With more than 11,400 hectares Württemberg ranks fourth in the area statistics of German wine-growing regions. This is particularly surprising because wine from Württemberg rarely leaves its region of provenance. The wealthy cities between Stuttgart and Heilbronn almost single-handedly absorb the yield from the vineyards that grow along the Neckar River and its tributaries. Yet Württemberg is full of special features. Whether the high-altitude, cool Rems Valley with its delicate Riesling, whether the steep terraces of Esslingen, Mundelsheim or Lauffen (that are worth seeing), whether the gentle slopes of Schwaigern or Verrenberg; wines with strong characteristics grow everywhere. And Württemberg is red wine country too: Trollinger, Lemberger, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir, together with several other varieties, account for almost 70 percent of the total. The winegrowing school in Weinsberg, which has developed numerous colourful new varieties over the past fifty years, also contributes to the Swabian enthusiasm for red wine - the Dornfelder, for example, or, from more recent breeding series, Cabernet Dorsa and Acolon.
