Summer 2025 In Kleinbottwar: Day 3 – Abiball

A walk in the Kleinbottwar vineyards

Kleinbottwar village in the Württemburg wine region Germany is known principally for wines from the Riesling grape. There are three adjoining Grosse Lage – classified vineyards on a southwest- and south-facing hillside to the northeast of the village, on low-yielding, stony Keuper soils. In the middle of the three, Süssmund (“Sweetmouth”, referring to the quality of the wines) is one of Württemburg’s most famous vineyards. Its five hectares (12 acres) are planted almost exclusively to Riesling. Next door, the 4-ha (10-acre) Oberer Berg is best known for its Lemberger wines, combining finesse and flavor complexity. Götzenberg is on the other side of Süssmund and is much larger at 20ha (50 acres). The hillside curves away from Kleinbottwar to face south.

I walked in the neat and tidy vineyards after breakfast. It was a very hot morning.

The Forellenfischer Fish Farm just outside Kleinbottwar has quality trout – both fresh and smoked. We bought fresh trout there and had them grilled for lunch, with roast potatoes and steamed green beans. Graf Adelmann Riesling 2023 – fresh with an hint of sweetness (cold fermented in stainless steel tanks and with an ABV of 13% and 2.4 g/l of residual sugar) was a good partner.

Abiball

Abiball is German graduation ball, celebrating the completion of the Arbitur – high school diploma. It’s a formal event, often held after the Abitur ceremony, where students celebrate with family, friends, and teachers. The evening typically includes a program with speeches, music, dancing, and a formal dinner. Abiballs are usually held in a formal venue like a hall or hotel, with attendees dressed in formal attire. After the formal proceedings, the event often transitions into a lively party with music and dancing.

We drove to Ludwigsberg in the afternoon. The Abiball was in the grounds of Ludwigsburg Castle which is one of the largest baroque buildings in Europe that has been preserved in the original state.

Ludwigsburg Castle, nicknamed the “Versailles of Swabia”, is a 452-room palace complex of 18 buildings. Its total area, including the gardens, is 32 ha (79 acres) – the largest palatial estate in the country. The palace has four wings: the northern wing, the Alter Hauptbau, is the oldest and was used as a residence of the Duke of Württemberg; the east and west wings were used for court purposes and housing guests and courtiers; the southern wing, the Neuer Hauptbau, was built to house more court functions and was later used as a residence.

The Abiball was in full swing by 4 pm. We chatted, walked in the beautiful gardens, sipped good Grauburgunder and Riesling, ate Currywurst and fried potatoes and danced.