The Graf von Schonborn has two wineries, one in Hattenheim in the Rheingau (Schloss Schonborn), the other in Hallburg in Franconia (Graf von Schonborn). We adore their vibrant dry Rieslings and Silvaners (the classic local white) fizzing with volcanic minerality.
The Schonborn family can trace its ancestry back to the 12th century. Their family members have acted as Bishops, Cardinals and Princes. Many were elected as ecclesiastical rulers in the Electorates of Mainz and Trier, and the Princely-Bishoprics of Speyer, Worms, Wurzburg and Bamberg. The family were responsible for some of the great Baroque buildings, an era which is referred to as “Schonbornzeit” – synonmyous with prosperity. They even had a fiefdom in Franken. The Schonborns were key players in the Holy Roman Empire until Napoleon dissolved it in 1806. Somehow they managed to cling onto their property in Franken. Their unprepossessing Schloss is referred to as their “secret castle”.
Their wines are classic Franken, expressing their roots and their volcanic geology. Estate manager Georg Hunnerkopf and winemaker Klaus Wagenbrenner make a wide range of dry Riesling, Silvaner, some experimental varietals and a top-of-the-range Spatburgunder. Some are bottled in the distinctive Bocksbeutel that we adore.
