The village of Achkarren claims to be one of the sunniest and warmest places in Germany, even referring to itself as the ‘Tuscany of Germany’.
It’s just a stone’s throw away from the Black Forest and, since it’s surrounded by hills and vineyards, there is plenty of wine on offer. It is a village in the volcanic Kaiserstuhl wine district in Baden, Germany. It is located within walking distance of the east banks of the Rhine river, almost exactly halfway between the Vosges Mountains and the Black Forest. Classic Achkarren wines (whether red or white) are riper and richer than those from other, cooler parts of Germany. The white wines produced here are some of Germany’s most flavorful examples of Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris) and Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc), while the popular reds are mostly made from Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir).Achkarren is located in a shallow valley, below the southern slopes of the Schlossberg hill. Vines planted on the Schlossberg (which is a named Erste Lage site) benefit from being on its steep, south-facing slopes, which expose them to plentiful sunshine. They are equally fortunate below the surface, where dark, mineral-rich volcanic soils are covered by a thin layer of loose, well-aerated loess.
