Weingut Brennfleck - Outstanding Vinothek in Franken
The Brennflecks have already celebrated their silver wedding anniversary. Their present to mark the start of their marriage 25 years ago - or their life's work, everyone can see it as they please - was this estate in the middle of Sulzfeld on Main, which had been used for agricultural purposes by the Knights of Essel since 1479 and for viticulture since 1591. Picture a medieval town centre, with narrow entrance gateways and small cobblestoned streets; the courtyard of the estate is a heritage-listed ensemble in which twelve previous generations have recorded, elaborated, modified, demolished and rebuilt their ideas of life and the best way to handle wine. Hugo and Susanne Brennfleck, most certainly, carry a lot of this history into their vinological endeavours.
Until recently, the Biedermeier room still had a piano placed between the armchairs and gueridons from the days when it was grandmother's salon. Today, this ambience drawn from the lyrical depths of the past, is harnassed for small, intimate encounters with Franconian Silvaner, Riesling or Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir). If there are more guests who want to taste the Sulzfelder Sonnenberg, the Iphöfer Kronsberg or the pride of the estate, the Große Gewächs (Grand Cru) from the steep slope Escherndorfer Lump, then they will find plenty of space in the renovated horse stable. Bright and modern furnishings, under mid-century chandeliers.
The Brennflecks, undoubtedly, have a sense for the places where viticulture and architecture meet one another. Across the courtyard is the entrance to the new press house, perhaps the bravest and proudest legacy that the custodians of almost four and a half centuries of tradition can pass on to the following generations: a classic, timeless, functional structure with a minimalist aesthetic, clear and self-assured, that is a gently inclined tunnel-like ramp leading directly into a sensory world of wine.
Wine sorting, pressing, bottling, storage – almost the entire wine process can be observed; a lot of glass, brightly lit cellar vaults. And then the concert of the fermentation pipes, the bubbling when the gases released during fermentation escape from the long rows of the barrels! As the vintners said when planning the design, if you want to understand wine, you should experience how it is made, with all your senses.
The architects from Dold & Versbach build a bridge from this modernity to tradition through the materials used. Behind the outer facade of smooth exposed concrete, they use oak from their own forest and shell limestone - the very stone on which the premium wines of the estate thrive. With this unique design, the couple gave themselves the best present: until now, they say, we have had our hands full making up for the sins of the past: tearing out panels, exposing old stucco ceilings, restoring wooden floors. The eighties weren't a good time. But now we can show what the future of our wine could look like.
Opening Time
Monday - Friday: 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Saturday: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
