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.
VDP.Grosse Lage BadenSpaetburgunder (Pinot Noir), Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris), Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc), Auxerrois, Chardonnay, Riesling72.7 haHeiler and Jacklin familiesWinemaker Claus BurmeisterBiodynamic PracticingKraichgau
Kraichgau estate on calcareous soils at Oestringen-Tiefenbach, farming 72.7 hectares of mostly Burgunder varieties within the Heitlinger Genusswelten resort complex.
Tasting: Tastings at the Heitlinger Genusswelten complex, which combines the winery with a golf resort, hotel and restaurants.
Tip: The Genusswelten site bundles the tasting room with a hotel and restaurants; book ahead in peak season.
VDP.Grosse Lage BadenWeissburgunder (Pinot Blanc), Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris), Spaetburgunder (Pinot Noir), Chardonnay, Riesling, Lemberger10.7 haFamilie SeegerWinemaker Thomas and Anna Marie SeegerBadische Bergstrasse
Leimen estate on the Badische Bergstrasse near Heidelberg, farmed by the Seeger family across thirteen generations on muschelkalk and bunter sandstone soils.
Tasting: Tastings at the Leimen estate near Heidelberg, family-run for thirteen generations.
Tip: Leimen is a short trip from Heidelberg, making this the easiest Baden estate to reach without a full Kaiserstuhl detour.
VDP.Grosse Lage BadenSpaetburgunder (Pinot Noir), Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris), Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc), Mueller-Thurgau, Riesling111.3 haBernhard Markgraf von BadenBodensee
Two-site estate run by the House of Baden, Schloss Salem above the Bodensee and Schloss Staufenberg in the Rhine Valley, majority Burgunder varieties on glacial soils near the lake.
Tasting: Tastings across two sites, Schloss Salem on the Bodensee and Schloss Staufenberg in the Rhine Valley; wines also sold through the Badischer Winzerkeller's shop in Breisach.
Tip: Schloss Salem is a working monastery-turned-palace as well as a winery; the grounds are worth the extra time.
Riesling, Mueller-Thurgau, Souvignier Gris, Cabernet Blanc60.0 haFounded 1803Land Baden-WuerttembergBodensee
State-owned Bodensee domain dating to a 1210 first mention of Meersburg viticulture and under state ownership since 1803, farming 60 hectares across Meersburg, Hohentwiel and Gailingen with Riesling as the lead variety.
Tasting: Tastings at the state-owned domain overlooking Lake Constance, with vineyards split across Meersburg, Hohentwiel and Gailingen.
Tip: Ask for the lake-view terrace tasting; Meersburg's vineyards run down to the Bodensee shoreline.