Sommerweinfest Steigra

Wine from the Northernmost Edge

Steigra, in the southern Saalekreis district, is one of Germany's northernmost wine-growing locations. The chalky south-facing slopes are small, the yield modest, the effort great — and the result always a matter of taste between Burgundian elegance and cool Central German freshness. The Winzerverein Steigra e.V. (Steigra Winegrowers' Association) has cultivated these slopes collectively for decades and traditionally celebrates its Sommerweinfest (Summer Wine Festival) on the last weekend of June.

Crowning of the Wine Princess

The highlight of the festival is the crowning of the new Steigra Wine Princess. The reigning Wine Princess, Laura Victoria I., hands over the crown to her successor — a tradition that connects the small wine-growing community with Germany's major wine regions. The Wine Princess represents Steigra for one year at wine fairs, regional festivals, and on social media.

Program Atmosphere

The association's grounds are transformed into a summer garden party: long tables under the linden trees, wine glasses in hand, live music from accordion to blues guitarist. You can taste directly from the vintners who know their slopes like the back of their hand — steep slopes, partly cultivated by hand, with vintage-strong characters in the glass. Federweißer (young wine) is not yet served in summer, but instead, the dry Müller-Thurgau, semi-dry Bacchus, and the mineral-driven Weißburgunder.

Anchored in Saalekreis

Steigra is located in the Saalekreis district, in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, nestled between Querfurt, Bad Lauchstädt, and the lower Unstrut Valley. Those arriving from Halle (Saale) can reach it in a good three-quarters of an hour; from Naumburg, it takes half an hour. The connection to the other Saale-Unstrut wine-growing towns of Höhnstedt, Freyburg, and Bad Kösen invites a multi-day wine tour.