Winzer Sommerach

From an emergency alliance to the oldest cooperative in Franconia

The history of the Winzer Sommerach begins with a crisis. In the second half of the 19th century, Franconian viticulture was hit by a series of blows: bad weather, phylloxera infestation, and a wine market where prices had fallen so far that many businesses were on the verge of ruin. In response, 35 winegrowing families in the Main loop village of Sommerach joined forces in 1901 — on the initiative of former mayor Vinzenz Weickert and pastor Nagengast — to form the first wine cooperative in Franconia. Their calculation was pragmatic: those who press and market together survive what could not be managed alone.

From this survival reflex, a community project has grown over 120 years that still holds strong today. Today, around 90 winegrowing families manage a total of 196 hectares of vineyards on the Main loop. Many members are descendants of the founding families – a cross-generational continuity that gives the business its special roots. In 2009, the cooperative was named the best German wine cooperative; the Bavarian State Honorary Prize for Viticulture has been awarded to it multiple times, most recently in 2011.

Every vineyard has a vision – craftsmanship, attitude, and FAIR'N GREEN

The credo of the cooperative is: nothing can be fixed in the cellar. What counts is decided in the vineyard – in the small parcels that every family has been tending independently for generations. Every member has known their vines since childhood; cultivation remains a family affair, pressing a collective one. This principle – individual responsibility in the vineyard, collective strength in the cellar – is not a marketing promise, but the organizational DNA of the cooperative.

Sustainability is not an addition, but a condition: all wines from Winzer Sommerach carry the FAIR'N GREEN seal, which certifies ecological, social, and entrepreneurial standards. In the vineyard, this means: no glyphosate, continuous reduction of plant protection products, targeted greening to promote biodiversity, and returning grape pomace to the soil. In the facility, the cooperative generates around 25% of its electricity needs via photovoltaics; the remaining electricity demand is covered entirely from renewable sources. Fossil primary energy is compensated via climate protection programs.

Shell limestone, Silvaner, cosmopolitanism – what distinguishes the wines

The heart of the range is the Sommeracher Katzenkopf – a site with documented viticultural history since 1084, when the Bamberg cathedral provost Ulrich transferred vineyards around the Katzenkopf to the Münsterschwarzach monastery. The shell limestone soils shape the wines with a salty minerality and cool fruit, which is particularly noticeable in the Silvaner and Weißburgunder. In addition to the Katzenkopf, the Wiebelsberger Dachs and the Escherndorfer Lump provide further grapes from characterful single sites.

The range spans a wide arc: from the taut, dry Sommeracher Katzenkopf Silvaner to the aromatic Scheurebe Off-Dry to the Bacchus Semi-Dry. With the non-alcoholic line Katerfrei – as a still wine and as a Frizzante – the cooperative responds to real drinking habits without making compromises on artisanal standards. The family wines – including Grauburgunder, Silvaner Old Vines, and Weißburgunder – are a clear commitment to Franconian grape variety identity: varietal, site-focused, without resorting to international stylistics.