein estates: Bürgerspital, Juliusspital or Staatlicher Hofkeller. It ages well and gives a lasting taste of Würzburg.

Müller-Thurgau: Franken's easy, floral second grape - and a comeback story.

Once the most planted grape here, it is now second to Silvaner. Soft, floral and fruity; a few young growers are making it more serious again. Best drunk young.

Once the most planted grape here, it is now second to Silvaner. Soft, floral and fruity; a few young growers are making it more serious again. Best drunk young.

Off the beaten path: an organic Silvaner from Weingut am Stein.

From a biodynamic estate at the foot of the Stein - a more individual take on Würzburg Silvaner.

From a biodynamic estate at the foot of the Stein - a more individual take on Würzburg Silvaner.

Escherndorf's Lump: a steep bowl above a loop of the Main.

The Mainschleife is where the Main loops around a hill near Volkach. Escherndorfer Lump is its star site: Silvaner and Riesling on limestone, ripe, mineral and long, with a few top growers within a short walk.

The Mainschleife is where the Main loops around a hill near Volkach. Escherndorfer Lump is its star site: Silvaner and Riesling on limestone, ripe, mineral and long, with a few top growers within a short walk.

Shell-limestone slopes around Würzburg give chalky, mineral dry whites.

The middle of the region, the Maindreieck, sits on Muschelkalk, a limestone full of ancient shell remains. It drains well, holds heat and gives Silvaner and Riesling a firm, stony, chalky edge. The Würzburger Stein, Randersacker and the Lump at Escherndorf all grow here.

The middle of the region, the Maindreieck, sits on Muschelkalk, a limestone full of ancient shell remains. It drains well, holds heat and gives Silvaner and Riesling a firm, stony, chalky edge. The Würzburger Stein, Randersacker and the Lump at Escherndorf all grow here.

Johann Ruck: Iphofen family estate with Silvaner, Riesling and Scheurebe.

A second reliable Iphofen name beside Wirsching, working the same Keuper slopes.

A second reliable Iphofen name beside Wirsching, working the same Keuper slopes.

Steinwein = wine from the Würzburger Stein; the Stein-Harfe is a separate site inside it.

Steinwein is the historic name for wine from Würzburg's great hillside. The central Stein-Harfe belongs wholly to the Bürgerspital and is bottled as its own vineyard, so the label may say Stein-Harfe instead of Stein. Both are top-site wines.

Steinwein is the historic name for wine from Würzburg's great hillside. The central Stein-Harfe belongs wholly to the Bürgerspital and is bottled as its own vineyard, so the label may say Stein-Harfe instead of Stein. Both are top-site wines.

Iphofen and the Steigerwald: gypsum soils, spicy Silvaner and a walled wine town.

East of the Main, Iphofen is the centre. The Julius-Echter-Berg and Kronsberg are the top sites; Silvaner, Riesling and Scheurebe are broader and spicier than Würzburg's. Castell, a princely estate nearby, is the historic Silvaner address.

East of the Main, Iphofen is the centre. The Julius-Echter-Berg and Kronsberg are the top sites; Silvaner, Riesling and Scheurebe are broader and spicier than Würzburg's. Castell, a princely estate nearby, is the historic Silvaner address.

Top Franken reds follow a Burgundian script: hand-picking, careful oak, no rush.

At estates such as Fürst, Spätburgunder is made in the Burgundian way, from selected sites, with restrained oak, to keep the red-fruited, savoury style of the Main's sandstone slopes.

At estates such as Fürst, Spätburgunder is made in the Burgundian way, from selected sites, with restrained oak, to keep the red-fruited, savoury style of the Main's sandstone slopes.

Franken Sekt: a small, rising sparkling scene built on Silvaner, Kerner and Rieslaner.

Sparkling wine was rare until recently. Today growers and estates make everything from light Secco to traditional-method Sekt. Silvaner is a common base grape and gives a dry, savoury style quite different from Champagne.

Sparkling wine was rare until recently. Today growers and estates make everything from light Secco to traditional-method Sekt. Silvaner is a common base grape and gives a dry, savoury style quite different from Champagne.

Scheurebe in Franken: grapefruit and blackcurrant, an Iphofen speciality.

A Riesling cross that does well on the Steigerwald's gypsum soils. Iphofen estates make dry versions with grapefruit, blackcurrant and a savoury edge; good aperitif wines.

A Riesling cross that does well on the Steigerwald's gypsum soils. Iphofen estates make dry versions with grapefruit, blackcurrant and a savoury edge; good aperitif wines.

Stefan Vetter: the new-wave, natural-leaning name among Franken's Silvaner growers.

A small grower whose Silvaner takes a low-intervention route; one of the few natural-leaning names in a traditional region.

A small grower whose Silvaner takes a low-intervention route; one of the few natural-leaning names in a traditional region.

Check before you go — details here may have changed.

Silvaner is neutral by nature: the site and the grower make the wine.

Silvaner has little aroma of its own, so it reflects where it grows. Chalk slopes give a precise, stony wine, gypsum soils a spicier, more savoury one, and old vines add depth. Yield control separates serious bottles from bland ones.

Silvaner is a quiet grape: good acidity and plenty of natural ripeness, but a neutral flavour that turns bland if the vine is allowed to crop heavily. That is why it is a better teacher of terroir than most grapes. In Franken you can line up three Silvaners from the same grower and taste the ground. From the shell limestone of the Würzburger Stein or the Escherndorfer Lump the wine is chalky, taut and long; from the gypsum Keuper of the Iphöfer Julius-Echter-Berg it is broader, spicier and more herbal; from the red sandstone of the Main's western bend it is rounder and earthier. Old vines, marked 'Alte Reben', concentrate all of this, and oak is rarely used because it would swamp the grape's fine, savoury character. When you are choosing a bottle, the village or site name tells you more than the grape name.

Hans Wirsching: Iphofen family estate; Silvaner is the signature, with Riesling and Scheurebe.

Family wine-growers since the 17th century with a big holding on gypsum Keuper around the Schwanberg. Silvaner from the Julius-Echter-Berg is the benchmark for the Steigerwald.

Weingut Hans Wirsching is Iphofen's best-known family estate, with a wine-growing history that the family traces back to 1630. Most of its vineyards lie on gypsum Keuper soil around the Schwanberg, in the Iphöfer Julius-Echter-Berg, Kronsberg and Kalb sites. Silvaner is the estate's signature, with Riesling and Scheurebe listed as its other flagships, and the range also includes blends, barrel-aged Pinots and sweet wines. The practical lesson is the contrast with Würzburg: Wirsching's Silvaner from the Keuper is typically broader, spicier and more savoury than a Stein wine from limestone. Start with the Iphöfer Silvaner, then try a Julius-Echter-Berg or an Alte Reben bottling. Visitors can see the old cellar and the Vinothek courtyard, and Iphofen's intact town walls make a good afternoon around the tasting.

Franken Silvaner can be a Grosses Gewächs: a top-site dry wine.

Franken is one of the few places where Silvaner reaches GG level. Look for GG on Silvaner from Würzburger Stein, Innere Leiste, Iphöfer Julius-Echter-Berg or Escherndorfer Lump; these are firmer and longer than village Silvaner.

Most people meet a Grosses Gewächs as a Riesling. Franken is different: it is one of only a couple of regions where Silvaner is accepted at this level, and the top estates take that seriously. The idea is the same as elsewhere in Germany: a dry wine from a classified top site, hand-picked from low yields and released later than the village wine. At the Würzburg charitable estates the Stein is the home of Silvaner GG; Juliusspital also bottles Silvaner GGs from Innere Leiste, the Iphöfer Julius-Echter-Berg and the Escherndorfer Lump, while Bürgerspital and the Staatlicher Hofkeller each make one from the Stein. Expect the grape's earthy, herbal side with much more depth and grip than a village Silvaner, and give it a few years in the cellar. Because GG is a VDP term, check for the eagle on the capsule.

Juliusspital: Würzburg's great foundation estate; Silvaner and Riesling GGs from the best sites.

A charitable estate founded in 1576 and one of Germany's biggest. Its Silvaner GGs come from several top sites, and its entry Silvaner and Würzburger Riesling are the easy way in.

Juliusspital was founded in 1576 by Prince-Bishop Julius Echter as a hospital foundation, and its wine estate still funds it. It is among the largest wine estates in Germany and holds prime parcels in several of Franken's best places: the Würzburger Stein and Innere Leiste on Muschelkalk, the Iphöfer Julius-Echter-Berg and Kronsberg on gypsum Keuper, and also the Escherndorfer Lump, Rödelseer Küchenmeister and Volkacher Ratsherr. That spread makes it a good place to taste how site changes Silvaner: it bottles Silvaner GGs from the Stein, Innere Leiste, Julius-Echter-Berg and Lump, and Riesling GGs from the Stein and the Julius-Echter-Berg. Below those sit an entry-level dry Silvaner and a Würzburger Riesling trocken, the sensible first bottles. The estate also keeps a long wooden-cask cellar dating from 1699 and a Weinstube in Würzburg. It makes Rieslaner too.

Rudolf Fürst: Bürgstadt's Pinot Noir benchmark, with Centgrafenberg and Hundsrück.

The family estate behind Franken's best-known red. Spätburgunder is its core; Riesling from terraced Klingenberg sites and Weissburgunder are the whites to try.

Fürst is the reason many wine lovers know that Franken makes serious red wine. The family has been in the business since 1638, and Sebastian and Isabell Fürst have run the estate since 2018, after Paul and Monika Fürst built the current cellars in 1979. It is a VDP member and works with an organic orientation and a Burgundian approach. Spätburgunder is the heart of the estate and covers most of the vineyard: the Bürgstadter Centgrafenberg is one of the best Pinot Noir sites on the western bend of the Main, and Hundsrück is described as the estate's flagship. Whites matter too: the Riesling Grosses Gewächs comes from terraced Klingenberg vineyards, and there are Weissburgunder, Chardonnay and the rare Frühburgunder. The red sandstone gives wines that are red-fruited, silky and savoury rather than heavy. A trip here pairs well with the Franken red-wine hiking trail.

Rieslaner: a rare Silvaner x Riesling cross - high acid, passion fruit, great sweet wines.

Bred near Würzburg in 1921 and found mostly in Franken. It ripens late with very high acidity, so it makes superb Spätlese and Auslese, and some sparkling. A true local rarity.

Rieslaner is a crossing of Riesling and Silvaner bred in 1921 at the Bavarian viticulture institute at Veitshöchheim, just outside Würzburg. It was nearly forgotten until a grower named Hans Breider rediscovered and promoted it after the Second World War, and it has been approved for Franken and the Pfalz since 1968. It ripens late for German conditions, keeps very high acidity and can get noble rot in wet years. The result is a grape for sweet wines: citrus and passion fruit in good wines, peach or mango when fully ripe, at Spätlese and Auslese level and above, with the acidity to keep them fresh for decades. Castell and Juliusspital are the estates best known for it, and it also makes good Sekt. If you see a Rieslaner on a tasting list, taste it; very few people at home will have met it.

Fürstlich Castell'sches Domänenamt: the estate where Silvaner was first recorded in Germany.

A princely estate in the Steigerwald, linked to the first Silvaner planting. Silvaner, Rieslaner, sweet wines and Sekt make it a good all-round stop.

The Castell estate belongs to a princely family in the Steigerwald, and its archives hold the earliest record of Silvaner in Germany: a planting at Castell in 1659, which is why the grape and this estate are linked. Silvaner is still its calling card, bottled across a range from simple to site-specific. The estate is also one of the places best known for Rieslaner, the late-ripening Riesling and Silvaner cross that Franken grows for fine sweet wines, and its sweet wines go up to the top levels. Castell makes Sekt too, and is named among Franken's notable sparkling producers. That makes it a useful single stop if you want to taste three sides of the region in one place: dry Silvaner, a rarity such as Rieslaner, and a local sparkling wine. Ask what is available in the tasting room before you buy, as the range is wide.

Shell-limestone slopes around Würzburg give chalky, mineral dry whites.

The middle of the region, the Maindreieck, sits on Muschelkalk, a limestone full of ancient shell remains. It drains well, holds heat and gives Silvaner and Riesling a firm, stony, chalky edge. The Würzburger Stein, Randersacker and the Lump at Escherndorf all grow here.

The middle of the region, the Maindreieck, sits on Muschelkalk, a limestone full of ancient shell remains. It drains well, holds heat and gives Silvaner and Riesling a firm, stony, chalky edge. The Würzburger Stein, Randersacker and the Lump at Escherndorf all grow here.

In the glass: Chalky, precise, mineral dry wines with firm structure

Gypsum-rich Keuper soils in the Steigerwald make broader, spicier wines.

East of the Main the soils turn to Keuper, a clay-and-marl rock rich in gypsum. Around Iphofen it gives Silvaner, Riesling and Scheurebe a more savoury, herbal and sometimes spicy character, with a firm mineral grip, rather than Würzburg's chalk.

East of the Main the soils turn to Keuper, a clay-and-marl rock rich in gypsum. Around Iphofen it gives Silvaner, Riesling and Scheurebe a more savoury, herbal and sometimes spicy character, with a firm mineral grip, rather than Würzburg's chalk.

In the glass: Savoury, spicy, structured whites with a firm mineral grip

Red sandstone in the west makes the region's Pinot Noir country.

Franken's only traditional red-wine area lies on the Main's western bend, the Mainviereck, on Buntsandstein, a red sandstone. It is warmer and milder there, which is why Spätburgunder and Frühburgunder grow around Bürgstadt and Klingenberg.

Franken's only traditional red-wine area lies on the Main's western bend, the Mainviereck, on Buntsandstein, a red sandstone. It is warmer and milder there, which is why Spätburgunder and Frühburgunder grow around Bürgstadt and Klingenberg.

In the glass: Warm, red-fruited Pinot Noir; broader, earthier Silvaner where white is grown

A continental climate with frost risk: sheltered south-facing river slopes decide quality.

Franken has warm, dry summers and cold winters, and spring frost is a regular worry. The best vineyards are steep, south-facing slopes above the Main that catch the sun and shelter vines from cold north and east winds, like the Würzburger Stein and the bowl-shaped Escherndorfer Lump.

Franken has warm, dry summers and cold winters, and spring frost is a regular worry. The best vineyards are steep, south-facing slopes above the Main that catch the sun and shelter vines from cold north and east winds, like the Würzburger Stein and the bowl-shaped Escherndorfer Lump.

In the glass: Ripe but fresh dry wines; site choice matters more than the grape name

Silvaner is neutral by nature: the site and the grower make the wine.

Silvaner has little aroma of its own, so it reflects where it grows. Chalk slopes give a precise, stony wine, gypsum soils a spicier, more savoury one, and old vines add depth. Yield control separates serious bottles from bland ones.

Silvaner is a quiet grape: good acidity and plenty of natural ripeness, but a neutral flavour that turns bland if the vine is allowed to crop heavily. That is why it is a better teacher of terroir than most grapes. In Franken you can line up three Silvaners from the same grower and taste the ground. From the shell limestone of the Würzburger Stein or the Escherndorfer Lump the wine is chalky, taut and long; from the gypsum Keuper of the Iphöfer Julius-Echter-Berg it is broader, spicier and more herbal; from the red sandstone of the Main's western bend it is rounder and earthier. Old vines, marked 'Alte Reben', concentrate all of this, and oak is rarely used because it would swamp the grape's fine, savoury character. When you are choosing a bottle, the village or site name tells you more than the grape name.

In the glass: Same grape, three soil signatures: chalky, spicy or earthy; concentration from old vines

Silvaner is mostly fermented dry in steel or big old casks, not new oak.

Oak would smother Silvaner's fine, earthy character, so the classic style is unoaked, dry and bottled young to keep freshness. Juliusspital still keeps a historic wooden-cask cellar in Würzburg.

Oak would smother Silvaner's fine, earthy character, so the classic style is unoaked, dry and bottled young to keep freshness. Juliusspital still keeps a historic wooden-cask cellar in Würzburg.

In the glass: Clean, herbal, mineral and food-friendly

Organic and biodynamic growers are a small but visible group.

Estates such as Weingut am Stein farm biodynamically, and Fürst has an organic orientation. Expect individual, textured wines with less polish and more character.

Estates such as Weingut am Stein farm biodynamically, and Fürst has an organic orientation. Expect individual, textured wines with less polish and more character.

In the glass: More texture and savoury character; individual wines

Top Franken reds follow a Burgundian script: hand-picking, careful oak, no rush.

At estates such as Fürst, Spätburgunder is made in the Burgundian way, from selected sites, with restrained oak, to keep the red-fruited, savoury style of the Main's sandstone slopes.

At estates such as Fürst, Spätburgunder is made in the Burgundian way, from selected sites, with restrained oak, to keep the red-fruited, savoury style of the Main's sandstone slopes.

In the glass: Silky, red-fruited, savoury Pinot Noir; moderate oak

Silvaner, Kerner and Rieslaner feed a small Sekt scene.

Local sparkling uses Franken's own high-acid grapes, from light Secco to traditional-method Sekt. The style is drier, more herbal and less brioche-like than Champagne.

Local sparkling uses Franken's own high-acid grapes, from light Secco to traditional-method Sekt. The style is drier, more herbal and less brioche-like than Champagne.

In the glass: Dry, herbal and citrusy; refreshing

Late-picked Rieslaner, Silvaner and Scheurebe make sweet wines that age for decades.

In very good years Franken estates pick selected bunches late for Spätlese, Auslese and noble sweet wines. High acidity keeps them fresh for a very long time.

In very good years Franken estates pick selected bunches late for Spätlese, Auslese and noble sweet wines. High acidity keeps them fresh for a very long time.

In the glass: Honeyed, citrusy and fresh; very long-lived