The mild continental climate makes many good wines. The main vines are Sylvan, Riesling, and Traminer, and now Müller-Thurgau, Bacchus, and Burgundy as well..
The Frankenwine is known as something special, it has to thank for the climate as well as the various soils, that give the wine its unmistakable flavor. Even Johann Wolfgang von Goethe raved on the vines of this region, and consumed their product prodigiously. The strict winters and warm summers in Franken result in swaying harvests but still give off extraordinary quality wines. The soils reach from shell-limestone on the Main to red marl soils near the Steiger Forest.
The vintners try to work out the typical wines and refine the typical character of the Frankenwines. The basis of the wines is a fine, hearty freshness, sweet bouquet a lot of extracts and acidity. The most important vines were Sylvan, Traminer, and Riesling for a long time, but now Müller-Thurgau, especially for its harvest security, the Bacchus, as well as red and white Burgundies were added. The new breeds are Scheurebe and Morio-Muscat (Sylvan x White Burgundy), Albalonga (Riesling x Sylvan), Mariensteiner, Ortega, and Perle. The Rieslaner (Sylvan and Riesling) is very popular among the experts for its noble fruit, racy acidity, and amount of extract. The other new breeds reach medals at their premieres, but don't keep the public excited for long.
The traditional bottle which was introduced in 1718 by Würzburg Civil Hospital to symbolize the verity of the good wines, and are only filled with real quality wines are Franken's trademark. Its round form is harmonious with the landscape, which is represented in Baroque architecture. The Lord's Residence is the meeting point for the annual wine and music festival in the spring.
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