For many, it may be just another form of wine bottle. For Franconia and the mostly enthusiastic wine drinkers who live there, it is about much more than just a bottle. It is about a piece of local culture and more than 250 years of history.
For at least 250 years, the Bocksbeutel has served as the ultimate container in Franconian wineries. Primarily only for wines from the Würzburger Stein, until 1728 when the Würzburg city council decided to bottle the best Franconian wines in Bocksbeutel. The beginning of a long tradition that is still firmly established in Würzburg today. However, the origin of this special bottle goes back much further into the past.
As far as historians agree, the name Bocksbeutel can be traced back to the Low German word Bücherbeutel (Booksbüdel). This was a bag-like covering of prayer and hymn books, which was often carried by councillors. Alternative theories say that the shape of the booksbüdel was modelled on the male sexual organ, or rather the testicle of a goat. Since in Greek mythology the goat was considered the companion animal of the god of wine, this assumption of origin fits very well with the actual use of the Bocksbeutel.
Whichever of the two stories may be true, it is undisputed that the Bocksbeutel today stands as a regional sign of quality for wines from certain growing regions. According to a ruling by the European Court of Justice, only wines from Franconia and certain parts of Baden may be bottled in a Bocksbeutel.
We recommend that you keep your eyes open the next time you go wine shopping. Perhaps you will discover one or the other speciality from Franconia that will "revive" fond memories of your time in Würzburg...
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