Winemaking domain

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State wine-growing domain Avelsbach in the Avelertal in Trier

A viticulture domain is a major winery owned by the state . Viticulture domains emerged from around the 19th century as "model wineries" in order to spread modern viticultural production methods among the winemakers . Some former state-owned companies continue to refer to themselves as "domains" even after they have been transferred to private ownership, cf. Wine-growing domain Schloss Johannisberg .

description

" Viticulture domains are state model goods.

On the one hand, they should act as model companies, as well as the viticulture by testing new cultivation measures of the vine, handing out selected sapwood , partly through grafts , which support winemakers, but on the other hand also serve as advertising companies for the state treasury .

The establishment of domains for the fulfillment of the tasks mentioned has definitely proven itself, even if most of these state-owned companies are now subsidized companies. The testing of new measures in viticulture , which often cannot be carried out by private owners and often also by public viticulture organizations due to lack of funds or suitable vineyards, is carried out in many cases by the domains for the benefit of the general public. The domains continually contribute to raising the reputation of the respective wine-growing region through top performance in the cultivation of the vine and in the development of the wines .

The wines are only sold in their natural state. Since some of the domain vineyards were created from uneconomical wasteland , they represent an increase in national wealth and at the same time offer numerous working-class families a secure livelihood. "

- Karl Müller: Weinbaulexikon 1930

history

Wine-growing domains emerged mainly from the secularized property of the church. The French Revolution brought about the abolition of medieval guilds , as well as the large estates of churches and monasteries. From then on there was economic freedom, which the citizens also made use of. What the French commissioners could not sell was placed under public administration as a state domain ; which still exists today as a state company .

However, there are also domain wineries that have been owned by noble houses for centuries and have not passed into the hands of the state. Due to centuries-old privileges, these sometimes have the best vineyards at the respective location. This applies, for example, to the Johannisberg Castle (Rheingau) estate and the Schönborn Castle domain winery . The latter, for example, has the largest share of the Marcobrunn location ; one of the best and most famous locations in the Rheingau .

Examples

in Baden-Wurttemberg
in Bavaria
in Hessen
in Rhineland-Palatinate
in Saxony