Best Franken Wineries to Visit in 2026 — 7 Verified Picks
Franken (Franconia) is Bavaria's only wine region, a small one of roughly 6,000 hectares of vines strung along the River Main, with Würzburg as its wine capital. Silvaner is the signature grape, covering about a quarter of the vineyard area, a higher share than in any other German region, and the wines are mostly white and mostly dry. The region is also recognisable by its Bocksbeutel, the flat, round-bellied flask used for Franken's special wines. Around Würzburg, in the Maindreieck district, the soils are shell limestone (Muschelkalk), the bedrock behind the famous Würzburger Stein vineyard; to the east in the Steigerwald the soils turn to gypsum Keuper, and to the west red sandstone dominates. That geology is the quickest way to understand why a Silvaner from one village tastes noticeably different from another.
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At a glance
| # | Winery | Sub-region | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Weingut Juliusspital | Würzburg (Maindreieck) | Historic cask cellar and the biggest Silvaner estate |
| 2 | Staatlicher Hofkeller Würzburg | Würzburg (Maindreieck) | Baroque Residenz cellar tour |
| 3 | Weingut Bürgerspital zum Heiligen Geist | Würzburg (Maindreieck) | Würzburger Stein sites and Bocksbeutel tradition |
| 4 | Weingut am Stein | Würzburg (Maindreieck) | Biodynamic Stein wines with Saturday tastings |
| 5 | Weingut Hans Wirsching | Iphofen (Steigerwald) | Gypsum Keuper Silvaner in the old cellar |
| 6 | Weingut Horst Sauer | Escherndorf (Maindreieck) | The world-renowned Escherndorfer Lump |
| 7 | Weingut Schmitt's Kinder | Randersacker (Maindreieck) | Randersacker Muschelkalk Silvaner at a family Vinothek |
Weingut Juliusspital
Prince-Bishop Julius Echter founded the Stiftung Juliusspital in 1576, and the winery's own words are that 'seit 1576 gehört der Wein zu unserer Geschichte', with profits supporting the foundation's social work. The estate calls itself 'das größte Silvaner-Weingut der Welt' and, at around 180 hectares of operating area, the second-largest wine estate in Germany. A visit centres on the historic wooden cask cellar, 250 metres long and holding 250 old casks, reached on a walking tasting through the foundation grounds, and the Vinothek in the Zehntscheune lets you taste and buy.
- Tasting
- 21 EUR per person (Schlenderweinprobe, about 90 minutes, 3 wines); 50 EUR for the 3-hour public Weinprobe with 6 wines
- How to book
- Book onlinePublic tastings are sold only through the winery's online shop; group tours and tastings are booked by email or phone via the Führungen und Weinproben page. The public Weinprobe is limited to 45 people per date.
- Visit policy
- Vinothek open Mon-Sat 10:00-18:00 (Jan-Mar) or 10:00-19:00 (Apr-Dec). Schlenderweinprobe runs on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays by availability through 2026. Under-14s free on the walking tasting.
Staatlicher Hofkeller Würzburg
The Hofkeller dates its first documentary mention to 1128, when Bishop Embricho gave land in Zell to monks to found a monastery. Its present cellar, credited to the Baroque architect Balthasar Neumann with the foundation stone laid in May 1720, sits inside the Residenz, which the winery describes as part of the World Heritage site. The estate invites visitors to 'entdecken Sie 4557 m² Kellerlabyrinth voller Weingeschichte', and the public tour includes one glass of wine.
- Tasting
- 13 EUR per person (public cellar tour, about 45 minutes, one 0.1 l glass of wine)
- How to book
- Book onlineTickets are ordered online; without a booking there is no right to attend and refunds are not possible. Tours are in German only. Meet at the Frankonia-Brunnen on the Residenzplatz.
- Visit policy
- Public tours March to December: Fridays at 16:00 and 17:00, Saturdays and public holidays hourly 11:00-17:00, closed Sundays, none in January or February. Vinothek in the Rosenbachpalais open Mon-Fri 10:00-18:00.
Weingut Bürgerspital zum Heiligen Geist
The Bürgerspital winery belongs to a foundation that dates its beginnings to 1316, which it presents as 'über 700 Jahre junges VDP.Weingut in Franken'. It farms about 120 hectares, with Silvaner, Riesling and Burgundy-type grapes as its core and its best wines bottled in the traditional Bocksbeutel. Its vineyards include the Würzburger Stein, the Stein-Berg and the monopoly site Stein-Harfe, on the shell-limestone soils it credits for its top sites. Visitors can book a guided cellar tour or a seated tasting, or shop and take advice in the Weinhaus unterm Glockenspiel.
- Tasting
- 13 EUR per person for a group Kellerführung with one wine; 22 EUR for the Keller-Schlendern with 3 wines; 30 EUR for the 4-wine Weinprobe (2026 price)
- How to book
- Online or emailGroup tastings are requested through the form on the website, and a booking only becomes binding once the date is available. Public cellar tour dates are posted on the site; the Weinhaus gives advice and sales seven days a week.
- Visit policy
- Weinhaus open seven days a week for advice and sales; the historic wine bar Hockerle opens Mon-Fri 9:00-18:00 and Sat 9:00-15:00, closed Sunday. Tastings for groups of up to 30 or 60 depending on room.
Weingut am Stein
Sandra and Ludwig Knoll run the estate. The site calls the Stettener Stein 'eine der besten Lagen Frankens', a steep Muschelkalk slope worked by hand above the Main, where the estate farms its best parcels with 50 to 80-year-old vines. Silvaner and Riesling are the focus, and the estate works biodynamically.
- Tasting
- Confirm with winery
- How to book
- Online or emailSaturday Open Tastings and Masterclasses need registration through the events page on the shop site. Individual tastings and Erlebnisführungen for groups of six or more are arranged Mon-Fri by email. Guesthouse rooms are booked by email or through Bookiply.
- Visit policy
- Vinothek open Mon-Fri 14:00-18:00 and Sat 10:00-17:00 (10:00-14:00 January to March); advance notice welcome.
Weingut Hans Wirsching
Wirsching states 'Weinbau seit 1630' and describes almost 400 years of family history across more than 14 generations. Silvaner and Riesling are its flagship varieties, and Silvaner is its most important grape at 40 percent of the vineyard area, always dry. Its sites include the Julius-Echter-Berg, which it calls 'eine der renommiertesten Lagen Frankens'. The Hof und Vinothek has old tasting rooms and a modern Vinothek, and the old cellar and barrique cellar are where the red wines ferment and age.
- Tasting
- 20 EUR per person (the monthly 'Wirsching zum Kennenlernen', 60 minutes)
- How to book
- Online or emailThe public tasting runs on the first Friday of each month at 16:00 with limited seats, with dates listed in the winery's shop. Private tastings are arranged by email or phone by agreement.
- Visit policy
- Estate open Mon-Fri 8:00-18:00, Sat 9:00-18:00, Sundays and holidays 10:00-12:30. Tastings possible in opening hours and by arrangement.
Weingut Horst Sauer
The Sauer family has made wine in Escherndorf for generations; the site says winemaking is 'Familientradition bei uns' and that the house sits in the vineyard. It calls the Escherndorfer Lump 'ein Weinberg von Weltruf', a site shaped by the Main that faces south and south-west. The estate farms 20 hectares, including the VDP-classified Lump, Fürstenberg and Escherndorf am Lumpen 1655, with Silvaner, Müller-Thurgau, Riesling, Bacchus, Scheurebe, Spätburgunder, Domina and Weißburgunder in the range. Tastings are offered for groups of up to 28 people.
- Tasting
- Confirm with winery
- How to book
- Online or emailNo online booking is described; the site asks visitors to write a message or phone, so contact the estate directly before turning up for a tasting.
- Visit policy
- Sales hours Mon-Fri 9:00-12:00 and 13:00-18:00, Sat 11:00-17:00. Tastings for groups of up to 28 people.
Weingut Schmitt's Kinder
The estate says 'bereits seit 1712 betreibt die Familie Schmitt Weinbau in Randersacker', and names Silvaner as the traditional variety, alongside Riesling, Müller-Thurgau, Scheurebe, Weißburgunder, Rieslaner and Bacchus, and the reds Spätburgunder and Domina. Its vineyards lie on south and south-west facing slopes with warm Muschelkalk soils in Randersacker sites including Pfülben, Marsberg, Sonnenstuhl and Teufelskeller. The site invites guests to taste the wines in its Vinothek. No formal tasting programme or prices are published, so treat it as a Vinothek visit rather than a guided one.
- Tasting
- Confirm with winery
- How to book
- Online or emailNo online booking system; visits outside the posted hours are arranged in advance through the website's contact form or by phone.
- Visit policy
- Wine sales and Vinothek open Mon-Fri 8:00-18:00 and Sat 9:00-17:00; other times by arrangement.
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Frequently asked
What is Silvaner, and why is it Franken's signature grape?
Silvaner is a white grape that Franken grows more of, proportionally, than any other German region: about a quarter of the vineyard area, roughly 1,500 hectares. Franconian growers usually make it fully dry, often described as 'fränkisch trocken' (no perceptible sweetness). Wirsching describes it as reserved on the nose but powerful on the palate, with salty, herbal notes and a clear expression of the rock it grew on, which is why a Muschelkalk Silvaner from Würzburg tastes different from a Keuper one from Iphofen.
Why is Franken wine sold in a flat bottle?
That is the Bocksbeutel, the flat, round-bellied flask that identifies Franconian wine. Wirsching explains the name as coming from 'Buch' (book), because the flat shape fitted into the bag in which pilgrims and monks carried their prayer book, and says it has been the signature bottle for special Franconian wines since the early 18th century. Not every bottle uses it: Bürgerspital bottles its best wines in the Bocksbeutel, while Wirsching uses it for its village wines and most single-vineyard wines, so you will also see ordinary tall bottles on the shelf.
What is the Würzburger Stein?
The Stein is Würzburg's best-known vineyard, a steep shell-limestone slope above the Main that has been associated with the city's wine for centuries; it is often cited among Goethe's favourite wines. Several estates on this list work it: Bürgerspital (including the Stein-Harfe, a monopoly site), the Staatlicher Hofkeller (Stein-Berg) and Weingut am Stein. Each makes Silvaner and Riesling from it, so tasting the same site across estates is an easy way to see how winemaking style changes the result.
Do I need to book winery visits in Würzburg?
For the structured tours, yes. The Hofkeller public cellar tour states that without a booking there is no right to attend, and Juliusspital's public tastings are sold only through its online shop. Bürgerspital's group tastings go through a booking form. Vinotheken at Juliusspital, Hofkeller, Weingut am Stein and Schmitt's Kinder are open for browsing and buying during opening hours, and Wirsching and Horst Sauer take tastings during opening hours or by arrangement. Always check each winery's own page for current dates before travelling.
How much do tastings cost, and are tours in English?
Published fees on this list run from 13 EUR per person for a short cellar tour with one wine (Bürgerspital for groups, the Hofkeller for the public) up to 50 EUR for Juliusspital's three-hour public tasting of six wines with a Franconian snack platter. Weingut am Stein, Horst Sauer and Schmitt's Kinder do not publish a tasting price. On language: the Hofkeller states its tours are conducted in German only, and its individual-guest offers are currently bookable only in German, so non-German speakers should enquire first at any estate.
Where should I base myself, and do I need a car?
Würzburg. Four of the seven estates here (Bürgerspital, Juliusspital, the Hofkeller and Weingut am Stein) are in the city itself, and the Hofkeller's cellar tour starts at the Frankonia-Brunnen on the Residenzplatz. Randersacker (Schmitt's Kinder) and Escherndorf (Horst Sauer) are in the Main valley outside the city, and Iphofen (Wirsching) is in the Steigerwald district east of Würzburg. Plan transport for those three in advance, and do not drive after a tasting.
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