VDP.Grosse Lage BadenRiesling, Spaetburgunder (Pinot Noir), Traminer, Gewuerztraminer, Muskateller, Scheurebe, Chardonnay8.4 haAndreas Christian LaibleWinemaker Andreas Christian LaibleOrtenau
Durbach estate on the Ortenau's granite and gneiss Plauelrain slope, majority Riesling (locally called Klingelberger) with a 2016 Eiswein that won the AWC Vienna world championship.
Tasting: Three generations work the Durbach estate together; tastings by appointment on the Plauelrain slope.
Tip: Riesling here is sold under the local name Klingelberger; don't expect Kaiserstuhl Burgunder styles.
VDP.Grosse Lage BadenRiesling, Spaetburgunder (Pinot Noir), Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris), Mueller-Thurgau, Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc), Chardonnay18.2 havon Franckenstein family (leased and run by Stefan Huschle)Winemaker Stefan HuschleORGANIC CERTIFIEDOrtenau
Offenburg estate held by the von Franckenstein family since the 18th century and farmed today under Stefan Huschle, EU-organic Riesling and Spaetburgunder from Ortenau's granite sites.
Tasting: Tastings at the Offenburg estate, family-owned for more than three centuries and VDP member since 1926.
Tip: Offenburg sits at the Ortenau's northern gateway, a convenient first or last stop on a Black Forest wine route.
VDP.Grosse Lage BadenRiesling, Spaetburgunder (Pinot Noir), Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc), Gewuerztraminer, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc14.1 haRobert SchaetzleWinemaker Robert SchaetzleOrtenau
Historic Schloss Neuweier estate north of Baden-Baden, owned by Robert Schaetzle since 2012 and majority Riesling from steep granite terraces cooled by evening Black Forest air.
Tasting: Tastings at the Schloss Neuweier grounds north of Baden-Baden, on steep granite slopes at 200-400 metres elevation.
Tip: The Mauerwein bottling from the Mauerberg Grosse Lage is the estate's most site-specific Riesling.
VDP.Grosse Lage BadenSpaetburgunder (Pinot Noir), Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris), Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc), Auxerrois, Chardonnay, Riesling19.2 haMarkus WoehrleWinemaker Markus WoehrleORGANIC CERTIFIEDOrtenau
Lahr estate organic-certified since 1991, farming four Grosse Lage sites on the Ortenau's southern edge with Auxerrois, grown there since the 1950s, alongside the core Burgunder range.
Tasting: Tastings at the Lahr estate, certified organic since 1991.
Tip: Ask for the Auxerrois; Woehrle is one of the few Ortenau estates with old-vine plantings of the variety.
Spaetburgunder (Pinot Noir)Ortenau
Buehl cooperative in the Affental valley at the Ortenau's northern reach, best known outside the region for its distinctive monkey-relief Affenflasche bottle of Spaetburgunder.
Tasting: Cooperative cellar door in Buehl-Eisental, at the Ortenau's northern edge, known for its monkey-embossed "Affenflasche" bottle.
Tip: The Affenflasche bottle shape is a regional collector's item as much as the wine inside it.
VDP.Grosse Lage BadenRiesling, Lemberger, Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc), Spaetburgunder (Pinot Noir)38.4 haFounded 1251Heiler and Jacklin familiesWinemaker Claus BurmeisterDemeter CertifiedDEMETERKraichgau
Kraichgau estate first documented in 1251 below the ruins of Burg Ravensburg, Demeter-certified biodynamic and majority Riesling on gypsum-keuper clay-loess soils.
Tasting: Vinothek tastings at the Heitlinger Genusswelten site in Oestringen-Tiefenbach, covering both estates' Grosse Lage wines.
Tip: Taste alongside sister estate Heitlinger; both pour at the same Genusswelten vinothek.