Wine from the Main in the Häckerwirtschaft

It's going to be real! As soon as we enter the Häckerwirtschaft of the Waigand winery in Erlenbach, the young winemaker Verena Waigand extends her hand in greeting, while one of her little sons looks at us curiously from her shoulder.

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Practice makes perfect…

He and his twin brother have been learning from an early age what it means to live and work on a vineyard on the Main River. The younger twin is a bit more shy and initially hides behind his mother's trouser leg. Only after a while of cautious observation does he consider us harmless and approach us with the same curiosity as his brother.

According to Handelsblatt, Verena Waigand is one of Germany's best young winemakers. Gault Millau has also taken notice of Waigand's wines and recommended them in its 2012 Wine Guide. We're excited to see what awaits us!

 

 

Wine from the Main in the winery Waigand

From the outside, you wouldn't guess that the Waigand family's house is a winery. It looks like a perfectly ordinary residential building in the town of Erlenbach am Main. Only when we enter the courtyard does the gate, with its metal vines and grape leaves, hint that "something to do with wine" happens behind the walls of the house.

Right next to the entrance stands an old wine press, preparing us for what lies ahead. The Waigand family's winery is clearly not unknown, because when we enter their wine tavern, it is almost completely full.

A loud murmur of wine lovers greets us as they enjoy the Waigands' wines in the small tavern. While we chat with Verena Waigand, more and more guests arrive.

 

 

 

Smart winemaker

The young winemaker impresses me. She knows exactly how she likes her wines and isn't afraid to forge her own path. This differs from that of her father. But Verena Waigand says: "Everyone has their own taste when it comes to wine. What I like might not appeal to my father at all."

Apparently, her taste is perfectly in line with current trends, because among the wines she serves us for tasting are numerous award-winning wines.

 

 

White and Pinot Noir

Typical of the Churfranken region, to which the wine from the Main River in Erlenbach belongs, are the Pinot Blanc and Pinot Noir grape varieties. These find the perfect terroir for their cultivation in the Churfranken area: the red sandstone soil on the southern slopes of the Main River warms up during the day in the summer months and releases the heat back to the vines during the cooler night hours.

This creates perfect growing conditions for the Burgundy varieties. In addition, the typical Franconian grape varieties Silvaner, Müller-Thurgau, and Portugieser grow on the terraced, steep slopes of the Waigand winery. At the Waigand winery, they place great importance on giving the wines sufficient time to mature. Depending on the grape variety, they are stored in the winery's ice cellar in stainless steel tanks, large wooden casks, or barriques.

 

 

Wine from the Main in the Häckerwirtschaft

We were lucky that the Waigand family had their wine tavern open during our stay. Wine taverns are wineries that temporarily open their doors to wine lovers to serve their wines and introduce them to their own production.

At the Waigand family's wine tavern, you can sit outside at one of the tables in the courtyard when the weather is nice, or – like us – sample the wines in the dining room inside the family home. A traditional wine tavern is only open for two to three weeks a year and doesn't require a liquor license. It is exempt from taxes.

 

 

 

 

Häckerplatte, Winzerplatz and Mettbrot

For the wine tasting, we are served simple cold and warm dishes that provide a basis for the wine. We choose a few from the menu at the Häckerwirtschaft Waigand Franconian specialties We take out the dishes, which we simply place in the middle of the table and try one after the other: the Churfranken plate (a typical winegrower's platter), an oven-fresh Winzerblatz (a type of tarte flambée) and a Mettbrot with onions.

We taste the different wines from the Waigand estate: an Erlenbacher Hochberg 2012 Pinot Blanc, an Erlenbacher Hochberg 2012 Silvaner Spätlese and finally an Erlenbacher Hochberg 2011 Pinot Noir Spätlese matured in barrique.

 

 

The winemaker explains her wines

Verena Waigand joins us and explains her wines. She tells us about her life as a winemaker and how she can't imagine living anywhere else. We then taste her wine from the Main River and, after sampling several different varieties, are convinced of the quality of Waigand wines. They produce outstanding wines here.

If you would like to taste the wines from the Waigand winery yourself, you can definitely do so here:

Winery Waigand
Dr.-Vits-Str. 8
Erlenbach

You can also see which huckster farms have opened during your stay in the region when they are passing through brooms, twigs or wreaths.

 

 

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Do you already know?

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Discover more travel tips for trips to savor on our blog TravelWorldOnline.

Tips on wine and drinks can be found at Wine tourism - wine regions.

Source: our own on-site research. We would also like to thank Mainland Miltenberg – Churfranken e. V. for the invitation to this trip. However, our opinion remains our own.

Text: © Copyright Monika Fuchs and TravelWorldOnline
Photos: © Copyright Monika Fuchs and TravelWorldOnline
Video: © Copyright Petar Fuchs and TravelWorldOnline