Markelsheimer Weinfest 2026

Four Days of Wine Festival in Tauberfranken

The annual Markelsheimer Weinfest will take place in 2026 from Saturday, May 23rd, to Tuesday, May 26th, around the Markelsheim winegrowers' cooperative. Markelsheim—a district of Bad Mergentheim in the Main-Tauber district—belongs to the Tauberfranken wine-growing region and is a member of the "Weinsüden-Weinstädte" (South of Wine Towns), the official wine tourism initiative of Baden-Württemberg.

Exquisite Württemberg Wines

The centerpiece of the festival is the wines from the Markelsheim winegrowers' cooperative—from Müller-Thurgau and Bacchus to Riesling and Tauberschwarz, and on to Spätburgunder and Schwarzriesling. The Tauberfranken wines are characterized by their distinctive minerality, imparted by the Muschelkalk soil of the Tauber Valley. Visitors can sample a cross-section of the current vintages at the winemakers' tasting stands.

Music Program and Amusement Park

Various music groups and bands will perform on all four festival days—from regional brass bands and mood bands to dance orchestras. A small amusement park with a carousel, shooting gallery, and candy stalls complements the family offerings. Culinary delights are dominated by Tauberfranken specialties: Schäufele (pork shoulder), Bratwurst (grilled sausages), Maultaschen (Swabian ravioli), Flammkuchen (tarte flambée), along with sweets like Krapfen (doughnuts) and Weinküchle (wine fritters).

Wine Hike and Buttenlauf

Two program points make the Markelsheimer Weinfest unique: the wine hike through the vineyards around Markelsheim with tasting stations at various wineries—and the traditional Buttenlauf, a race for winemakers and festival visitors carrying the traditional wooden Butten (carrying containers) on their backs. A sporty homage to the grape harvest.

Markelsheim and the Weinsüden

Markelsheim has a winegrowing tradition of over 1100 years. The winegrowers' cooperative has existed since 1894 and today unites around 280 winegrowing families. With just under 2,000 inhabitants, Markelsheim is part of the spa town of Bad Mergentheim and is located in the romantic Tauber Valley between Würzburg and the Romantic Road—one of Württemberg's most traditional wine landscapes.