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Franken lies some 65 km/40 miles east of the Rhine, in Bavaria, with most of its vineyards
planted on the hilly slopes lining the Main River and its tributaries. Würzburg is home of
the famed vineyard Stein, which gave rise to the generic term Steinwein, formerly used to
denote all Franken wines. Fuller-bodied, less aromatic, often drier, firmer and earthier,
Franconian wines are generally the most masculine of Germany's wines. Part of Franken's wines
singular personality is due to the climate: cold winters, high annual rainfall, early frosts
— long, warm autumns are rare. As a result, the late-ripening Riesling plays a minor role.
Müller-Thurgau (also called Rivaner), Silvaner and new crossings, such as Bacchus and Kerner,
are the most important white varieties. Red wine grapes thrive in the western portion of the
region between Aschaffenburg and Miltenberg.The finest Franken wines are traditionally
bottled in a Bocksbeutel, a squat green or brown flagon with a round body — which lends
considerable recognition value to the region's wines.
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