Unexpected Wine Country in Saxony

We followed the Elbe south out of Dresden, and the city quickly gave way to vineyards terraced into the bluffs above the river, interspersed with the occasional 18th- or 19th-century villa. The vineyards along the Elbe can achieve grapes of surprising ripeness, considering their northern latitude. Because of the wines’ local popularity and the small production, finding them outside of Germany — or even outside of Saxony — is quite difficult, which makes visiting the region in person all the more rewarding.

We followed the Elbe south out of Dresden, and the city quickly gave way to vineyards terraced into the bluffs above the river, interspersed with the occasional 18th- or 19th-century villa. The vineyards along the Elbe can achieve grapes of surprising ripeness, considering their northern latitude. Because of the wines’ local popularity and the small production, finding them outside of Germany — or even outside of Saxony — is quite difficult, which makes visiting the region in person all the more rewarding.

Finding these wines outside of Germany — or even outside of Saxony — is quite difficult, which makes visiting the region in person all the more rewarding.

If you have time to stop at only one winery, make it Weingut Schloss Proschwitz, a family-owned operation 40 minutes from Dresden. We ended up tossing our planned itinerary and spending the better part of the day with gracious owner Alexandra Prinzessin zur Lippe. After all, when a princess invites you to lunch, you don’t turn her down. The Soviets expropriated her husband’s family’s vineyards and ancestral home in 1945, but the prince managed to buy much of them back after the fall of the Wall. He and his wife renovated some historic buildings in a nearby village that now house winemaking equipment, a vaulted tasting room and an excellent restaurant. We sat on the sunny patio, dining on fried scallops and filet mignon with fresh pea mousseline as the princess, a former television reporter, related the fascinating story of how she and her husband became full-time vintners. It wasn’t easy. Despite his family’s Saxon roots, her husband was extremely unpopular when he first arrived. “He was the worst of the worst,” she lamented. “He was a Westerner. He was an entrepreneur. And he was a prince!”

Together we tasted a sparkling Pinot Madeleine rosé, a light and refreshing Elbing, a rich barrique-aged Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris) and a ripe and well-integrated Pinot Noir. But the wine I’ll never forget was the 2013 Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc) Grosses Gewächs, which translates to “Great Growth.” The aroma dazzled me with its sumptuous fruit and wood notes, and the flavor rivaled top white Burgundies in terms of ripeness, richness, focus and balance. The wine astonished me, as did its price of just €25 a bottle.

The princess then led us along idyllic country roads to her husband’s ancestral palace, now used for weddings and other events such as a biennial “concours d’elegance” of horse-drawn carriages. Some of the vineyards are just a short walk away, with panoramic views of the Gothic spires of Meissen. Suddenly and most unexpectedly, I found myself fantasizing about retiring in Saxony.

We also visited Schloss Wackerbarth, a state-owned winery less than a half-hour outside of Dresden. Skip the overblown winery tour, and instead sample sparkling wines beneath hillside vineyards dotted with baroque pavilions. Schloss Wackerbarth is the most touristy winery in Saxony, but the setting is undeniably inspiring.

I recommend driving along both banks of the Elbe: The B6 road has the best views of the vineyards, and S82 on the opposite side of the river leads past wineries and cozy villages full of wine taverns. In Dresden, you can try Saxon vintages at wine bars such as the charming Winzerstube “Zum Rebstock,” hidden in a quiet courtyard off Hauptstrasse near the Bülow Palais.