View through vineyards to a village by the lake. A large rocky massif stands out in the background, slightly hazy. The sun is shining.

Happy Ending at the LakeWine Events at Lake Constance

10.12.2024by Hirsch & Greif

One adventurous night 100 years ago, two winegrowers saved viticulture at Lake Constance. The smuggled Müller-Thurgau wine still plays an important role in German viticulture today. This year, its anniversary will be celebrated at Lake Constance. Do you want to be there?

Small but MightyWine from Lake Constance

The sun is shining and the wine glows in the glass. The vineyards stretch to the shore. Lake Constance glistens behind them. Sailboats glide through the waves. The days are relaxed in this region of pleasure. But the nights can be exciting. This has a lot to do with the wine grown here.With an area of 600 hectares and seven cross-border wine growing areas, Lake Constance is one of the small but fine wine destinations. The soil consists of sandy loam interspersed with gravel and scree from the Alps, and is therefore very rich in nutrients. Thanks to the mild climate and fertile soils, many quality wines thrive here, especially white wines made from the grape varieties Müller-Thurgau, Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc. They are appreciated for their fine aromas and fresh acidity. Among the red wines, Pinot Noir is particularly important

Müller-Thurgau AnniversaryNocturnal Smuggling Trip with Müller-Thurgau Wine 100 Years Ago

Today, wine from Lake Constance is widely appreciated. But 100 years ago, it was considered undrinkable. On the Swiss side of the lake, winegrowers had great success with a new variety called Müller-Thurgau. However, it was forbidden to import the cuttings. Johann Baptist Röhrenbach and his son Albert, both winegrowers from Immenstaad, wondered how they could still get hold of these vines and bravely undertook an adventurous journey: at night, Albert rowed across the border to the Swiss side of the lake with a fisherman friend. He smuggled 400 vines of Müller-Thurgau home in April 1925. The variety quickly revived viticulture, first at Lake Constance and later throughout Germany.

Good to KnowProfile: Müller-Thurgau Wine

Origin and Name of the Müller-Thurgau Wine

Importance of the Mülle-Thurgau Wine

The Müller-Thurgau Variety - Fresh and Uncomplicated

Müller-Thrugau is an early-ripening and high-yielding variety. It is considered to have an easily accessible taste, fresh, fruity, slightly floral, with a delicate muscat aroma. Müller-Thurgau cannot be stored for very long, about two years. So it's best to enjoy it on the spot and not leave it in the cellar for too long once you've brought it home.

Close-up of the Müller-Thurgau grape variety

Müller Thurgau: the ideal summer wine

Crisp apple and apricot notes are characteristic.

A sailing boat drifts on Lake Constance at sunset. The black outline of a coastline can be seen in the background.

$Five hands lie on a table, each holding a wine glass. Rosé wine shimmers in the wine glasses. The sun is refracted in them. In the background, water glistens in a lake.$

A young woman is wearing an apron. An older man stands next to her in a blue polo shirt. They stand in a row of vines and laugh at the camera.

There are wooden tables and benches in an outdoor area of a pub. People are sitting at them. Wine barrels can be seen in the foreground. The sky is blue. The doors of the building are open.

Idyllic gourmet region

Sailboats glide across Lake Constance.

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Tips & EventsWine Tours at Lake Constance

Quality in German viticulture is a top priority at Lake Constance. Winemakers there are reinventing their wine tastings, too. For example, stop by 'Fräulein Seegucker', a dusted-off interpretation of a tavern, at the Aufricht Winery in Stetten. Or book an evening wine and sail trip on the St. Jodok Freighter in Immenstaad. The traditional family winery Röhrenbach also has something new to offer. They impress with innovative cuvées and a bubbly Müller-Thurgau sparkling wine.There are a number of wineries at Lake Constance that open their taverns seasonally. Here you can taste and buy your Müller-Thurgau and other wines right on the spot. Some wineries even offer overnight accommodations. Imagine enjoying a last glass of regional wine while watching the sun set over the water — simply magical!

Genuine Enjoyment. Genuine Lake Constance.

Wine has been produced at Lake Constance for more than two thousand years in a total of six cross-border wine-growing regions. Learn more about local wine and other vacation ideas at Lake Constance: www.echt-bodensee.de/genuss/bodenseewein

Colorful Lake ConstanceEnjoying Wine in Fall

The charming vineyard landscape makes Lake Constance a great year-round destination. Visit wineries, taste fine wines, and experience special gourmet events. Try oven-fresh "Dinnete" - a kind of Swabian tarte flambée. In summer, you can, of course, combine a wine experience with a summer vacation. But even more appealing is a wine tour in the fall, when nature is bursting with color and wine festivals are held in many places.

More Wine Experiences at Lake Constance