No one who visits the Wirsching family's winery in Iphofen needs to be awed by so much tradition and history, and even more by the art of vinification. This family of winegrowers is down to earth, no matter how great the successes of their own wines on the national and international stage have been to date. For example, the winery supplied the wine used during mass for Pope John Paul II, and it has been one of the leading international Silvaner producers in Franconia for a long time.
It is the gypsum keuper that, in combination with sun and rain, gives the Iphöfer site wines in the particularly wind-sheltered vineyards on the Julius-Echter-Berg or on the Kronsberg their unmistakable mineral, fruity and powerful aroma. The family has been striving for fresh, reductive, elegant and lean wines for many generations. Currently, Andrea and Lena Wirsching, the eldest and youngest daughters of Dr. Heinrich Wirsching, are the 14th generation primarily responsible for the continued success of the estate. Hand in hand with change in the management, the vineyards have been excellently cultivated. After the Second World War, the historic winery which dates back to 1550 has been repeatedly renovated in line with contemporary tastes. Most recently, a flat roof suspended over four pillars was erected above the courtyard and a new vinotheque was built along the northern flank of the courtyard. A warehouse building was stripped back to its foundation walls and fitted with a wine lounge - a white dreamy affair. And dancing is allowed in the ballroom under the flying roof. Silvaner accounts for 38 percent of the Wirschings' vineyard area, 19 percent is devoted to Riesling. Müller-Thurgau and Scheurebe follow. In total, the family cultivates 80 hectares of vineyards in the steep slopes of Iphofen. This makes it one of the largest private wineries in Franconia. A few years ago, a barrel cellar was built for the red wines. Everything should be structurally in order by now and the family can concentrate exclusively on the most noble task of the winemaker - the art of vinification.
