Freyburg & Naumburg

Freyburg and Naumburg form the core of Saale-Unstrut, the northernmost of Germany's quality wine regions. Winegrowing here goes back to the Middle Ages; the Cistercians of Kloster Pforta farmed vineyards in the Saale valley, and the Landesweingut Kloster Pforta continues that tradition. Around Freyburg lie Edelacker and Schweigenberg below Schloss Neuenburg; in Naumburg and Bad Kösen Steinmeister and Saalhäuser follow. The Nebra Sky Disc was found near Nebra on the Unstrut.

The vineyards often stand on steep terraces with dry-stone walls above the valleys of the Saale and Unstrut. The bedrock is Muschelkalk and Buntsandstein, in places covered with loess. The climate is dry and continental; rainfall is low, summers are warm, winters cold, and late frosts can reduce harvests.

Müller-Thurgau and Weißburgunder set the tone, with Riesling, Silvaner and Spätburgunder alongside. The wines are mostly fresh, fruity and marked by clear acidity. Well-known producers include Pawis, Lützkendorf, Gussek, Hey, Böhme & Töchter and the Landesweingut Kloster Pforta; the sparkling-wine house Rotkäppchen is also based in Freyburg.