Summary
Schloss Wackerbarth in Radebeul near Dresden is the flagship of Saxon wine: a state winery owned by the Free State of Saxony, set in a baroque palace and garden ensemble built between 1727 and 1730 and open since 2002 as ‘Europe’s first experience winery’. On around 90 to 100 hectares – roughly a quarter of them terraced steep slopes – the estate grows mainly Riesling, Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc, Traminer and the Saxon rarity Goldriesling. The second pillar of the house is Sekt: the tradition dates back to 1836, and to this day every bottle is made by traditional bottle fermentation. With more than 200,000 guests a year, Wackerbarth is also one of the most visited wine destinations in Germany.
History
The estate owes its name to Count August Christoph von Wackerbarth, field marshal and head of the building administration at the court of Augustus the Strong. Between 1727 and 1730 he had a baroque retirement residence built in the vineyards of Radebeul to plans by Johann Christoph Knöffel, complete with palace, garden and the striking Belvedere on the hilltop. The Jacobstein, a vineyard pavilion of 1742, followed and remains one of the landmarks of the Lößnitz.
A second chapter began with Sekt in 1836: the Bussard sparkling wine house was founded in Radebeul and produced the first Sekt from Saxony – a heritage Schloss Wackerbarth continues today as one of the oldest sparkling wine houses in Europe. In 1928 the estate became the seat of the Saxon state winery; in the GDR era it operated as the state-owned Volkseigenes Gut Weinbau Radebeul.
After reunification, the Free State founded the Sächsische Staatsweingut GmbH Schloss Wackerbarth in 1992. From 1997 the historic ensemble was thoroughly restored and complemented by a modern glass wine and Sekt manufactory. In 2002 the estate reopened as ‘Europe’s first experience winery’ – a concept that unites viticulture, gastronomy, culture and guided tours in one place. The restoration earned the estate the Radebeul building owners’ prize in 2004 and the Gottfried Semper Architecture Prize in 2007. Sonja Schilg led the house for almost twenty years; in July 2022 Andreas Stuhl took over as managing director.
Location & Terroir
Schloss Wackerbarth lies in Radebeul, right on the doorstep of Dresden, in the heart of the Lößnitz – the stretch of the Elbe valley that forms the core of Saxon viticulture. Saxony is one of the northernmost and smallest wine regions in Germany, and the vines grow here on the 51st parallel on south-facing slopes above the Elbe.
The terraced steep slopes are the defining feature: around a quarter of the vineyard area sits on steep hillsides supported by some 25,000 square metres of historic sandstone walls that store warmth and shelter the vines from cold winds. The soils consist mainly of weathered granite and syenite, overlaid with loess and sand. The climate is continental, with warm, dry summers and cool nights – ideal conditions for cool-climate whites with pronounced freshness and for Sekt base wines with lively acidity.
The estate’s vineyards include the Radebeuler Johannisberg, the Radebeuler Steinrücken with the Wackerbarthberg and the Paradies vineyard, and the state vineyard Goldener Wagen near the Hoflößnitz. There are further holdings in the Seußlitzer Heinrichsburg further down the Elbe near Meissen.
Style & Philosophy
Cellar master Christiane Spieler describes the house’s ambition as the artisanal production of cool-climate wines and traditional-method Sekts. The whites are mostly vinified dry, with the emphasis on varietal typicity, freshness and drinkability rather than oak and weight. Riesling is taut and mineral, the Pinot varieties creamy and fine, Traminer spicy and aromatic.
A speciality is Goldriesling, a crossing of Riesling and Courtillier musqué that is now grown almost exclusively in Saxony. Wackerbarth turns it into a light, delicately spicy white that counts as a Saxon speciality. The estate also sees itself as a guardian of the wine landscape: preserving the steep slopes and dry-stone walls is an explicit part of its mission, as is environmentally responsible viticulture.
Sekt by traditional bottle fermentation
All the house’s Sekts are made by traditional bottle fermentation: the base wine is bottled with yeast and tirage liqueur, undergoes a second fermentation in the bottle and matures on the lees before the bottles are riddled and disgorged. The estate sums it up in its own motto: riddled, not shaken. The Sekt manufactory can be visited on guided tours, making the process visible to guests – a centrepiece of the experience concept.
Notable Sites & Wines
The wines carry the names of the Radebeul vineyards and Saxony’s leading varieties:
- Radebeuler Johannisberg and Steinrücken – Riesling, Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc from the steep slopes above the Lößnitz
- Goldener Wagen – historic state vineyard near the Hoflößnitz
- Seußlitzer Heinrichsburg – wines from the Elbe valley near Meissen
- Goldriesling – the Saxon rarity as a light, spicy summer wine
- Sekt collection – traditional-method Sekts from Riesling and Pinot Sekt to vintage and rosé cuvées
Annual production is around 600,000 bottles, sold mainly through the estate market, the restaurant, the online shop and the trade in Saxony.
Awards
At the Deutscher Sekt Award 2018, Schloss Wackerbarth was named Germany’s best Sekt producer for its collection. The wine guides Vinum and Falstaff rate the estate with four stars, and the Gault&Millau wine guide lists it among the recommended producers of Saxony. For the exemplary restoration of the baroque ensemble, the state winery received the Radebeul building owners’ prize (2004) and the Gottfried Semper Architecture Prize (2007). With more than 200,000 guests a year, Wackerbarth is also one of the most important ambassadors of Saxon wine.
