The baroque Wackerbarth castle was built in 1727 by Count August Christoph von Wackerbarth. The castle looks back on a volatile history and changed hands multiple times. In 1928 a wine estate was founded at the castle, which even survived the GDR times. During GDR times it became a socialist co-operative VEG (volkseigener Betrieb / company owned by the people). Along the Radebeul vineyards, where counts once resided and the court of Augustus the Strong used to hold glittering parties, today there is an ultra modern winery owned by the State of Saxony, who took over the castle, grounds, and vineyards after reunification.
The Schloss Wackerbarth wines benefit from very favorable climate conditions. The Elbe river dampens the harsh winters and the vineyards are on steep sun-kissed slopes. Schloss Wackerbarth is famous for its Sekt, produced according to the Méthode Champenoise.
We toured the baroque Schloss Wackerbarth and the modern winemaking facilities, before sitting down in the tasting room for a portfolio tasting of Sächsisches Staatsweingut Schloss Wackerbarth.
Weingut Schloss Wackerbarth
The Sächsisches Staatsweingut Schloss Wackerbarth is located in Radebeul in Sachsen and owned by the Federal State of Sachsen. It is Germany’s 11th largest wine estate.
This beautiful style palace was one of the many pleasure palaces and country residences build near Dresden under Augustus the Strong. Schloss Wackerbarth was constructed by Christoph August von Wackerbarth, who was a Minister in the government of August the Strong, between 1727 and 1730. After his death, the castle was inherited by Joseph Anton Gabaleon von Wackerbarth-Salmour and had in the following 200 years various owners, including Dresdner Bank.
In 1952, after World War II, it became the socialist wine co-operative VEG Weinbau Radebeu. Efforts to privatize the wine co-operative after the fall of the Berlin Wall by the Treuhand privatization organization in 1989 were not successful and the estate finally was taken over in 1992 by the Federal State of Sachsen. In 2002 the State of Sachsen decided to renovate the castle and transform it into a “Erlebnisweingut” with an educational mission.
The vineyard area totals 94 hectares. Some of the vineyards are terraced and on steep slopes, along the Elbe river. The main grape varities are Riesling (25 ha), Elbling (12 ha), Müller-Thurgau (10 ha), Kerner (9 ha) and Pinot Blanc (7,5 ha) as well as Pinot Noir, Dornfelder and Regent.
The Wines we Tasted
2014 Schloss Wackerbarth Pinot Brut Sekt
Spätburgunder, Weissburgunder, Grauburgunder
Fermented in large wooden barrels
24 months on the lees
2016 Schloss Wackerbarth Goldriesling Trocken
2017 Schloss Wackerbarth Bacchus Trocken
Artist: Mario Götze born 1964 in Halle/ Saale
2017 Schloss Wackerbarth Goldener Wagen Edition 1950, Spätlese trocken
Field blend: Traminer, Riesling, Grauburgunder, Silvaner
2015 Schloss Wackerbarth Radebeuler Goldene Wagen Riesling Spätlese trocken
2016 Schloss Wackerbarth Radebeuler Goldene Wagen Traminer Spätlese
Postings: Germany-East Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Art, Culture, History - Berlin, Saale-Unstrut, Sachsen, Württemberg, Franken (Published and Forthcoming)
Germany-East Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Art, Culture, History - Berlin, Saale-Unstrut, Sachsen, Württemberg, Franken
Vineyard Tour and Tasting at the Königlicher Weinberg Klausberg Project in Sanssouci, Potsdam
Vineyard Tour and Tasting at Weingut Dr. Lindicke in Werder an der Havel, Brandenburg, with Katharina Lindicke
Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Günter Born in Salzatal, Saale-Unstrut, with Elisabeth Born
Vineyard Visit and Wine Tasting Lunch at Weingut Hey in Naumburg, Saale-Unstrut, with Matthias Hey – Germany-East Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours
Wine Pairing Dinner at Restaurant Zufriedenheit in Naumburg, with Chef Robert Klaus and his excellent food and Uwe Lützkendorf, Weingut Lützkendorf, and his world-class wines
Tasting at Weingut Uwe Lützkendorf, with Uwe Lützkendorf, in Bad Kösen, Saale-Unstrut– Germany-East Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours
Schiller's Favorite Winemakers in the Saale Unstrut Region, Germany
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Vineyard Tour and Tasting at Weingut Schuh in Coswig, Sachsen, with Katharina Pollmer-Schuh and Matthias Schuh - Germany-East Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Art, Culture, History - Berlin, Saale-Unstrut, Sachsen, Württemberg, Franken
Tour and Dinner at Weingut Schloss Proschwitz - Prinz zur Lippe in Zadel, Sachsen, with Georg Prinz zur Lippe - Germany-East Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours
Visit and Tasting at the Sächsisches Staatsweingut Schloss Wackerbarth in Radebeul, Sachsen
Wine and Opera in Dresden: Mozart at Semper Opera and the Best Wines of Sachsen at Wine Bar Weinzentrale in Dresden-Neustadt, with Owner/ Sommelier Jens Pietzonka – Germany-East Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours
Schiller's Favorite Winemakers in Sachsen (Saxony), Germany
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Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Dinner at Weingut Graf Adelmann Burg Schaubeck in Steinheim-Kleinbottwar, Württemberg; with Count Adelmann
Cellar tour and Tasting at Weingut Zehnthof, Theo Luckert in Sulzfeld, Franken, with Philipp Luckert
Cellar Tour and Tasting at Staatlicher Hofkeller in Würzburg, Franken, with General Manager Marcel von den Benken– Germany-East Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours
Visit and Tasting at Weingut Am Stein Ludwig Knoll in Würzburg, Franken - Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)
Wine Pairing Dinner at 1 Michelin Star Restaurant Reisers am Stein, Würzburg, Franken
Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Rudolf Fürst in Bürgstadt, Franken, with Sebastian Fürst
Tasting and Tour with the Pinot Noir Legend Paul Fürst, Weingut Rudolf Fürst in Bürgstadt, Franken– Germany-East Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)
Visit and Tasting at Weingut Benedikt Baltes in Klingenberg, Franken, with Benedikt Baltes: The Wines of Weingut Benedikt Baltes and of Weingut Julia Bertram
Schiller’s Favorites: 2 Legendary Wine Taverns in Würzburg – Juliusspital and Bürgerspital
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Taverns in Würzburg