Weingärtner Stromberg Zabergäu
Germany
Producing award-winning wines from Germany's top varietals
Located in the small town of Brackenheim on the River Zaber, Weingärtner Stromberg-Zabergäu is actually an old, established business operating under a new mantra. A short drive from Stuttgart or Heilbronn, the Weingärtner Stromberg-Zabergäu is the region of Württemberg’s third largest in terms of production and arguably its best in terms of quality.
Two traditional wine cellars, Weingärtner Brackenheim and Strombergkellerei, were banded together in 2012 to form the present vehicle for producing fine wines. The cooperative currently involves more than 1,150 growers and extends to more than 1,850 acres of vineyards.
As mentioned in the Region Spotlight, the greater portion of wines produced at Weingärtner Stromberg-Zabergäu are red, with a commitment to the red varietal Lemberger, one of the rising stars in German viticulture that has recently come into its own as a producer of high quality red wines.
The venerable Riesling grape occupies more than twenty percent of the cooperative’s planted acreage and has accounted for many of the company’s awards and high scores. Interestingly, the period immediately following the inception of Weingärtner Stromberg-Zabergäu was filled with numerous awards including “Best Wine of German Cooperatives” and “Best of Bio Wine 2013”. The company also received the German Red Wine Prize during that period.
The facilities at Weingärtner Stromberg-Zabergäu are state-of-the-art as are the vineyard techniques employed by the bevy of growers that are an integral part of the operation. Biodynamic and organic farming methods are utilized, while French wine barrels (mostly barriques) are used for the company’s red wines that are allowed to mature and develop slowly to insure optimum quality.
Another interesting facet is the fact that most of the wines of the Württemberg region are consumed locally and are rarely exported outside the region. Proud local consumers also quickly point to the fact that wine consumption (almost 10 gallons per resident) within their region is the highest in all of Germany.
It is through the efforts of companies such as Weingärtner Stromberg-Zabergäu that Germany has reentered the world of highest quality wine production. True, their best wines such as Eiswein, Beerenauslese, Auslese and Spatlese have always been awarded grand status, but the new wave of German wine (and winemaking) has produced excellent wines at reasonable prices that are a real boon to the wine consumer.
We are pleased to present these great Weingärtner Stromberg-Zabergäu wines to our International Wine Club members.
Map of the area
Taste the Adventure: Germany!
Our unique “Adventure Package” takes you beyond the wines to experience delectable selections of imported gourmet treats from Germany. We take the time to search out regional delights to pair with the wines. All products are exclusive imports that represent the wine region along with the local culture.
Learn more about our German Adventure Package and what's inside!
The Flag of Germany
The flag of Germany is a tricolor consisting of three equal horizontal bands, displaying the national colors of black, red, and gold. These colors have been associated with Germany since the middle ages, but the current German flag colors are traced back to the early 19th century during the Napoleonic wars. The colors were based on the soldiers' uniforms which were black coats with red braids and gold buttons.
While the tricolor has been used at least three times in German history (beginning in 1919), the current German flag was adopted on May 9, 1949. At this time, it was designated as the flag of both West and East Germany until 1959 when East Germany added a coat of arms to theirs. Since reunification on October 3, 1990, the black-red-gold tricolor has become the flag of the Federal Republic of Germany.
Germany: Fun Facts!
• Germany shares borders with nine other countries: Denmark, Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands.
• Germany has the largest population in the European Union at around 80.9 million, with 3.4 million people living in the capital Berlin.
• Germany boasts some of the world's most famous inventions including the light bulb, the automated calculator, and the automobile. The Germans also invented the clarinet, the pocket watch, the television (partly), petrol/gasoline & Diesel engines, the automobile engine, the motorcycle, the jet engine and the Walkman.
• The world's steepest vineyard is in Germany's Mosel-Saar-Ruwer region with a 60% gradient and a height of 951 feet.
• Germany was the first country in the world to adopt Daylight savings time. This occurred in 1916 in the midst of World War II and was put in place to conserve energy.
• College education in Germany is free, even for internationals.
• Not all German wines are sweet! Although Germany has a stellar reputation for producing some of the world's best sweet late-harvest wines and Eiswein, the country's dry wines have recently ascended to a prominent standing as well.
• In 1810, the very first Oktoberfest took place in Munich, Germany to honor Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig's marriage. Today, the 16-day beer festival is still going strong.
Albrecht Hauber - Winemaker
Winemaker Albrecht Hauber feels that he was always destined to become a winemaker. He was born into a winemaking family and remembers helping around the winery when he was still a young child.
When it came time to decide on a future, Hauber entered the prestigious Geisenheim University and began his studies in oenology. Geisenheim University is somewhat unique in that it only offers wine-related degrees and is frequently compared to California’s UC Davis in terms of both infrastructure and research and offers a worldwide program with a number of corresponding European countries.
After graduating in 1981, Albrecht Hauber began working as a winemaker and eventually joined the company that has evolved into Weingärtner Stromberg-Zabergäu. His thirty-six years of experience within the German wine industry allows him to direct the winemaking activities of the enterprising southern German company. Additionally, Albrecht Hauber also serves on the company’s board of directors, a feat somewhat unique in the wine business and a tribute to Hauber’s reputation and standing in the industry. His motto is simply, “We are good and want to get better!”
Württemberg Region
Where German wines originate is one of the most critical elements when focusing on German wines.
The country is divided into thirteen different anbaugebiete (appellations or growing areas that are delineated by German wine law), but only seven of these regions produce truly high quality wines. These appellations are located in southern and southwestern Germany due to the fact that the remainder of Germany is simply too frigid to permit proper ripening of vinifera grapes. Vineyards are found alongside Germany’s great rivers, the Rhine and Mosel and the Mosel’s tributaries, the Saar and the Ruwer.
The wine region of Württemberg runs north to south and is anchored by the City of Stuttgart on its southern end. There are six bereiche (districts) and twenty-four großlagen (sub-districts). Stromberg and Heuchelberg are the two sub districts that produce the grapes for this International Wine Club collection.
Württemberg is Germany’s fourth largest wine region and its prime leader in terms of red wine production. The River Neckar and its tributaries form the basis for its vineyards with many south-facing slopes that are beneficial to grape development. More than seventy percent of the region’s vines are planted in red varietals. The signature grapes are the Trollinger (almost exclusively found in this region) and the Spätburgunder that is credited with producing the Württemberg‘s highest quality level wines. There are more than 30,000 acres of vineyards under plant in the picturesque area.
It is also important to note that Württemberg is home to more than seventy wine cooperatives that make up the bulk of the region’s production. This is due to the fact that most vineyards are quite small and a number are two and one-half acres or less. Such a factor makes the existence of cooperatives a necessity for the small farmers who must tend their vines by hand. More than seventy-five percent of the region’s production comes from these high-tech cooperatives whose quality rivals the finest producers in Germany.
The Württemberg growing region is mostly rural and hilly, with vineyards and orchards scattered amidst forests and fields. It benefits from mild temperatures with the hills of the Black Forest and Swabian Jura offering protection for the vines and tempering the climate. Excellent soils include shell-limestone, keuper, marl, loess and clay that drain well and produce high quality vines.
A drive through this exquisite growing area is a must when visiting southwestern Germany and will form a lasting memory for the true wine enthusiast.
Wine Regions of Germany
Germany is one of the most northerly wine-growing countries in the world and it is primarily the effects of the warm Gulf Stream that enables grapes to ripen this far north. Most of Germany's wine-growing regions are concentrated in the south and southwestern parts of the country, straddling the humid Gulf Steam climate of the west and the dry Continental climate of the east. The long growing season, moderate summer temperatures, and range of soil types bring forth a great diversity of German wines that are typically light, lively and fruity in style.
